Inside the Robe

To most people, judges are mysterious creatures. As Anthony Bourdain invited readers to follow him behind the scenes of the restaurant business in his bestseller, Kitchen Confidential, and Caitlin Doughty’s Smoke Gets in Your Eyes was a revealing peak into the mysteries of what happens after death inside a mortuary, Inside the Robe shines a bright spotlight into the hidden folds of the judging world.

Despite the old saw that judges should merely “follow the law,” Inside the Robe lays bare how following the law can produce wildly different results depending upon the background, politics, and life experiences of each judge. Even the floor of the courthouse can mean the difference between prison and freedom. Judge Katharine Mader spent decades as a judge in a criminal court, was the LAPD’s first inspector general, a prosecutor in two murder-for-hire trials, and a defense attorney who successfully argued to spare the life of the Hillside Strangler. From her perch behind the bench, Judge Mader witnesses a parade of drug addicts, gang members, mentally ill defendants, pricey private attorneys ranging from brilliant to incompetent, jaded prosecutors, and starry-eyed true believer public defenders. Never before has the judging profession been laid bare for all to see.  

Bio: 

JUDGE KATHERINE MADER is a newly retired Superior Court Judge in Los Angeles County, where she served for nearly two decades handling all phases of felony trials. With 45 years of experience at the highest level of the criminal justice system, Judge Mader was the Los Angeles Police Department’s first Inspector General, overseeing the entire LAPD disciplinary system.

Judge Mader started as a criminal defense attorney, famously arguing to spare the life of the “Hillside Strangler.” She is also known for her time as a prosecutor, where she worked numerous homicides including the prosecution of a White LAPD officer for killing a Black tow truck driver.

Judge Mader’s previous books include: Fallen Angels, Chronicles of L.A. Crime and Mystery, Facts on File, Rotten Apples, True Stories of New York Crime and Mystery, Perfect Crimes, and Santa Monica, Jewel of the Sunset Bay—all co-authored with Marvin J. Wolf.