WilmerHale Partner Matthew Martens has shared his thoughts about what a more just criminal justice system might look like in a video released by the publisher of his new book – Reforming Criminal Justice: A Christian Proposal.

Martens, who co-chairs the WilmerHale’s Securities Litigation and Enforcement Practice Group, said the American justice system is remarkable in many ways, with much to be grateful for.

“But there's also a great reason for concern,” Martens said. “We see a problem both in under policing and at times over prosecuting.”

Martens points out that only a fraction of murders and serious crimes are ever solved, while at the same time the system has a problem with convicting people who are innocent. The system also has challenges providing lawyers for the poor.

“None of that is loving our neighbors as ourselves,” Martens said, encouraging readers to think about criminal justice from the perspective of a Christian.

“Ultimately it means to think about criminal justice through the lens of loving our neighbor as ourselves,” Martens said. “The challenge in the criminal justice system is that we have two neighbors in conflict. Our obligation to love both of those neighbors – the criminally accused and the criminally victimized – comes down to an obligation to judge their case accurately.”

When it was published in November, the book was a top selling new release on Amazon in both the Christian ethics and Criminology categories.