Before he was George Washington's vice president, John Adams was a lawyer who risked everything, including his reputation, for a case. Legal expert Dan Abrams discusses why he chose to write his new book, "John Adams Under Fire," about Adams and his role representing British soldiers during the Boston Massacre Trial. "People were thinking, why would this so-called patriot take a case defending the despised British soldiers? And what's amazing is he was a patriot and it's the reason he wouldn't engage in ad hominem attacks on the citizens," Abrams said on "Salon Talks" with Dean Obeidallah.

To hear more about the case and how Adams laid the groundwork for concepts in American law, such as the right to counsel and an impartial jury, watch "Salon Talks." Abrams also discusses the government's role in controlling the spread of coronavirus and what he's learned about policing in America from hosting "Live PD" on A&E.