Conviction A Novel

Posted In: Conviction

Colton Ciuffreda says...

This book started out with a good deal of promise in the first third, but ended up falling far short of my expectations.



The story revolves around a family of lawyers who take up the case of Rennell Price, who was sentenced to death along with his brother Payton, for murdering a young girl.Price has only a few weeks left until his execution as the lawyers try to find a way to save his life, believing he is innocent of the crime.Their case rests on three claims - the first that Price may be completely innocent based on an 11th hour confession of his brother and co-defendant, made only days before his own execution.The second is that even if guilty, Price is mentally retarded, and therefore not subject to the death penalty under recent case law from the US Supreme Court.The third is that Price received inadequate legal representation due to the fact his attorney at the time of his trial was a cocaine addict who was using the occasion of the trial to take the Price's guardian, his grandmother, for all she had in order to fuel his cocaine habit instead of providing a legal defense.



The book starts out very strong.The case that the lawyers must make is a tough one, and the author does a good job of presenting issues which should make death penalty supporters and opponents alike think about some very tough questions.What is the standard for mental retardation with respect to excluding an inmate from the death penalty on that basis?What is the standard for adequate or competent trial counsel?Most intriguing, what is the standard of proof for reversing a guilty verdict?Is it as little as introducing a reasonable doubt and thereby negating the reasonable doubt standard of proof required at trial?Or is it the other extreme, with the burden of proof now on the convicted to prove innocence beyond a reasonable doubt?Should the smallest prospect of exonerating evidence be enough to stay an execution, even one several years coming, because of the finality of the death penalty?And in all this, where does the people and victim's requirement for justice fit in?



Once these issues are raised, we expect to hear these arguments pored over, explored, and debated in heated legal battles.This is where the book falls flat.The author tries, but this never occurs because of the author's prejudices.



The author is clearly an anti-death penalty activist, and this ideology is evident throughout the book.About a third of the way through the book, we are subjected to a preachy lecture on all the reasons the death penalty is a bad thing as told through the viewpoint of the protagonists.From then on, the characters are lumped into categories - the anti-death penalty crowd who are portrayed and thoughtful, feeling moderates who are seeking justice, and the pro-death penalty crowd who are portrayed as blood-thirsty, callous ideologues who only care about winning and have no care or compassion for the condemned.The author's personal opinions prevent him from creating interesting, nuanced characters.Instead all the characters become uninteresting personifications of the stereotypical opinions surrounding this issue.



Even the far left Ninth Circuit Court is portrayed as a pillar of judicial light among the incompetent and uncaring courts of the land.



The book further devolves into an virtual editorial on the politics of the day.Although the disclaimer in the front reads that this is a book of fiction and that any resemblance to real life is coincidental, the "coincidental" resemblances to real life are so obvious it's laughable.We have a California Governor who is facing a recall election with a "tough guy movie star" waiting in the wings (Grey Davis and Arnold Schwartzenegger?).The book (finished in 2004) contemplates a Kerry victory in the 2004 Presidential election and his subsequent appointment of a woman to the Supreme Court and to be Chief Justice.The name of the fictional president is Kerry Killcannon.It's also painfully obvious that the fictional Supreme Court is modeled on the Supreme Court of the time, with the evil right-wing death monger named Anthony Fini (Antonin Scalia) as well as a black justice who is appointed despite many other black jurists of more accomplishment, and who blindly follows Fini (Clarence Thomas).



This obvious prejudice of the author prevents him from arguing the pro-death penalty stance effectively at all.His right-wing characters are so one-dimensional and dull that there is no intellectually honest dialog or argument.



The author goes to great pains to paint the protagonists (and by extension himself) as genuine, caring people who are genuinely interested in justice rather than left-wing zealots.However, the true colors come shining through.Rennell Price's case for innocence revolves around a confession made by his brother, Payton mere hours before his execution.In it, Payton claims that a man named Eddie Fleet, not Rennell, murdered the girl with Payton.Our lawyers go after Fleet, and after finding him, ask the state to grant him immunity in order to compel him to testify about his part in the murder and Rennell Price's innocence.When price refuses, the lawyers begin investigating Fleet and find substantial evidence that he is a pedophile.Yet, they still petition the state to grant him immunity.Clearly, they are less concerned with justice for Fleet and his victims than they are getting their client off death row.



A book with great potential whose subject matter was let down by an author whose own prejudices got the best of him.

Posted on November 20, 2010

Stephine Cobbley says...

