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| Joyce T. Strand, Author THE JUDGE'S STORY |
I set the book in 1939,
intending to write an entertaining mystery, drawing on events caused by the
Great Depression, the looming WWII, and the social issues of a small California
town. The case on which I built the mystery is entirely fictional, although I
assured it was consistent with similar crimes of the era. But, perhaps you can get a better idea
of the story from the following interview by one of the supporting characters, Clara Bow Wilson, of the protagonist of THE JUDGE’S STORY, Judge Grover Roswell Akers.
Don't miss the short excerpt and the opportunity to enter a giveaway at the end of the interview.
Clara Bow Wilson:
Hello, Judge. I’m so pleased that I’ve been asked to interview you. You are one
of my most favorite people. I’m so excited to be part of this mystery. Tell us
about it right away.
The Judge: Thank
you, Clara, I’m pleased to be here to answer your questions. And you’re one of
my favorite people, also. And I’m so glad you joined us to help solve the
mystery. We couldn’t have done it without you.
This mystery starts in my courtroom in 1939 when you, a
16-year-old, testify against a young 14-year-old about his participation in a
robbery-murder. He does not deny being part of the crime, but I know he didn’t
actually pull the trigger that killed the store-owner and am concerned that the juvenile shows signs of being a decent young boy who's never had a chance.
Clara Bow Wilson:
But that doesn’t matter, does it? I mean, he’s guilty of the crime based on
what the prosecutor says is the California felony-murder law, right?
The Judge: True,
but as a judge I have some discretion as to his sentence based on his age and
his co-operation to identify the real killer. The full punishment for murder could
be 25 years or more in a prison. However, I could take into account his co-operation
coupled to his young age, which would result in a much lesser sentence—closer
to ten years or even less.
However, when he refuses to tell us who the murderer is, I
stall for time by postponing my verdict until we can convince him to help. Then
you join us to try to get him to talk and my investigator interviews the boy’s
acquaintances to see if he can figure it out. But we only have a month to
uncover the culprit before I have to sentence him.
Clara Bow Wilson:
So that makes me really curious, what do you actually do as a judge?
The Judge: It’s
my job to assure a fair trial and in the absence of a jury, I determine the
verdict and then the sentence. In our case, there was no jury, and verdict and
sentencing were all up to me.
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| Today, Ventura City Hall, in 1939 this building was the Ventura County Courthouse, where the Judge heard his cases. |
Some of the
cases I hear are more demanding than others. They range from murder to reckless
driving. I’m particularly interested in juvenile crime. I believe boys who come
from a broken home are more likely to turn to crime than those who live with
both their parents. I also believe that a boy’s upbringing influences his
actions. And certainly the extreme poverty caused by the Great Depression has
led to much crime. That’s why I help our Chief of Police with his Boys
Club. We work to reinforce what’s right.
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| The pier in Ventura, California where the Judge likes to walk. |
Clara Bow Wilson: I think I've always seen you around town, walking everywhere. How did you become a Superior Court Judge in Ventura, California?
The Judge: Well,
that’s easy. I was appointed. I lived here in Ventura most of my life, and I
was a lawyer. I practiced law for many years. I met lots of people, and I like
living in a small town and getting to know everyone. Walking around town is one way to meet people and find out what they're up to.
Clara Bow Wilson:
Really? I like cities, myself. There’s lots more happening there, I think. But
let’s get back to the mystery. It seems like all we have to do is get our
defendant to talk. That should be easy.
The Judge: It
should be. But unfortunately the more we try to convince him and the more we
investigate, well, we certainly uncover more than I ever anticipated.
Clara Bow Wilson:
You bet. Me, too.
About THE JUDGE’S STORY
A Superior Court Judge with a passion for social justice as well as
the law strives to discover the truth behind the mystery of a robbery-murder in
a small California town in 1939.
