From Close Case : In my six months in MCU, I had learned that there is only so much I can do as a prosecutor. Even a maximum sentence for the most serious possible charge does not bring back a murder victim or undo the indescribable harm of a sex offense. And, many times, I had to settle for far less. Sometimes it was because a jury convicted a defendant on a lesser charge. Other times, it was a result of plea negotiations required by doubts about the case. Lord knows I had to hold my nose during some of the deals I had brokered. But I hadn't had anyone walk out of the courthouse yet. Not since the drug unit had I heard a judge tell a defendant, "You're free to go." My pride had always made an acquittal hard to stomach, even back then. But, now, with rape cases and murders on the line, I couldn't imagine what it would feel like to watch anyone in my caseload rise from the defense table, shake their lawyer's hand, and then simply walk out the door, while I sat there wondering what I could have done differently. Excerpted from Close Case: A Samantha Kincaid Mystery by Alafair Burke All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
