When Judge Calvin Jeffries becomes the first sitting judge to be murdered while serving in office, charismatic criminal defense attorney Joseph Antonelli finds himself smack in the middle of a riveting case. As he works through the intricacies of a homicide audacious enough to strike at the heart of justice, the ensuing investigation and trial reveal a deadly trail of evil, shattered lives, and revenge. While challenging traditional notions of crime and punishment, the novel also calls into question the very principles of our judicial system and marks the breakthrough of a master storyteller. D.W. Buffas The Defense (Henry Holt, 1997) received great praise and grossed more than 40,000 hardcover copies. The Prosecution (Henry Holt, 1999) was also lauded by critics and garnered equally impressive sales.