[We have the following announcement from our friends at the Bounds Law Library at the University of Alabama.]The Bounds Law Library at the University of Alabama announces the publication of Traveling the Beaten Trail: Charles Tait's Charges to Federal Grand Juries, 1822-1825, number eight in its series of Occasional Publications. For this work, legal historians David I. Durham and Paul M. Pruitt, Jr. have collaborated with Professor Sally E. Hadden of Western Michigan University. They present us with a collection of grand jury addresses given by Judge Charles Tait (federal district judge of Alabama from 1820 to 1826), transcribed from the extant originals. The authors introduce these texts with biographical and critical essays, providing essential background on both Judge Tait and the antebellum grand jury charge.
This latest Bounds publication illuminates important aspects of the legal history of frontier Alabama and the picaresque "old southwest." It also provides local insights into early national problems. Furthermore, Judge Tait's addresses contain his thoughts upon such timely topics as piracy, human trafficking, and the unifying role of the federal government. Copies of Traveling the Beaten Path are free for the asking; just contact Paul Pruitt at ppruitt@law.ua.edu.