I have been a fan of Mr. Patterson's work for years, dating back to well before his books appeared regularly on best sellers lists. However, this time out, Mr. Patterson got so wrapped up in the legal system that he forgot he was writing fiction. I have never minded, in fact, enjoyed, trudging through all the legal mish-mash Patterson offers up because it is not only educational, but has always given us a bit of insight into how a broken system might begin to mend itself. Not this time. No, this time out Mr. Patterson has broken rule number one in the writing of great fiction: he has killed off the most sympathetic character in the book. Is it realistic? Sure it is. But if I simply want toread about how badly broken our legal system is, there are any number of non-fiction sources from which to pick. But, as I said, this is a work of fiction and therefore must meet another standard. I'm not talking about a happy ending here, but how about one that gives us a glimpse into how the monsterous chasm between truth and justice might begin to narrow? I won't stop reading Patterson's books because I beleive he has simply made a mistake. In "Conviction", Mr. Patterson has shown us that he is as well-versed in the law as he is ignorant to the constructs of great fiction.

Posted on November 20, 2010

Columbus Hellinger says...

Rennell Price and his brother, Payton, were convicted and sentenced to die for a horrible crime, the murder of a nine-year-old girl who was asphyxiated by semen after being forced to perform oral sex. Fifteen years later, attorney Terri Paget takes on Rennell's case in a last ditch attempt to prevent his execution.



Patterson uses this story to paint a compelling picture of the death penalty process whereby the procedure becomes more important than the guilt or innocence of the defendant. As we move through this story, the evidence supporting Rennell's innocence moves from his own repeated declaration that "I never did that girl" to a last minute confession by his brother that Rennell was not involved, to evidence that supports Terri's conviction that a key witness against Rennell in the original court trial was the actual perpetrator of the crime.



Throughout all the twists and turns of the story, the state holds to its contention that the original trial was conducted fairly, the defendant had adequate opportunity to prove his innocence at that time, and therefore, for the sake of the victim's family, the execution should proceed, regadless of any new evidence that should be presented.



The story examines the role that race and mental retardation of the defendants play in the administration of the death penalty, and questions the competence of defense attorneys in death penalty cases. It also counteracts the image held by the public that death penalty defendants beat the rap through numerous appeals.



If the arguments against the death penalty are sometimes laid on a little strongly, that can be forgiven in that the book is clearly written as a protest against the ultimate punishment. Through the use of flashbacks, Patterson draws out the story of what actually happened the night the little girl was killed, and the sad history of Rennell Price's life.



The attorney, Terri Paget, is competent, and draws sympathy as she initially takes the case because she believes it is her job to let Rennell's story, however, horrible, be told, and then becomes emotionally invovled as her belief in his innocence develops. The back story of her and her daughter's survival as victims of sexual abuse is somewhat intrusive, however. I suppose the point was to emphasize the strength of Terri's abhorrence of the death penalty, but her failure to address her daughter's repugnance of the case and her involvement in Rennell's defence is contradictory and a needless complication. The people around Terri were merely props to aid in the telling of the story, and could easily have been dispensed with.



I also have to wonder why it never occurred to anybody to test the DNA and saliva on the carpet sample taken from the murder scene-- the use of DNA as a means of absolving Rennell is summarily dismissed because the semen from the victim's body is so degraded by her long immersion in the ocean that it cannot be tested. Yet the carpet sample does have traces of semen and saliva and certainly an attempt could have been made to capture DNA samples from those traces.



At the end, however, Patterson succeeds in bringing the focus of the story back to the place where Terri has tried all along to keep it, not on the rightness or wrongness of the death penalty, but in the person of one man, Rennell Price, who is sentenced to die for a crime he surely did not commit.

Posted on November 21, 2010

Nieves Cordeiro says...

Payton and Rennel Price, brothers are charged with, convicted and sentenced to die for the horrendous sexual assault and murder of a 9 year old child. Fifteen years later, Teresa Paget and family are assigned the task of preventing the state from execution by lethal injection.



During the initial 54 days left to spare him his life, Paget uncovers mutliple issues which, taken as a whole, could very well prove his innocence. As a matter of fact, the state prosecutor responsible for prosecuting the matter on appeal concedes that if the information developed 15 years after the initial conviction had been known at the time of the original trial, the state would not have been able to get a conviction.



Therein lies the problem. The issues of politics play an ever important role in the fate of Rennell. Although the end was somewhat predictable, it in no way blunts to impact of what truly happens. The balance of the rights of victims vs. the rights of the accused coupled with politics, elections, favors etc., are at the crux of this fictional novel.



