U.S. District Court Judge John J. Sirica played a key role in the
Watergate story. He presided over one of the most
important legal cases
ever to be heard in U.S.
history. One consequence of the case’s
progress was the resignation of Richard Nixon as president of the
United States.In this book, Judge Sirica presents his views
about the entire Watergate saga. His is a notable departure from what
usually takes place once a judge as heard a case. Rarely does a jurist
publish a book detailing his reactions to the testimony and evidence
being presented in his courtroom. However, the Watergate
proceedings were so extraordinary in U.S. history and played a key role in showing
decisively that the United States remains a country where the rule of
law prevails. On those grounds, Judge Sirica felt justified in writing
this book.As he tells the story, he makes references also to
his upbringing and background. They are useful in helping readers to
understand the point of view he brought to the proceedings. Many credit
his skepticism about the information he was receiving from the White
House with having broken the willingness of one of the burglars, James
McCord, to continue maintaining his silence about what had happened the
night he was arrested in the Watergate complex.By presenting
his perspective on Watergate, Judge Sirica has enriched the
understanding of U.S. citizens of a critically important period in the
nation’s history..