Kennedy Robert Francis - Framed: why Michael Skakel spent over a decade in prison for a murder he didnt commit

Praise for Framed

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s new book, Framed , is a furious and fascinating condemnation of the persecution of Michael Skakel. This account will shock and astound those who read the press reports of the case at the time, particularly Dominick Dunnes reportage, and believed Skakel to be the monster portrayed there. It is deeply researched, bitingly written, and entirely convincing.

Stuart Woods , #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stone Barrington series and Holly Barker series

A brilliantly written autopsy of a wrongful prosecution and conviction, Kennedys book is a masterpiece that chronicles the Kafkaesque persecution of an innocent man. It is a riveting narrative of greed, hubris, envy and sloth. Michael Skakels saga is a heartbreaking account of an abuse of power paralleled in infamy only by the Duke Lacrosse prosecutors.

Anne Bremner , American attorney, television personality, defense counsel in Amanda Knoxs Italian murder trial

Bobby Kennedy pulls no punches in making the compelling case for his cousins, Michael Skakels, absolute innocence. But he goes much further: indicting those who he believes were complicit in what he calls a frame-up by prosecutors, police, and the media. This book is a devastating indictment of our justice system and media for their systemic unwillingness to confront their own errors. It is a must-read for those who care about justice and integrity in our public institutions.

Alan M. Dershowitz , author of Taking the Stand: My Life in the Law

An exciting page turner.

Morris Dees, author, attorney, and co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center

In Framed , Robert F. Kennedy Jr., with Capote-like precision, tells his gripping story of an innocent man caught up in a Kafkaesque nightmare between a corrupt prosecution and a disastrously inept criminal defense that resulted in 11 years in prison for a crime Skakel didnt and couldnt have committed. RFK Jr. lays it all out in a page-turner that will convince all but the most rabid Kennedy haters. Then again, the arguments are so compelling, maybe even theyll be convinced.

Michael Shapiro , Perennial Superlawyer, Former Queens County District Attorney, New York Special Prosecutor, faculty Benjamin N. Cardoza School of Law, adjunct Harvard Law School

Framed is the riveting true story of a life turned upside down by unethical prosecutors and irresponsible journalists in a justice system which is anything but. It is both the story of one mans nightmare and a cautionary tale for us all because while it is true that we can ensure that we do not COMMIT a crime, we can never ensure that we are not CHARGED with one. Kudos to Kennedy, not only for writing a page-turner, but for never giving up his quest for the Truth.

Shawn Holley , defense attorney for O.J. Simpsons Dream Team and in over 60 trials for high-profile clients, including Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg, Paris Hilton, Nicole Ritchie, Lindsay Lohan, and others

Crime thrillers and true crime stories both aim to explore our notions of justice. Framed by Robert Kennedy Jr. combines the best of both with a powerful story that grabbed me in the first few pages and wouldnt let go. Kennedy meticulously torpedoes the case that convicted his cousin Michael Skakel of murder. He chronicles a decades-long horror show of incompetence, prejudice, malfeasance, and outright misconduct. What I didnt expect, though, were the feelings that surfaced while I was reading. Kennedy took me from rage to tears at the injustices suffered by his cousin and family. Framed is a must-read for anyone who cares about our judicial system.

Libby Fischer Hellmann , award-winning author of Easy Innocence and other crime thrillers

An electrifying, meticulous expos. Kennedy shows how his cousin was wrongfully convicted by a grim yet fascinating cast of characters cruelly assembled, as it were, to thwart justice; corrupt police and prosecutors, an incompetent defense lawyer, a judge who falls in love with the 24 hour news cycle while forgetting his role as neutral arbiter, and the TV commentators who directed the outcome of the case for ratings and not justiceall conspiring to convict an innocent man while allowing the real murderers to go free. Kennedy gives the reader a front-row seat, and, unlike the jury, all of the evidence necessary to watch, in horror, the conviction of yet another innocent man. If this book does not wake people up to the terrifying reality of how our criminal justice has become a game not of seeking justice but of winning, I do not know what will. This book is mandatory reading for anyone who cares about truth, individual rights, and the corruption of justice in America.

Joe Cheshire , attorney in the Duke Lacrosse case, North Carolinas Top Lawyer three years running by SuperLawyer.com

Kennedy exposes the toxic brew of incompetence and sensationalism that led to his cousins conviction. The cold case had every ingredient that made it an irresistible stew that fed the ambition and corruption by press, prosecutors, and police; the brutal, senseless murder of a privileged teenage girl, a self-seeking prosecutor with elastic ethics, a society gossip fabulist who stirred the brew, a crooked cop, sloppy police work, a cavalier defense lawyer, and a Kennedy cousin with an ironclad alibi who nevertheless became the perfect suspect.

Now, years after a monumental miscarriage of justice, Kennedy, by careful investigation, deconstructs the prosecutions case, convincingly shows Michael Skakels innocence, and identifies the true culprits who have escaped justice for decades.

Dick DeGuerin , considered one of Americas top lawyers, most notably for his defense of Tom DeLay, David Koresh, Robert Durst, and others

An awful, awful story brilliantly told. How many more innocent men and women will be wrongfully convicted and punished with long and terrible jail sentences? This book is a scream for change.

Martin Garbus , legendary criminal and constitutional attorney, educator, and author of Courting Disaster and other books. One of the worlds finest trial lawyers, according to the Guardian

The definitive account of the perfect storm that led to Michael Skakels wrongful conviction, Kennedy recounts the blunders of investigators, the misconduct of prosecutors, the perjury of witnesses, the legal ineptitude of judges and defense lawyers, and the failings of a criminal justice system that cares more about defending a conviction, even one that is wrongful, than in delivering justice. And he answers the question that has remained unanswered for more than 40 years: Who killed Martha Moxley?

David Cameron , Professor of Political Science, Yale University, and member of Connecticuts Eyewitness Task Force

Kennedy explains with new clarity and detail the pervasive corruption in the Connecticut State Prosecutors Office that led to Michaels wrongful conviction. He shows, in a persuasive, compelling narrative, of how four writers, pursuing their own craven ambitions, orchestrated Michaels media lynching and wrongful conviction.

Randy Wayne White , New York Times bestselling crime writer, author of more than 40 books, including the Doc Ford series, former member of the Florida Judicial Nominating Committee and Florida Bar Association Grievance Committee

If you think you know about this case, you dont. If you think that this case ended in justice being served, it didnt. I was literally left both speechless and enraged while reading this book and learning what actually happened.

-- Mark Geragos, Esq. , noted criminal defense attorney