The Justice Game

THE JUSTICE GAME

 

by

 

RANDY SINGER

Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Carol Stream, Illinois

“As a lawyer, Randy Singer has lived the drama of the gun issue as it plays out in the courtroom. In
The Justice Game,
he brings that drama to life in a riveting story that captures the passions of both sides of the American gun debate.”

Dennis Henigan

vice president for law and policy at the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and author of
Lethal Logic: Exploding the Myths that Paralyze American Gun Policy

“A great read! In
The Justice Game,
Randy Singer has crafted a fast-paced, suspenseful ride through our legal system. This entertaining story will draw you in from the opening scene. And, as a good book should, it will make you question and consider your own views of gun control.”

Alan Gura

attorney, constitutional law, who successfully argued landmark Supreme Court gun rights case
District of Columbia v. Heller
(2008)

“Encore! Randy Singer does it again with another intense, thought-provoking novel that leaves his reader wanting more.
The Justice Game
invokes readers to question long-held opinions and consider the difficult aspects concerning weapon control.”

Misty Bernall

mother of slain Columbine student Cassie Bernall and author of
She Said Yes

“What a page turner! In
The Justice Game,
Singer captured me from page one with brilliant storytelling and a gutsy message about gun rights in our country. Just when I thought his stories couldn’t get any better, this book is even better than his last. Do not miss this read!”

Aaron Norris

television and film producer/director

“Singer hooks readers from the opening courtroom scene of this tasty thriller, then spurs them through a fast trot across a storyline that just keeps delivering.”

Publishers Weekly

on
By Reason of Insanity

“At the center of the heart-pounding action are the moral dilemmas that have become Singer’s stock-in-trade. . . .an exciting thriller.”

Booklist

on
By Reason of Insanity

“In this gripping, obsessively readable legal thriller, Singer proves himself to be the Christian John Grisham. . . .”

Publishers Weekly

on
False Witness

“[Singer] delivers a fresh approach to the legal thriller, with subtle characterizations and nuanced presentations of ethical issues.”

Booklist

starred review, on
Dying Declaration

“Singer . . . hits pay dirt again with this taut, intelligent thriller. . . . [
Dying Declaration
] is a groundbreaking book for the Christian market. . . . Singer is clearly an up-and-coming novelist to watch.”

Publishers Weekly

“Singer delivers Grisham-like plotting buttressed by a worldview that clarifies the dilemmas that bombard us daily. Don’t miss this book.”

Hugh Hewitt

author, columnist and radio host of the nationally syndicated
Hugh Hewitt Show
on
Dying Declaration

“Realistic and riveting,
Directed Verdict
is a compelling story about the persecuted church and those who fight for global religious freedom.”

Jay Sekulow

chief counsel, American Center for Law and Justice

Visit Tyndale’s exciting Web site at www.tyndale.com

Visit Randy Singer’s Web site at www.randysinger.net

TYNDALE
and Tyndale’s quill logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

The Justice Game

Copyright © 2009 by Randy Singer. All rights reserved.

Cover photograph copyright © by Matthew Antrobus/Getty Images. All rights reserved.

Author photo copyright © 2008 by Don Monteaux. All rights reserved.

Designed by Dean H. Renninger

Published in association with the literary agency of Alive Communications, Inc., 7680 Goddard St., Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920, www.alivecommunications.com.

Some Scripture quotations are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Some Scripture quotations are taken from the
Holy Bible,
New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Some Scripture quotations are taken from
The Holy Bible,
English Standard Version®, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of either the author or the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Singer, Randy (Randy D.)

The justice game / Randy Singer.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-4143-1634-5 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-1-4143-3329-8 (Mobipocket)

ISBN 978-1-4143-3331-1 (Palm)

ISBN 978-1-4143-3330-4 (Sony)

1. Trials (Murder)—Fiction. 2. Extortion—Fiction. 3. Assault weapons—Fiction. 4. Firearms industry and trade—Fiction. I. Title.

PS3619.I5725J87 2009

813'.6—dc22   2009009854

The text of this book is an eBook file intended for one reader only. It may be used by that reader on computers and devices that he or she owns and uses. It may not be transmitted in whole or part to others except as stated above.

    Up to 500 words of this work may be quoted without written permission of publisher, provided it is not part of a compilation of works nor more than 5 percent of the book or work in which it is being quoted. The full title, author's name, and copyright line shall be included. No more than 500 words of this work may be posted on a web site or sent electronically to other users. In all uses of quoted material from this book, the full copyright line shall appear in a readable type size where the text appears. The author's name shall not be used in the title of a web site or in the advertising of the site. The author's name may not be used on the cover of any other book in which a portion of this material is quoted without written permission of Tyndale House Publishers.

    Quotes in excess of 500 words, use of the text as part of a compilation, use of text that is greater than 5 percent of the book in which it will be quoted, or other permission requests shall be directed in writing to Tyndale House Publishers, Permissions Dept. 351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188.

This one is personal.

    On December 16, 1988, a sixteen-year-old student named Nicholas Elliot took a semi-automatic handgun to Atlantic Shores Christian School and opened fire. He shot and killed a teacher named Karen Farley and wounded an assistant principal, then burst into a trailer where a Bible class was meeting. When he attempted to open fire on the students huddled in the back corner of the trailer, the gun jammed. The Bible teacher, Hutch Matteson, tackled Elliot and prevented the kind of tragedy that hit Columbine High School in Colorado several years later.

    Atlantic Shores was the school where my wife taught. It was the school my kids attended (though they were not there that day).

    And when I learned that Elliot had purchased the gun illegally from a gun store in Isle of Wight County through a transaction referred to as a “straw purchase,” I represented the family of Karen Farley in an unprecedented lawsuit against the gun store.

    The verdict shocked everyone.

    That trial was seventeen years ago—my baptism by fire into the national gun debate.

    With this book, seventeen years later, I willingly wade back in… wiser (I hope), more cautious, and with a better understanding of both sides. My goal is not to make converts (at least, not in the Second Amendment sense) but to fairly present both perspectives and let the reader decide.

    I tried to create compelling characters on both sides of the debate. In fact, I was so determined to be balanced that I did something I’ve never done before and, as far as I know, no other novelist has ever done either.

    I asked my readers to determine the verdict for this book.

    We put together an online video showing a news report about the fictional case at the heart of this book and portions of the closing arguments for both lawyers. We asked readers to watch the video and render a verdict. The verdict in this story reflects the verdict of a majority of my readers.

    Thanks for taking this journey with me. In a very real sense, you are always the jury. And just like in my real trials, I’ve got a few butterflies as I submit my case to you.

    For
The Justice Game,
the jury is out.…

Rachel Crawford closed her eyes while the show’s makeup artist, a spunky woman named Carmen, did a quick touch-up.

    “The sun looks good on you,” Carmen said. “The Diva’s fake ’n bake turns her orange.”

    “The Diva” was WDXR prime-time anchor Lisa Roberts. Lisa treated the staff like dirt and was easy to hate. Five foot ten with long, skinny legs, Lisa always complained about how much weight the camera added to her figure. Her chair had to be adjusted higher than everyone else’s, the camera always had to be positioned to capture her left side (exposing a mole on her left cheek that she considered sexy), and her water had to be cold with just the right amount of ice.

    “Maybe my next report will be on tanning beds,” Rachel said. Carmen removed the makeup cape, and Rachel checked herself out in the mirror.