Club Speech Read the transcript of Scott Turow's speech. Club Q & A Read the Q & A for this event. Book Excerpt Read an excerpt from the authors' book. Related Links Our guide to the best links related to this event.

With the debate over capital punishment reentering the headlines after suspects were arrested in the Washington-area sniper shootings - though before Illinois Governor George Ryan granted blanket clemency to death row inmates in the state - attorney and author Scott Turow expressed his views on the death penalty in a Good Lit program at The Commonwealth Club. In conversation with Barbara Lane, Turow, who once served as Assistant U.S. Attorney in Chicago, explains that while he is not morally opposed to the "ultimate punishment," its imperfections necessitate reform of the current justice system. With his latest novel, Reversible Errors, centered on this controversial issue, Turow shows that it is possible to create a balance between accurate legal details and arresting narrative.

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