Bursting into a television station, the gun-toting target of an investigative report kills a co-anchor. When the gun manufacturer is sued, defense attorney Kelly Starling and prosecutor Jason Noble battle each other in court---but the real conflict lies with unseen forces bent on destroying them both. (The verdict was rendered by an actual reader poll!)
Excerpt from The Justice Game
During the remaining hour of court on Wednesday, Kelly called Bill Thomas, the WDXR news director, to the stand. She wanted to end the first day strong and emblazon that video footage on the jury’s mind.
Thomas had been in the studio when Jamison entered, and it was Thomas who had called 911 for help. After the initial round of shooting, he had been hiding from Jamison behind some equipment. While plotting a strategy to thwart Jamison, Thomas had been pointed out by Lisa Roberts. After that, he had gone into the control booth to make sure the WDXR feed was live on the air as Jamison had demanded.
He described in vivid detail how he had watched Jamison threaten both Lisa and Rachel with his gun, spewing his vitriol for the live television audience. Thomas described how helpless he felt and how it seemed like forever before the SWAT team arrived. At the end of his testimony, Kelly asked him to identify the tape and then introduced it into evidence. At a few minutes before five, she asked the judge if she could show the tape to the jury again.
Jason stood. “They’ve already seen it once, Judge. How many times are we going to make them watch it?” “I’m entitled to show it once during opening and again during the case,” Kelly said. “I don’t think it’s changed any,” Jason countered. “And the jury’s got a pretty good memory. But if you insist, I’ll withdraw my objection.” You jerk, Kelly thought. Jason’s well-timed objection had just blunted the effectiveness of her second showing. Now it looked like Kelly was just trying to play to the jury’s emotions. Which, of course, she was. Still, she had no choice but to roll the tape a second time. She noticed that the jury’s reaction was more muted this time. Halfway through, she wished she had saved it for closing. The tape concluded at a few minutes after five.
“No more questions,” Kelly said.
Judge Garrison looked at Jason. “Shall we save cross-examination for tomorrow?” Jason stood and shrugged. “Actually, I only have a few quick questions. No sense making the witness come back a second day.”
Garrison frowned. “Make it quick.”
Jason positioned himself in the middle of the courtroom. “So if I understand this correctly, for a while you were hiding from Jamison.”
“That’s correct.”
“How far away—ten feet, twenty?”
“I don’t know; probably more like thirty or forty.”
“Okay. Did Jamison ever have his back turned toward you?”
“Yeah. Once or twice.”
“Do you own a gun, Mr. Thomas?”
“No.”
“On that particular day, do you wish you’d had a gun?”
The witness hesitated, shifting in his seat. “I wish I could have done something to stop that madman. So, yes, I guess I would have liked to have had a gun.”
“No further questions,” Jason said, returning to his seat. Before he sat down, Kelly was on her feet. “Redirect, Your Honor. Just one question.”
Garrison nodded.
“On that day, Mr. Thomas, do you wish Larry Jamison had not had a gun?”
“Oh, most definitely.”
Randy Singer believes it’s important to simultaneously hold a number of different jobs so that if he gets fired by two employers the same day, he can still avoid the unemployment line. He splits his time and divides his personality between Randy Singer, critically- acclaimed author, Randy Singer, veteran trial lawyer, and Randy Singer, ministry leader and preacher. When he grows up, he will decide what he really wants to do.
Singer has authored eight novels, including his upcoming release, The Justice Game, the Christy-Award nominee By Reason of Insanity, the 2003 Christy-Award winning Directed Verdict, Irreparable Harm, Dying Declaration, Self Incrimination, The Cross Examination of Oliver Finney, and False Witness as well as the novella, The Judge Who Stole Christmas. He has also authored or co-authored three nonfiction titles, including The Cross Examination of Jesus Christ. His books have won critical acclaim from numerous review outlets, including Publishers Weekly, which said, “ … Singer proves himself to be the Christian John Grisham.”
Randy recently rejoined Willcox & Savage—one of Virginia’s largest and most prestigious law firms—where he previously headed up the litigation department for 12 years. Prior to returning to the law firm as a partner, he served as president of FamilyNet Television and General Counsel of the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention in Atlanta. He received his law degree from the College of William and Mary School of Law and his bachelor’s degree from Houghton College.
Randy has tried numerous cases in state and federal court, and holds the ignominious distinction of participating in the longest bench trial in Virginia state court history. He also served as lead counsel in the first jury trial in Virginia that ever received gavel-to-gavel television coverage. That case, arising out of a shooting spree by a student at the school attended by Randy’s children, also became the subject matter of the book Fatal Passage by award-winning author Erik Larsen (author of National Book Award finalist Devil in the White City).
In addition to his law practice and writing, Randy serves as a teaching pastor for Trinity Church in Virginia Beach, VA. He calls it his “Jekyll and Hyde thing”—part lawyer, part pastor. He also teaches at Regent University School of Law, is a permanent guest host on Mornings with Lorri Allen and Larry Estepa on Sirius Radio Channel 161, and serves on the Board of Legal Advisors for the American Center for Law and Justice. Randy and his wife, Rhonda, have two college-aged children and live in Virginia Beach, VA, even though Randy is a die-hard Green Bay Packers fan.
More information on Randy is available at Randy Singer.net
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers (June 15, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1414316348
ISBN-13: 978-1414316345
Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
