michael connelly books the law of innocence

I hit the blinker and pulled into the slow lane to let him pass.

I checked the mirror and saw an LAPD cruiser behind me. I was halfway through when I saw the reflection of blue lights on the tunnel’s exhaust-smoked green tiles. The traffic lights were with me and I followed the street into the tunnel that went under Bunker Hill. I got behind the wheel, took a left out of the lot and then another to put me back on Second Street. The party-meaning the open bar-started early and ended late, and when Moira, the heavily tattooed bartender who had been keeping the tab, handed me the damage, let’s just say I put more on my credit card than I would ever see from the client I had just set free.

The Redwood was no country club but it was convenient. My celebration took place at the Redwood on Second Street, just a few blocks from the civic center, where there were no fewer than three courthouses to draw celebrants from. Within the informal downtown defense bar there is a sacred duty to celebrate a not-guilty verdict the way a golfer celebrates a hole in one at the clubhouse. It wasn’t my quickest verdict ever, but it came close. I notched the NG after less than half an hour of jury deliberation. The prosecutor objected and the judge sustained. “Would you then claim I attacked you like you have in this case?” I asked. He lost his cool and threatened me, said he’d like to meet me out in the street where it would be just him and me. I delivered the knockout punch when I recalled him to the witness stand and led him down a path of questioning that put him over the edge. The so-called victim had a history of violence of his own that both prosecution and defense witnesses, including an ex-wife, were eager to describe on cross-examination. I had turned a felony battery charge into a righteous case of self-defense in front of the jury. I had walked a man right out of the courtroom. Part One: Twin Towers 1 Monday, October 28th My job is to cut the tree down to the ground and burn its wood to ashes. The tree must stand strong against the winds that challenge it.Īnd that’s where I come in. Direct evidence, circumstantial evidence, forensic science, motive and opportunity. The branches spring from a thick and sturdy trunk.

They provide deep shade for those who seek true justice. The tree’s branches eventually grow and spread wide in splendor. Its caretakers are granted immense powers to protect and serve it. Its root system is constantly monitored as it flourishes underground and clings tightly to the earth. Watered and trimmed when needed, examined for disease and parasites of any kind. It has been carefully planted and cared for by the state. Home » The Law of Innocence (2020) » The Law Of Innocence ExcerptĪ murder case is like a tree.

Michael connelly books the law of innocence