Vanderbilt law professor gives dramatic inside look into the trial of Saddam Hussein

When former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein wagged his finger and threatened death to any lawyers who spoke out during his trial, Vanderbilt law professor Mike Newton was there. When brave witnesses looked Saddam in the eye and told heart-wrenching stories of countless atrocities against the Iraqi people, Newton was there. And when Iraqi judges convicted and sentenced Saddam to death after the tribunal worked tirelessly to run a fair trial, Newton was there to teach and advise them. Newton played a pivotal role in the creation of the Iraqi Special Tribunal that tried Saddam. He led the training for its judges and he continues to advise the tribunal today. In a new book titled Enemy of the State, Newton and his co-author Michael Scharf give a historic recounting of the Saddam trial with a behind-the-scenes look inside the drama and tragedy surrounding it. Newton also offers a unique legal perspective, explaining the challenges of training and advising Iraqi judges as they integrated existing Iraqi law with previously unknown international war crimes and genocide laws.