Crime

Television critic David Bianculli reviews "False Witness," a syndicated TV special that re-examines the facts surrounding the Jeffrey MacDonald murder case, the same case chronicled in the book "Fatal Vision," and the subject TV miniseries of the same name.

Historian and writer Simon Schama. His revisionist history of the French Revolution - Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution - has been one of the most talked-about and debated volumes of history in the last several years. Critics have lauded Schama for bringing vividly to life the characters that inspired the five-year popular uprising that changed the modern political order.

Writer Jack Olsen. He's been called a master of the `true crime' genre, and in his new book, Doc, he tells the story of how Dr. John Story, one of the most respected citizens of Lovell, Wyoming, systematically raped his patients, and how, in this ultra-conservative, God-fearing environment, the women either couldn't speak up, or, when they did, were dismissed. Lovell is set in Mormon country, and many of the women the doctor victimized feared excommunication for "fornication" if they when to the authorities, who, invariably, were also elders in the Mormon church.

Medical examiner Michael M. Baden. In his new book, Unnatural Death: Confessions of a Medical Examiner, Baden, the former chief medical examiner for New York City, reviews the record of famous autopsies of the last 30 years as evidence of a pattern of bungled investigations of unnatural deaths. Baden, who has been a medical examiner for 30 years, views his profession as a historian or anthropologist who revisits ruined or questionable autopsies in the hopes of correcting history. Baden is now director of the forensic sciences unit for the New York State Police.

Edmund (Pat) Brown, the former governor of California. From 1959 to 1967, Brown commuted the death sentences of 23 convicts, but allowed 36 others to go to the gas chambers. He has written a book, Public Justice, Private Mercy: A Governor's Education on Death Row, about the extraordinary personal and political pressures that came to bear on each decision, and of the evolution of his thinking on the death penalty from his inauguration to his last day in office.

Actress and director Lee Grant. As an actress, Grant won an Oscar as Best Supporting Actress for her role in "Shampoo," Emmys for her work on "Peyton Place" and "Electra," and an Obie for "The Maids." As a director, she won an Academy Award for her documentary "Down and Out in America." This month, HBO is showing Grant's latest production, "Battered." It's a documentary about the victims, and perpetrators, of domestic violence. "Battered" airs as part of HBO's "America Undercover" series.

Book Critic John Leonard reviews Wasted, an investigation of last year's `Preppie Murder' trial in New York City. Robert Chambers, son of a wealthy New York City couple, was charged with the murder of Jennifer Levin, herself the product of wealthy parents and New York's finest private schools. The trial was a headline-grabber for Chambers' controversial defense and for its exposure of the aimless, dissolute lifestyle of the children of the wealthy.

Mystery writer Mary Wings. Wings' novels draw on the familiar hard-boiled detective genre, but her heroine is a lesbian-feminist detective named Emma Victor. Wings new book is titled "She Came in a Flash."

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews "Black Rain." It stars Michael Douglas as a New York City cop who goes to Japan to try to track down a killer. The movie's directed by Ridley Scott, who also made "Blade Runner" and "Alien."

Novelist Russell Banks often depicts ordinary people coping with difficulties in contemporary society. His new book "Affliction," takes on the subject of male violence, following the story of Wade Whitehouse, "a good man beset by the dark side of the macho mentality." Banks has also written for "Esquire," "Vanity Fair," "The Nation," and other publications.

Television critic David Bianculli reviews the new season of the drama series "Wiseguy."

Computer expert Clifford Stoll. When Stoll discovered a 75-cent accounting discrepancy in his work as systems manager at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, he thought the intruder was a student prankster. But after tracking the hacker for almost a year, Stoll discovered an international spy ring, operating out of West Germany, which sold the data it collected to the Soviets. This is the subject of his book "The Cuckoo's Egg".

Television critic David Bianculli reviews "The Neon Empire" a new mini-series on Showtime which stars Martin Landau, Gary Busey, and Ray Sharkey. It follows in the footsteps of NBC's belated "Crime Story."

Television critic David Bianculli considers the networks' penchant for the docudrama and looks at NBC's upcoming movie, "Howard Beach: Making the Case for Murder."

Police artist Douglas P. Hinkle. Hinkle spent seven years as a forensic artist with the Athens, Ohio police department. He's written a book, called "Faces of Crime," about his experiences, and about the inexact science of obtaining criminal descriptions. (Interview by Sedge Thomson)

Television critic David Bianculli reviews "The Noriega Connection." It's the next offering from public television's documentary series, "Frontline."

Former mafia member Joseph Salerno. Salerno's damming court testimony was the lynchpin that brought down Philadelphia mafia don Nicodemo "little Nicky" Scarfo. Salerno was drawn into the Cosa Nostra in 1976. After taking part in a mob hit in 1979, Salerno decided to testify against Scarfo. That led to a 200-thousand dollar contract against Salerno and his fleeing into the witness protection program and assuming a new identity. With Stephen J.

Judge Robert Satter. Satter is a judge on the Connecticut Superior Court, and in his new book, "Doing Justice: A Trial Judge At Work," he explains such things as how a judge operates, what influences him, and how he deals with conflicting evidence. Satter also gives his ideas on reforms of the jury system that he thinks are necessary to improve the judicial process. ("Doing Justice" is published by Simon & Schuster.)

Journalist John Dinges (pronounced DING-gess, with a hard G in the second syllable). Dinges' new book, "Our Man in Panama," traces the history of Manuel Noriega's relationship with the United States, from his recruitment by the CIA in the 60s to his fate in the wake of the U. S. invasion of Panama. Dinges has covered Central and South America for many years. Currently he's a foreign editor for National Public Radio. ("Our Man in Panama" is published by Random House).

Television critic David Bianculli reviews two new CBS sitcoms: "Normal Life," starring Frank Zappa's kids, Dweezil and Moon Unit Zappa, and "Sydney," starring Valerie Bertinelli of "One Day at a Time" fame. Bianculli says one is pretty good, and the other needs some polishing.