Sebastian Rudd is a street lawyer who carries a gun and works out of a customized Ford cargo van.
The bulletproof vehicle - which doubles as an office - is kitted out with a table and seats; sofa; television; stereo system, Internet, refrigerator, bar, a couple of extra guns, and a change of clothes.
Rudd's only employee is Partner, a tough, heavily armed, former client who wears black suits and functions as Rudd's driver, bodyguard, confidant, paralegal, caddie, and friend.
'Rogue Lawyer' is composed of several linked stories, with Rudd representing a series of clients. Rudd isn't averse to bending the law, which he believes is necessary in the face of slick, lying, scheming prosecutors who care more about winning than justice.
While Rudd is defending his clients, he's also dealing with a witchy ex-wife named Judith.
Judith is constantly trying to reduce Rudd's court-ordered visitation with their 7-year-old son Starcher, which totals only 36 hours per month. So Judith keeps dragging Rudd in front of a judge with spurious (and not so spurious) complaints.
*****
I'll give some examples of Rudd's clients.
Rudd is the court appointed lawyer for a brain-damaged 18-year-old dropout called Gardy, who has long greasy black hair, numerous facial piercings, and a slew of tattoos. Gardy is charged with the sadistic murder of two little girls in the town of Milo. Rudd admits his clients are almost always guilty, but THIS TIME, Rudd is convinced Gardy is innocent
As the trial starts, a mob outside the courthouse is waving signs reading "Hang the Baby Killer" and "Crud Rudd out of Milo!".....and people clearly want to kill both Gardy and Rudd.
The trial proceeds, and in Rudd's view, "The State has no physical evidence linking Gardy to the murders. Zero. So....the State is doing what it often does. It's plowing ahead with lies and fabricated testimony."
What's a (semi) honest defense lawyer to do?
*****
Rudd previously defended a wealthy mob boss called Link Scanlon, who was accused of killing a judge. Rudd did his best, but Scanlon was convicted and sent to death row. Link's execution is now scheduled for tonight, and Rudd is spending the last few hours with his client.
Scanlon is griping about his situation, wishing he'd hired a 'Jew lawyer', refusing to see a spiritual advisor, and making calls on his (illicit) cell phone. Pretty soon, shocking things start to happen, much to Rudd's dismay.
*****
Retiree Doug Renfro isn't too savvy about the Internet, which allows a teenage drug dealing neighbor to piggyback on Doug's WiFi. The police think Renfro is selling drugs, and raid his home in the middle of the night with a SWAT team in full combat gear. The cops even bring a tank.
Things go badly wrong and Doug's wife and dogs are killed. In the confusion, Doug - believing thugs have entered his home - shoots and grazes a police officer.
The police engineer a cover-up, and Renfro is arrested and put on trial for shooting a cop. Rudd is incensed at the injustice and determined to help Renfro.
*****
Rudd is a fan of cage-fighting and has even invested in a young MMA fighter named Tadeo Zapate, who's very talented.
Rudd likes to see "bleeding eyes, gashes across the forehead, choke holds, bone-ripping submissions, and brutal knockout punches", especially when they're administered by Zapate.
Rudd would never miss one of Tadeo's matches, even if he has to take along his young son Starcher. Moreover, Rudd has earned a bundle on the brawler, and expects to make a lot more.
One day, a cage-fighter loses his temper and ends up being tried for murder, with Rudd as his defense lawyer.
*****
Rudd has additional clients as well, none of whom are outstanding citizens.
In the course of the story, Rudd is accused of jury-tampering; runs afoul of Assistant Police Chief Roy Kemp, whose daughter was kidnapped; gets flirtatious with Starcher's teacher Ms. Tarrant; extorts city officials; annoys judges and prosecutors; plays Dirty Golf; and more.
In all honesty, I didn't especially like Rudd, who's too much of a 'bad boy' for my taste, especially when he's joyfully 'screaming his head off' during vicious cage fights. That said, this is a compelling legal thriller with very good courtroom scenes.
Rating: 3.5 stars
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