Alienable Rights

by Tom Shepherd

Arrested on a distant world. Charged with crimes you did not commit. Or especially if you did...Who you gonna call?Alienable Rights, Tom Shepherd's new, stand-alone Star Lawyers novella, packs a fast-moving story with romance, intrigue, galactic politics and courtroom clashes. ( Trek meets Law & Order.)Tyler Matthews and his Star Lawyers defend a Terran Academy Cadet charged with sexual abuse of a fourteen-year-old minor. Except the "minor" is a fully developed member of a humanoid species that matures twice as fast as H-sapiens--physically, emotionally and intellectually.A promising young officer faces twenty years hard labor on faraway, airless moons. And because the young woman has fallen in love with the Cadet, she runs the risk of execution by her tribal society.If you're already a Star Lawyers fan, you'll love the action and suspense in this futuristic courtroom drama.If this is your first voyage into the 32nd century world of Tyler and his crew, Alienable Rights welcomes you aboard a great sci-fi series.

Paperback

Published December 11, 2021

About the author

Tom Shepherd flew medical evacuation helicopters in Vietnam, where he received two Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Air Medal, and the Purple Heart. He has worked as a Japanese linguist, public school teacher, and graduate school instructor. Shepherd is originally from Reading, Pennsylvania, but lived in Alaska, Germany, Indochina, and the Republic of Korea. He spent the balance of of his professional career working with churches in the Deep South, California, and the Midwest and serving as Professor of Religious Studies at Unity Institute near Kansas City, Missouri. Author of a wide array of
articles and nonfiction books, plus more than twenty plays and two novels for the middle grades, Dr. Shepherd “retired” in 2016 to write novels full time.

Star Lawyers is his new series, which readers have described as “Star Trek meets Law&Order.” Tom Shepherd lives with his wife, Carol-Jean, and their genial pit bull, Riley, in Tucson, Arizona.

Reviews

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I enjoyed the story. It is well written and enjoyable. It also opens several grey areas in scientific morality. My complaint is that the index, credits and character descriptions at the end are just as long as the story. Overkill in my opinion.

[Marc Yergin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tyler Noah Matthew IV, scion of Matthews Interstellar Industries (MII), after graduating from the Commonwealth Naval Command Academy decided to give up a promising naval career and go to Law School. But then his aunt, who just happens to be a three-star admiral and heads of the naval academy, was sorely disappointed her nephew decided to go into law. And she never forgets to tell him so.
Matthews is head of an organization he formed, Star Lawyers, which consists of lawyers, support staff (some of whom are both support and lawyers as well as skilled in how to terminate with extreme prejudice when the need arises. They are also some of the best looking women around). Some members of Star Lawyers are constructs from the world of AI but are able to maintain a physical presence.
Naval JAG officers have no jurisdiction on alien worlds but Star Lawyers can be hired to defend not just naval personnel and their dependents when they have fallen afoul of local legal systems but civilians as well. And there are always situations arising calling for Star Lawyers and their expertise not just in alien legal systems but the ability to do whatever is necessary to take care of their clients.
In “Alienable Rights,” the Star Lawyers have to get a naval academy cadet off a charge of statutory rape. Seems like he fell for a Kenziano girl who was 14 years old but beause they age twice as fast as humans was the equivalent of a human adult which made no difference to the law.
As with most Star Lawyer books, it is not just a legal thriller, it is layered with all sorts of complications and other stuff to muddy up the legal situation. Tyler and his crew have to work their way through a muddled legal morass, figure out what else is going on, and not get hurt. And of course get the cadet off. And resolve everything to the statisfaction all the involved paries.
All I can say is I sat down with this, the latest book in the Star Lawyer series, and realized it was hours later, the sun had gone down and was about to come up again. It is that good. Dr. Tom has done it again.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining space listening 🎶🔰

Another will written space opera fantasy world 🌎 adventure thriller novel by Tom Shepherd. The Star 🌟Lawyers are asked by an aunt too become the defense lawyer for a young 👦 space cadet. They are successfully in the pretrial hearing 👂 getting the charges dismissed. I would recommend this novel, series, and author to readers of space fantasy novels 👍🔰. Enjoy the adventure of reading or listening to books 📚. 2022 😮👒😀

[Dr susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable sci fi adventure

Rights deserves 4 stars simply because no named characters die. I enjoyed the story and the interactions of the supporting "family" of characters. My favorite part of this series might be the "no one messes with the Parve."

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice novella

It is in the same quality with other Star Lawyers books, albeit shorter. This book portrays how complicated Matthews family relations can be, with all their penchant for duty and honor, regardless of profession.