Catholic Law alumnus John Aquino ’94 is in the process of having two books published. The second edition of his 2005 book, Truth and Lives on Film: The Legal Issues in Depicting Real Persons and Events in a Fictional Medium, was just recently released on June 20. Individuals, or the families of individuals, depicted in films based on actual events have claimed that those depictions have been false and have aired their claims publicly and sometimes in court. Only on occasion have the courts been kind to them. This revised and updated edition discusses why this is so and why a false portrayal of fact is so significant. It also argues that the topic has become even more important in the current atmosphere of “alternative facts.” The new edition includes analyses of more recent films and television shows including The Trial of the Chicago 7, Richard Jewel, Feud, The Crown, and Loving.

The second book, The Radio Burglar: Thief Turned Cop Killer in 1920s Queens, is set to be released in September 2022. The book shares the story of a patrolman in Queens, New York, who was shot and ultimately killed pursuing a burglar who had been terrorizing the New York City area. This prompted a manhunt that ultimately led to the burglar’s capture, trial, conviction, appeal, and execution. The story continues with a second murder trial nine years later of the patrolman’s partner who had later married the patrolman’s widow.