Presumed Guilty by Scott Turow

Scott Turow’s Presumed Innocent, published in 1987, is one of the seminal books in the modern American courtroom drama genre. That book introduced prosecutor Rusty Sabich who ends up on trial for the murder defended by another Turow favourite Sandy Stern in the town of Kindle County, which would feature in a number of other Turow thrillers. Sabich, now a judge, was once again accused of murder in the follow up Innocent, set 22 years after the original. Sabich is back again in Presumed Guilty, although not the accused this time, which makes a change.

Presumed Guilty does not ignore the passage of time. The opening finds Rusty in his 70s, retired from the bench and living in the country with a younger woman – Bea – a school principal who has a 22 year-old-adopted son Aaron. Aaron is on probation and is required to live with the pair and report in regularly. Only when the book opens Aaron has taken himself away and off the grid to be with his tempestuous on-again, off-again girlfriend Mae, and is not contactable. Mae is the daughter of the local chief prosecutor who swings the police into action when Aaron returns from the camping trip, claiming the two have had a bust up, but Mae does not. When Mae’s body is found, Aaron is arrested for her murder. Strapped for cash and desperate Bea asks Rusty to defend him. Despite a lack of experience as a defence attorney and knowing the damage it is likely do to all of his relationships whether he takes the case or not, Rusty agrees.

What follows is the type of absolutely classic courtroom drama at which Turow excels. There are opening statements, cross examinations, objections, points of law, explanations of various terms like hearsay and surprise witnesses. Despite being in the mind of the defence attorney, Turow really puts readers firmly on the jury, swinging their perception of the case with every evidentiary reveal. Although being in Rusty’s point of view, readers also get to see behind the curtain a little in terms of trial tactics. But Turow also explores the impact of this politically-based, antagonistic legal system on the victim’s family, the alleged perpetrator’s family and everyone around them.

As with the other books in this series, the personal, the professional, the political and the legal collide as the case puts pressure on everyone. Turow uses the legal drama to shine a light on American culture and society – issues like privilege and entitlement, race relations and the lasting impacts of military service. But Turow also centres the whole enterprise on the personal – including Rusty’s relationships with his old and new families and with his (former) best friend who is also the grandfather of the victim. And as readers have come to expect from Turow and this series in particularly builds to a killer reveal when Rusty is finally able to put all of the odd pieces together.

Presumed Guilty is a top notch legal drama and a fitting swansong for a character who helped kick off the modern American courtroom thriller and Turow’s fiction career.

Presumed Guilty by Scott Turow

8.5

8.5/10