When the Judge hears testimony against a 14-year-old
teenager, he realizes that the boy participated in a robbery-murder. However,
the accused did not actually pull the trigger. But unless the boy identifies
his partner, the Judge must sentence him as a murderer, which would result in
prolonged jail time. The Judge’s investigator, along with the precocious
16-year-old girl who identified the boy as one of the thieves, explore
different approaches to uncover the murderer. In the backdrop of escalating war
in Europe, the financial scarcities of the Great Depression, and the Judge’s
caseload, their attempts to find justice for the accused boy and unmask the
killer lure the Judge and his friends into sordid criminal activities.
Excerpt
Chapter 01
Judge Akers watched the teenage girl enter his courtroom. She had agreed to testify against a fourteen-year-old schoolmate for theft and murder.
He suspected she was nervous. The room loomed in front of her, with high ceilings, chandelier lights, and seats for at least one hundred people, that day less than one-third occupied.
The Judge sat elevated at the end of her walk. He noticed
that she stared at the portrait to his left, perhaps to avoid
meeting the eyes of the defendant, a typical ploy of witnesses.
She walked slowly, almost as if her legs were too heavy to lift.
He saw her look up at the skylight in the ceiling.
The Judge was disappointed that the District Attorney required a sixteen-year-old to convict the defendant. He believed that in the modern California justice system of 1939, children should not have to deliver such testimony. Of course, the defendant himself was just a boy, so perhaps that justified a teenager testifying against a teenager.
Judge Akers watched the teenage girl enter his courtroom. She had agreed to testify against a fourteen-year-old schoolmate for theft and murder.
He suspected she was nervous. The room loomed in front of her, with high ceilings, chandelier lights, and seats for at least one hundred people, that day less than one-third occupied.
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| Skylight at Ventura County Courthouse viewed by Clara on her walk down the aisle to testify |
The Judge was disappointed that the District Attorney required a sixteen-year-old to convict the defendant. He believed that in the modern California justice system of 1939, children should not have to deliver such testimony. Of course, the defendant himself was just a boy, so perhaps that justified a teenager testifying against a teenager.
About Joyce T. Strand
Mystery author Joyce T. Strand, much like her fictional character,
Jillian Hillcrest, served as head of corporate communications at several
biotech and high-tech companies in Silicon Valley for more than 25 years. She
is the author of the Jillian Hillcrest mysteries ON MESSAGE, OPEN MEETINGS, and
FAIR DISCLOSURE and the Brynn Bancroft mystery HILLTOP SUNSET, and her new
historical mystery, THE JUDGE’S STORY. Strand received her Ph.D. from The
George Washington University, Washington, D.C. and her B.A. from Dickinson
College, Carlisle, PA. She currently lives in Southern California with her two
cats, a collection of cow statuary and art, and her muse, the roadrunner. She
loves attending Broadway musicals, eating at gourmet restaurants, and drinking red wine!
Links
Purchase Links
THE JUDGE’S STORY
Paperback
Unicorn Books and Gifts (autographed); 738 Main St.; Ramona, CA 92065 (760) 788-3700
HILLTOP SUNSET: A Brynn Bancroft Mystery -1
Paperback
Unicorn Books and Gifts (autographed); 738 Main St.; Ramona, CA 92065 (760) 788-3700
The Jillian Hillcrest Mysteries 3-book-bundle (ON MESSAGE, OPEN MEETINGS, FAIR DISCLOSURE)
FAIR DISCLOSURE: A Jillian Hillcrest Mystery -3
Paperback
Unicorn Books and Gifts (autographed); 738 Main St.; Ramona, CA 92065 (760) 788-3700
OPEN MEETINGS: A
Jillian Hillcrest Mystery -2
Paperback
Unicorn Books and Gifts; 738 Main St.; Ramona, CA 92065 (760) 788-3700
ON MESSAGE: A Jillian Hillcrest Mystery -1
Paperback
Unicorn Books and Gifts (autographed); 738 Main St.; Ramona, CA 92065 (760) 788-3700
Author Links
Book trailers:
Twitter: @JoyceTStrand
