Beat the Heat : How to Handle Encounters with Law Enforcement

Saying the right thing during an encounter with the police can mean the difference between going home and going to jail. Beat the Heat gives you a set of easy-to-remember legal tactics for protecting yourself and the people you care about. Written by a criminal defense attorney, this illustrated street law manual teaches you exactly:

• what to say if you’re pulled over
• how to read a search warrant
• what you should know about undercover cops
• how to handle police questioning
• what to tell the judge to get your bail reduced
• how to get the best work out of your lawyer

Reading this book is like getting a one-on-one coaching session with your lawyer. It’s written in plain English and comes with sample documents (including warrants and subpoenas), so you can learn how to deal with them before trouble’s at your door. There are special sections for minors and non-U.S. citizens, as well as a chapter on suing the police. The best part is the numerous cartoon sequences, which demonstrate how cops manipulate people they’re questioning or searching—and what techniques you need to win this game.

Beat the Heat was scrupulously edited by over a dozen attorneys and law professors, in addition to law enforcement officers and bail bondsmen.

"This is a book that every American should read before they find themselves in an encounter with a law enforcement agent. Such knowledge can cut back on lawyer fees, possibly reduce jail time, and can help one be an active participant in one’s legal situation rather than sitting on the sidelines in a cloud of confusion during this stressful time." —Johnnie Cochran, Criminal Defense Attorney

"It’s extremely well done, in its informative text, and its clear, well-drawn graphics. It’ll be especially helpful for young folks, of the anti-globalist and hip-hop generation, who often have few ways to learn about the pitfalls of the system (other than the unfortunate obvious way)." —Mumia Abu Jamal, Author and Political Prisoner

"Beat the Heat is a great urban survival kit: it provides simple, direct tactics for preserving basic constitutional rights on the street, and precise, valid legal information for victims of police abuse." —Tony Serra, Criminal Defense Attorney

"Beat the Heat is a crucial resource for communities of color. To fight back against police abuse and discrimination in the courts, people have got to know their legal rights—and that information is in this book." —Van Jones, Executive Director, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights

"This book will help keep more of our brothers and sisters in the community, instead of sitting in cages watching the prison industry’s profits grow. Read it, use it, pass it on." —Zack de la Rocha, Singer/Songwriter, Rage Against the Machine

Katya Komisaruk applied to law school while serving a five year prison sentence for civil disobedience. She graduated from Harvard Law School cum laude in 1993, and has been a criminal defense and civil rights lawyer for over a decade.