Books, Crooks and Counselors : How to Write Accurately about Criminal Law and Courtroom Procedure

by Unknown

• ISBN13: 9781610350198
• ISBN10: 1610350197
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2011-10-01
• Publisher: Quill Driver Books

Summary

Addressing the misunderstood and misrepresented aspects of the law in today's writing, this reliable guidebook demonstrates how to use legal concepts, terminology, and procedure to create fiction that is true to life and crackling with real-world tension. Examples from actual cases are provided along with excerpts of authentic courtroom dialogue. Topics covered include criminal and civil law; differences between federal, state, and Native American jurisdiction; police and private investigation; wills and inheritances; and the written and unwritten codes that govern the public and private conduct of lawyers and judges. Providing a quick and simple legal reference, this handbook is the key to creating innovative plots, strong conflicts, authentic characters, and gritty realism.

Author Biography

Leslie Budewitz is a civil and criminal lawyer and the author of The Trees Have No Tongues. Her work has been featured in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Thug Lit, and the Whitefish Review as well as the anthologies Comfort for Cat Lovers and Cup of Comfort for Dog Lovers, Vol. II. She lives in Big Fork, Montana.