However, to view this book as merely a work of fiction, a good story,tense courtroom drama and nothing more would be to read the novel in a vacuum. No matter where one stands on the very emotional and complicated issue of state sanctioned executions, what Mr. Patterson addresses are the consequences of an imperfect system of criminal justice and the ultimate price to be paid in an imperfect system. In an imperfect system whether guilty or innocent, someone will always lose but the questions is,how much?

Posted on November 24, 2010

Anette Amodt says...

I had just finished an exciting Harlen Coben book before starting this one.In contrast, this went into slow motion in part 2.It starts well, and then gives the reader the flavor of endless legal theories, documents and arguments.If you have ever read legal papers you will recognize the emphasis on process over truth and fairness.The initial proposition gets dragged out over too long a time.



The reality of a jaded judiciary is truer than most of us would like to think.Unfortunately the point is made all too slowly.Renell's last days go more slowly for us than for him.

Posted on November 25, 2010

Antoinette Turro says...

"Conviction: A Novel", while not a spine-tingling,whodunit kind of story was still a good read.For someone who questions why it takes so long to carry out the death penalty for a convicted murderer, this book is one that should be read.I found it enlightening as it describes the exhausting work of defense lawyers to overturn a sentence of death or at least have it commuted to life in prison.As one empathizes and even sympathizes with the central character,one also gets a real look at the laborious process of carrying outa death penalty.

Posted on November 25, 2010

Bobette Kvek says...

Patterson takes on the polarizing subject of a potentially flawed capital punishment system.



Teresa Paget is a lawyer who works on death penalty cases. Her latest client is Rendell Price. Rendell has been on death row for fifteen years after being convicted, along with his brother, of sexual assault and murder of a nine-year old girl. After several meetings with Rendell, Teresa not only believes in Rendell's innocence, she believes that he is slow. She hopes that his mild retardation opens up an area for an appeal. After she and her team that includes her husband and stepson, she is convinced she knows who the guilty party to the murder is, and she pursues all courses of action all the way to the Supreme Court.



No one can accuse Richard North Patterson of sidestepping politically charged issues. Patterson gives us in-depth look into the process and machination of the legal system. The book is written with a view against the death penalty, but does gives persuasive arguments for both sides. The book at times got bogged down in legal-speak which is rather difficult for the layman to understand, but overall it was a fascinating look at the complexites of the death penalty.

Posted on November 25, 2010

Ken Bushart says...

I believe four out of the last five novels by Patterson have been overtly political, as if later in life the author is trying to do something meaningful other than entertaining the masses.With the exception of "Dark Lady," Patterson seems intent on writing political dramas full of characters spouting left of center and sometimes extreme liberal positions.I skipped Balance of Power and Protect and Defend, because I didn't deem it worth my time to hear what I felt would be an intelligent assault on my beliefs on abortion and gun control.



Patterson is one of the best authors around as his thriller/crime dramas prove, so even though he is tackling politics now, the novels are still going to be well-written.The problem is that Patterson is immediately going to alienate at least half of the country if he isn't careful.It is okay to spout liberal beliefs but Patterson must be careful not to insult conservatives if he wants to retain those fans.



Patterson succeeds only partly.Conviction is a story of Rennell Price, a man sentenced to die in a few months before the Paget family takes the case.They go through all the legal hoops required by law in order to save Price.In the process, they discover a lot of things about Price.He may be retarded or he may be innocent.But will that be enough to set him free?



Occassionally, Patterson acknowledges that the pro death penalty crowd has valid beliefs but too often you get the feeling that he has a disdain for conservatives and doesn't respect their opinions.Conviction does however do a good job of describing intelligently why people are against the death penalty.Whether it is deliberate or not, conservatives in Conviction all have ulterior motives or are extreme charicatures of real live people like Justices Scalia or Thomas.



For me, Conviction gets too technical while arguing the ins and outs of death penalty law.The scenes at the Supreme Court are somewhat interesting as we get a flavor of how opinions are rendered.Conviction, however, fails to stand out in the way previous Patterson novels did.Most of the characters are from previous novels, thus little background info is needed or given on the Pagets.Writing background has been one of Patterson's strengths, but here it is only relevant with Rennell Price and doesn't add much to the story.



In the afterward of the novel, Patterson thanks his publishers for believing there is room for novels that tackle social issues in today's market.Unfortunately, the social issue becomes the constant theme of the novel and overshadows all characters and plot.This book might as well be called "Death Penalty", because that is all that it is about.Patterson made some good points in the novel and while I'm 100% for killing murderers, I certainly would never want an innocent man to be executed.Conviction raises the possibility that this can and does happen.If that's the case then I might agree that changes should be made.

