Do You Solemnly Swear? (Signed by Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas)

Louis B. Heller, Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York; Foreword by Abe Fortas, United States Supreme Court Justice

Published by Doubleday & Company, Garden City, New York, 1968

About this Item

Stated First Edition. Signed and inscribed by the late Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas on the half-title page (see photo). A signature of Abe Fortas in a book is a rare find. No other copy of this book listed for sale is signed. No copy of his own book (Concerning Dissent and Civil Disobedience) is signed. Only a copy ($900.00) of 'The Perez Family by Sam Shankman' is signed by Fortas (he wrote the Foreword). The signed inscription here is on the half-title page (see photo). It reads: 'For Adam Stolpin (?)-- With all good wishes and particularly for a great career in law school and in the profession-- Abe Fortas, June 1969.' You can see the covers of the book in the photos. I don't see any conspicuous soiling. There is some crinkling at both spine ends. There is a small space between the cloth at the top edge of the spine and the textblock which creates the appearance of a very light, vague vertical crease on the spine. The gilt lettering on the spine is bright. The cover edges and corners are in excellent shape. The page edges look very good. The middle one is deckled or rough-cut. They did an excellent job. The book is square and the spine looks straight. The binding is very solid from cover to cover with nicely tight pages throughout and nicely tight covers as well. The inside covers and end papers are a light purple. There is a slight bit of color fade on the inside covers just adjacent to their junctures with their end papers. The pages are in excellent condition. They are exceptionally clean. Scrolling through, I'm not finding any instances of soiling. I'm also not finding any creasing. There are no markings. No attachments. And Justice Fortas' signed inscription is the only writing to be found anywhere in the book. You can see the dust jacket in the first few photos. It is rated only Fair. It has some foxing/spotting. There is a triangular loss off the top edge of the rear cover, a tear off the bottom edge of the spine, a couple of other little edge tears. The flaps are in decent shape, a little toning or spotting off their top edges, no tears. The jacket is NOT price-clipped, not clipped at all. I have always had it in a fitted protective cover. From the dust jacket: 'Louis B. Heller, a New York Supreme Court Justice, provides lawyers and laymen alike with an absorbing account of the way cases are won-- and lost-- in our courts. Vividly portrayed throughout are the tensions and the drama, the pathos and the humor, as well as the disappointments and frustrations that make up the life of the trial lawyer. Justice Heller fully explains the American jury system and the adversary process; describes both the winning tactics and the lamentable 'booboos' of some of the outstanding members of the Bar, and concludes with an eloquent plea for the raising of professional standards and the improvement of legal education.' José Ferrer portrayed Fortas in the film Gideon's Trumpet In 1968, Johnson tried to elevate Fortas to the position of Chief Justice of the United States, but that nomination faced a filibuster and was withdrawn. Fortas later resigned from the Court after a controversy involving his acceptance of $20,000 from financier Louis Wolfson while Wolfson was being investigated for insider trading. The Justice Department investigated Fortas at the behest of President Richard Nixon. Attorney General John N. Mitchell pressured Fortas into resigning. Following his resignation, Fortas returned to private practice, occasionally appearing before the justices with whom he had served.'.

Seller Inventory # 005465

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Do You Solemnly Swear? (Signed by Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas)
• Publisher: Doubleday & Company, Garden City, New York
• Publication Date: 1968
• Language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Printing: 1st Printing
• Condition: Very Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: Fair
• Signed: Inscribed by Author(s)
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