Paperback, 448 pages
English language
Published July 14, 2005 by St. Martin's Griffin.
At forty, Paul Biegler's life seems to have come to an end. After ten years as DA in his small town in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the people have elected a new hero, a young army veteran. And Biegler has been spending a lot of time fishing and thinking about his future. Then the call comes from Laura Mannion: her husband has been arrested on a charge of murder, but she claims that the man her husband killed assaulted her.
Suddenly, Polly, as he is known to the entire town, sees his opportunity. Maybe he can show his rival that he can defend as well as prosecute. What follows is one of the most brilliant courtroom dramas of all time, as Polly puts together his defence and minutely examines the seething emotions under the placid surface of his town.
A classic - tells the story of how a defense attorney got an unpleasant client off with an insanity defense. The defense itself is a triumph, but the defendant is clearly guilty. Sets up a nicely uncomfortable depiction of the law as a game with winners and losers, but justice isn't the aim.