Posted on November 28, 2010

Letitia Gilbert says...

Richard North Patterson writes big books that deal with big issues; some have called him the voice of the American conscience. Patterson started his career as a trial lawyer. Then, when the Watergate scandal broke, he became the SEC's liaison to the special prosecutor. He is now on the boards of several Washington-based advocacy groups and his novels reflect what the agencies deal with: gun violence and torte reform (BALANCE OF POWER, 2003) and in PROTECT AND DEFEND (2000) he brought his laser-like focus to the United States's schizophrenic arguments about abortion. His newest novel, CONVICTION, shines a light on the virulent discussions and controversies that surround this country's death penalty: uncertainty, morality, inconsistency, politics, race, social class, and finality.



San Francisco attorney Christopher Paget --- who debuted in THE LASKO TANGENT, Patterson's first book --- his wife Terri, also a lawyer, and Carlo Paget, Chris's son and now a practicing attorney, take on the case of Rennell Price. He is a death row inmate who was found guilty (along with his brother Payton) of the sexual assault and murder of a nine-year-old Vietnamese girl. Fifteen years have passed since their sentencing and only fifty-nine days remain before Rennell is put to death.



Teresa Peralta Paget is a specialist in death row cases. She and Carlo begin to work with Rennell and come to the conclusion that he may not have been competent to stand trial --- he is clearly retarded and never could have helped in his own defense. Eventually, they discover that he was high throughout the proceedings and come to believe that Rennell is innocent and that another person helped Payton Price commit the unthinkable crime. That man is still at large, and a crusade for a final appeal to save Rennell is put into action.



The team has to work at breakneck speed against a mountain of precedents, the personal agendas of politicians, the weaknesses of other appellate attorneys, the machinations of the death penalty system, the judges who have a stake in not reversing death penalty verdicts, and the racial components of this case. The fact that Rennell may be innocent, or at the very least retarded, thus rendering him ineligible for the death penalty, is the least important element of the fight to save his life. In front of a very conservative judge and a smart, pro-death penalty prosecutor, the Pagets have their work cut out for them.



Terri is a mother. She has a teenage daughter who was molested and abused by her father. And one of the subplots of CONVICTION is that this case is driving a painful wedge between the two. Elena knows that her mother is fighting to save a convicted child rapist and murderer. She is furious about this and that the nature of such a case is a 24-hour-a-day commitment. Elena feels that Terri's role in these legal wranglings is not only taking time away from their relationship, but that it is also a betrayal. Despite her constant feelings of guilt, Terri will not give up her mission, because she doesn't believe that the State should put people to death, no matter what they have done.



CONVICTION is a sweeping commentary not only on the justice system but also on parenting, family responsibility, the death of innocence, and how a culture defines itself when it comes to sanctioning murder. It is the kind of book that provokes discussion. It prods the reader to look at what Patterson calls, "the bottom line ... much of the complexity [of capital punishment] reflects fundamental and passionate disagreement --- whether the principal goal of postconviction litigation is achieving finality or preventing the potential execution of the innocent. I hope that this novel does that conflict justice ... my belief [is that] popular fiction can address controversial legal, political, and social issues."



To be fair in assessing this book one must consider Richard North Patterson's personal integrity and his devout beliefs about the many injustices he perceives in the application and existence of particular laws. He has written a powerful polemic without resorting to didactics or pedantry. He does not preach; he sets a scene in motion, then allows his characters to play their parts with strength and believability.



CONVICTION is a timely and well-written book with a tightly focused plot that brings verisimilitude to the arguments on both sides of the death penalty issue. To read Patterson is to immerse oneself in intellectual arguments shaped to take readers a step beyond the mundane, to offer the opportunity to assess and reassess their own beliefs. Says Patterson: "I understand that writing about capital punishment will arouse a number of emotions in my readers, not all of them admiring." He admits that the narrative is rife with different views, but isn't that the point? Don't miss this novel. It's important, and it's a keeper.



--- Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum

Posted on November 29, 2010

Tanja Gasperi says...

Wow - normally I enjoy legal thriller type novels, however, this one was so long winded and overly tedious that I couldn't wait for it to end so I could unceremoniously toss it into the recycle bin.If you like endless legal mumbo-jumbo presented from the point of view of an obvious liberal, then maybe you'll be able to tolerate it.However, as a "novel" I wish it offered more entertainment and less of the authors apparent disdain for capital punishment.Go figure, the story takes place in the SF Bay area.



In conclusion, my advice would be to find something else.

Posted on December 1, 2010