Fictional scenarios that reflect the facts of actual cases are presented to show how the appearance of justice may belie actual injustice. Some of the issues examined are whether juries are capable of recognizing the truth in the tangle of evidence and the adversarial interpretations of the evidence presented by the prosecution and the defense and what attorneys actually contribute to the quest for justice in the criminal court. The portrayal and critique of criminal justice processes extends from the gathering of evidence to capture and custody, eyewitness identification, plea bargaining, jury selection, jury nullification, and the role of the judge. The author explains the legal quandaries that often obstruct the search for truth and justice and explains how decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court have relieved or aggravated processes designed to render justice. He concludes that the prohibitions that limit investigation, the pervasive combative mentality between defense and prosecution lawyers, and particularly the power vested in a random collection of ordinary people that compose a jury all contribute to a criminal justice system that produces "virtual" rather than actual justice. He suggests legal clarifications that can help improve efforts to render justice. Subject index