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Telling Truth in Fiction

CourtroomWhat does it mean to tell the truth in fiction?

I’ve been a fan of legal thrillers all my life. The idea of an innocent person, wrongly accused fighting for his or her freedom— and often for life— never fails to get my attention. I never get tired of reading about the efforts of the homicide detective to put together the bits and pieces of evidence that’s needed to solve the case and the courtroom battle pitting the lawyer for the accused against the ambitious prosecutor. These are the stories that motivated me to become a lawyer, and the reason why I have continued on this path as a judge.

After years of defending, prosecuting and taking verdicts, I decided to use my legal knowledge and experience to tell the kinds of riveting stories that captivated me as a reader of legal thrillers. But there was one precondition: The stories had to be conceivable. Continue reading Telling Truth in Fiction