Cost of Arrogance by H. Mitchell Caldwell

Jake Clearwater, a law professor and former prosecutor, was urged by the Death Penalty Project to help stem the tide of wrongful death convictions in California. Clearwater agrees to represent Duane Durgeon, who’s been convicted of a double murder. He is a huge, hard-boiled, bad-ass who, against the advice of his counsel, demanded to address the jury during the sentencing phase of his trial. Getting his wish, he insults the judge, his lawyers, the prosecutors, and the jury in a profanity-laced rant that ends with him asking for the death penalty.

Despite Durgeon’s despicable persona and indifference to his fate, Clearwater convinces the reluctant man to appeal and wins a retrial where Clearwater is pitted against his former boss and bitter foe, prosecutor John Tice. A riveting tale of courtroom drama, suspense, and the exquisite workings of law and, ultimately, justice.

Category: Thrillers – Legal