Mark Giminez - The colour of Law

review by showhost If you enjoy John Grisham then you will enjoy Mark Giminez. A. Scott Fenney is a very successful, American corporate lawyer. He drives a ferrari, lives in a mansion in an elite village in Dallas (where the only non-whites are employed as maids/nannies and home helps), is a member of the prestigious golf club and eats expensive lunches at a members only luncheon club. He has a very beautiful wife, (who has an open account, doesn't work, but climbs the social ladder and plays tennis) and a 10 year old daughter Boo who attends a prestigious Dalla school, is still a tomboy, much to her mothers despair, and hates wearing pretty clothes. Life for A Scott Fenney begins to change after a gala legal dinner and a speech given by himself. Scott delivers a convincing speech about the publics perception of lawyers and how they should be aspiring to Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird). His speech impressed a federal judge who was sat in the audience. Scott was summoned by the judge to take on a civil criminal case. A black, heroin addicted prostitute is accused of shooting dead the son of a Senator, a Senator who is in the running for the Presidential election. The judge wants Scott to be her defence lawyer because he believed Scotts words in his speech, he believed that Scott is different from the usual money grabbing corporates, he believes that Scott has morals. Scotts does not want to take the case because he doesn’t get paid, he’ll lose money and she’s guilty anyway. His firm do not want him to take the case but they can't afford to offend the judge. They strongly advise the accused to plead guilty on the grounds of self-defence, which should bring a sentence of life imprisonment instead of execution. The accused refuses - she is pleading innocent. Scott and his firm try to appoint a downtown criminal lawyer (a buddy of Scott’s from university days) to represent her but the accused refuses and the Federal judge upholds her rights. Scott is stuck with the case and as he upsets the Senator by carrying on with the case he finds his standing in the community slowly diminishing: memberships recinded, losing high profile clients and banks foreclosing. Its a courtroom drama with moments of light humour and a human element. It is somewhat predictable at times but I found it an entertaining read. also, very reminiscent of 'To Kill a Mockingbird'