REVIEWS

In this detailed and often shocking book, investigative reporter Kirby (Death at SeaWorld) persuasively argues that following the law may not protect people in the U.S. from harassment, violence, false prosecution, and financial loss at the hands of the police and government. Through two dozen harrowing stories, he looks at warrantless home raids, “state-sponsored kidnapping” by Child Protective Services, a probation industry that uses fines as revenue, and civil assets forfeiture laws that allow police to seize property without even charging anyone of a crime. The latter part of the book takes on profiling and surveillance, freedom of speech, and the profound “chilling effect” of extralegal police and government action on both private individuals and the press. Kirby criticizes the Trump administration’s extreme actions, such as prosecuting protestors of the inauguration for rioting, and lays blame for current surveillance norms at the feet of the Obama administration. Finally, he delves into the more general right to privacy implied by the Ninth Amendment, sharing a miscellany of cases covering overzealous policing of petty crime, invasive searches by the Transportation Security Administration, and mistreatment of incarcerated people. He encourages readers to demand increased federal protections, to know their constitutional rights, and to remember that legal recourse for these abuses exists. This is investigative reporting at its most effective. – Publishers Weekly

Investigative reporting and anecdotes demonstrate why the author believes United States citizens should fear governments at all levels. A journalist and self-described “leftist libertarian,” Kirby (Death at SeaWorld: Shamu and the Dark Side of Killer Whales in Captivity, 2012, etc.) certainly understands the vital roles of governments… In this book, the author focuses on how and why government entities in Washington, D.C., state capitals, county seats, city halls, and law enforcement complexes consistently restrict the rights of Americans. Kirby hopes to raise individual consciousness with the case studies and then encourage individuals to mobilize against government overreach, whether it is well intended or motivated by corruption. The chapters focus on warrantless police searches of residences; child protective services removing juveniles from families; incarceration of suspects for minor alleged offenses or inability to pay bail (manifested in the proliferation of “modern-day debtors’ prisons”); a law enforcement practice known as forfeiture, which strips cash and other assets from alleged criminals, many of whom are not guilty; suppression of free speech guaranteed by the First Amendment; governmental invasions of individual privacy; a malfunctioning criminal justice system revolving around out-of-control police, inefficient courts, and mass incarceration in inhumane jails and prisons…Kirby generally avoids partisan political verbiage; throughout the narrative, he chooses case studies that reflect poorly on nearly everyone involved in the political process: Republicans, Democrats, and so-called civil servants who are unaffiliated. Readers who pay attention to the news behind the headlines will already know much of this information, and Kirby’s proposed reforms at the end of each chapter are intriguing but probably mostly impractical in the current political climate. — Kirkus Reviews

“When They Come For You is an easy read about a too often and too easily ignored reality―repeated intrusions by state and federal authorities into the liberties of our people. Written from the perspective of individuals who describe abuses ranging from warrantless home raids to unconstitutional crackdowns on protesters and the press, the book offers a memorable yet deeply disturbing vision of a nation that prides itself on the liberties it protects for its people but which too often strays from that vision. —Floyd Abrams

“David Kirby’s When They Come For You sheds light on individual and systemic injustices taking place in modern day America. He sets forth a roadmap of meaningful ways to resist the erosion of free speech, free press, due process, equal protection under the law and other fundamental constitutional principles and values. The book is a must read for all Americans who believe in Freedom, Justice, Equality and Fairness for ALL, especially in the Trump era.” —Norman Siegel, former executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union

“This timely book documents the growing consensus across the ideological spectrum that government bodies―police departments, agencies, bureaus, and others―have strayed far beyond their constitutional limits and are widely abusing their power. From civil forfeiture to the militarization of the police, from sending people to jail for minor offenses to free speech violations, David Kirby compellingly captures why all Americans, regardless of their politics, should be concerned about this alarming overreach. But this book is not simply a litany of abuses. It also offers practical and much-needed alternatives to restore power to individuals and to better protect the constitutional rights to which all persons are entitled.”– Scott G. Bullock, President and General Counsel, Institute for Justice

“When They Come For You is a clarion call for us to stand and take notice that our Constitution is being assailed, one amendment at a time. Kirby’s meticulous research and fine writing come alive with stories of real people whose liberties and even lives have been taken by bad actors cloaked in governmental authority. As much as it pains me — a third generation federal prosecutor and daughter of an FBI agent — to read Kirby’s reporting, his book reveals painful truths that Americans ignore at their peril.” — Lis Wiehl, New York Times bestselling author and former federal prosecutor

“Virtually every freedom we take for granted is at risk. David Kirby’s latest book proves this with deeply troubling stories that reveal an alarming picture of a nation heading perilously off track. Much like those profiled whose fundamental rights were trampled, you might think it couldn’t happen to you — until they come for you. As the target of illegal federal electronic surveillance myself, I can attest that threats to our liberty are a real and present danger. Fortunately, there is reason for hope: Kirby also illuminates how ordinary Americans have fought back against government overreach and often prevailed, proving that ultimately we do have the power, if only we use it.” — Sharyl Attkisson, New York Times bestselling author of The Smear and Stonewalled

“David Kirby’s eye-opening book arrives at a critical historic moment, when U.S. citizens are at loggerheads about the fundamental nature of our democracy. His passionate reporting uncovers cracks in the constitution and government institutions that have the potential to harm everyone, regardless of political affiliation. This important work is alarming, yes, but also a powerful call for action.” — Julie Salamon, author of Hospital and An Innocent Bystander: The Killing of Leon Klinghoffer