About Herbert L. Packer

    Herbert L. Packer was a distinguished professor of law at Stanford University. Two of his most famous works are the article “Two Models of the Criminal Process”  (113 U. PA. L. Rev. 1, 1964) and The Limits of the Criminal Sanction (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1968). The two models in the first reference are the “crime control model,” which is designed to protect the rights of law-abiding citizens by stressing efficient apprehension and punishment of criminals, and the “due process model," which is designed to protect the rights of the accused by presenting formidable impediments to carrying them past each step in the legal process.
   
Packer's article on the Warren Commission Report, "A Measure of the Achievement," is a classic of well-reasoned and clear legal writing, at least in my opinion. I think you will find it a huge step up in quality from most of the other articles that are reacting to the WC Report.

Back to "A Measure of the Achievement"
Back to Reactions to the WC Report
Back The WC Period