Wilkes His Life and Crimes

by Winston Schoonover

By Winston Schoonover. ISBN 0-345-35963-1. From Publishers Weekly: This first novel is an acidly hilarious view of justice in action, but many readers will find it disrespectful, vulgar and foul. In a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345359631
• ISBN13: 9780345359636
• Release Date: June 1990
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.

Customer Reviews

RUMPOLE'S AMERICAN NEPHEW

I just loved this book! As a practicing criminal defense attorney who also served 6 years on the bench let me just report that the stories in this book are more true than not. If you are looking for a great read and a bellyfull of laughs pick up this wonderful tome. My wife kicked me out of bed because I was laughing so loud (snorting and chortling as well) that she opined she couldn"t read her own book with me making all that noise.

Sam's Scoop

This book has been the best book I've ever read, by far! The devious and conniving things one defense attorney will do to win will keep you entertained. In John Wilkes's quest for success, anyone or anything that gets in his way will NOT stop him. I would recommend this book to anyone with a decent sense of humor!

MAGNIFICENT WRITING

Absolutely wonderful. I couldn't put this book down. Wilkes is a tremendously clever lawyer who uses anything necessary to get his client's off. He badmouths judges, the system, and doesn't pull punches on any subject! It's one of those novels that you'll miss the stop on the train because you can't lift your head to look up!

God bless an attorney with a sense of humor.

One can either rage against the absurdities inherent in our system of justice or make fun of them, and Chuck Sevilla has chosen to do the latter in this wonderful, funny book. Venal clients, crazy judges, and the highs and lows of practicing law are all presented here in the story of John Wilkes, a fictional criminal defense attorney from New York City. I'm sorry to see this book out of print, because it should be required reading for every law student, lawyer, judge and anyone else with an interest in the rule of law. Give it a try.

A hilarious look at the legal profession

In the style of Dr. Watson, Schoonover has written an eyewitness account of his legal mentor Wilkes. This book is hilarious. Having practiced law on occasion in the New York criminal courts, I could not stop laughing. The book will be just as funny to non-lawyers, too. It's constant and not-so-subtle broadsides against the legal profession and the characters who haunt the criminal courts will appeal to all. (Sorry about that.) It is well worth the quick read, as is Wilkes on Trial, the sequel.