What do you think?
Rate this book
Jaywalker #4
Overkill
It’s a case no one can win—which is exactly why he’s going to take it.
Harrison J. Walker—Jaywalker, to the world—is a frayed-at-the-edges defense attorney with a ninety-percent acquittal rate, thanks to an obsessive streak a mile wide. But winning this case will take more than just dedication.
Seventeen-year-old Jeremy Estrada killed another boy after a fight over a girl: shot him point-blank between the eyes. No one disputes those facts. This kid is jammed up big-time, but almost unable to help himself. He’s got the face of an angel but can hardly string together three words to explain what happened that day…yet he’s determined to go to trial.
All they’ve got is a “yesbut“ defense, as in: “Did you kill him?” “Yes, but…” Jaywalker is accustomed to bending the rules—this case will stretch the law to the breaking point and beyond.
Harrison J. Walker—Jaywalker, to the world—is a frayed-at-the-edges defense attorney with a ninety-percent acquittal rate, thanks to an obsessive streak a mile wide. But winning this case will take more than just dedication.
Seventeen-year-old Jeremy Estrada killed another boy after a fight over a girl: shot him point-blank between the eyes. No one disputes those facts. This kid is jammed up big-time, but almost unable to help himself. He’s got the face of an angel but can hardly string together three words to explain what happened that day…yet he’s determined to go to trial.
All they’ve got is a “yesbut“ defense, as in: “Did you kill him?” “Yes, but…” Jaywalker is accustomed to bending the rules—this case will stretch the law to the breaking point and beyond.
- GenresLegal ThrillerFiction
368 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 20, 2010
4 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Teller
7 books29 followersJoseph Teller is a pen name of Joseph Teller Klempner, and he is also published as
Joseph T. Klempner
Joseph Teller was born and raised in New York City. He graduated in 1961 from the College of Wooster in Ohio and from the University of Michigan Law School in 1964. He returned to New York City, where he was admitted to the bar in 1965, but spent three years as an agent with the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (the precursor of the Drug Enforcement Administration), doing undercover work. For the next 35 years, he worked as a criminal defense attorney, representing murderers, drug dealers, thieves and at least one serial killer. When New York State restored the death penalty in the nineties, Teller was one of a select group of lawyers given special training to represent capital defendants, which he did on several occasions, including winning an acquittal for a man accused of committing a double murder.
Not too long ago, Teller decided to "run from the law," and began writing fiction. He lives and writes in rural upstate New York with his wife, Sandy, an antiques dealer.
Joseph Teller was born and raised in New York City. He graduated in 1961 from the College of Wooster in Ohio and from the University of Michigan Law School in 1964. He returned to New York City, where he was admitted to the bar in 1965, but spent three years as an agent with the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (the precursor of the Drug Enforcement Administration), doing undercover work. For the next 35 years, he worked as a criminal defense attorney, representing murderers, drug dealers, thieves and at least one serial killer. When New York State restored the death penalty in the nineties, Teller was one of a select group of lawyers given special training to represent capital defendants, which he did on several occasions, including winning an acquittal for a man accused of committing a double murder.
Not too long ago, Teller decided to "run from the law," and began writing fiction. He lives and writes in rural upstate New York with his wife, Sandy, an antiques dealer.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 17, 2011
Excellent legal novel (hate to lock these into a genre since the Jaywalker novels occupy a genre all their own.)
Jeremy Estrada is guilty. No question. He walked over and shot his adversary in the head. Most attorneys would have plead Estrada out hoping for the best. Not Jaywalker who fervently believes that each defendant deserves the best defence and that there are often mitigating circumstances not readily apparent. A review of the statues reveals that “If the jury can be persuaded that the defendant acted under the influence of "extreme emotional disturbance," it may return a verdict of not guilty on a murder charge. If those words applied to anyone, Jaywalker decided, they had to apply to Jeremy Estrada. The cumulative effect of his torment at the hands of Sandro, Shorty, Diego, Victor and the rest of the Raiders had surely disturbed Jeremy, not only emotionally, but physically, as well. Could there possibly be any doubt that that disturbance had been "extreme"?”
Jaywalker is so me . This quote describes me going to the airport: The next morning-he booked only early flights, because the equipment was always there, rather than being expected momentarily from Boston or Philadelphia-he'd set out for the airport neurotically early. He liked to allow enough time to get lost on the way, suffer not one but two blowouts, have trouble finding an empty spot in the long-term parking lot, discover that the shuttle bus wasn't running, encounter record lines at security...” On the other hand this is definitely NOT me, :”"Other lawyers prepared for trial. Jaywalker over-prepared; he ultra-super-hyper-over-prepared. He organized, interviewed, investigated, interrogated, subpoenaed, photographed, recorded and visited the crime scene. And then he did all those things over again, three or four times. He totally obsessed over every single case, no matter the simplicity or complexity of the charges, or the length of the potential sentence,"
There’s a very humorous scene in a judge’s elevator when the female prosecutor, in the dark, has to climb on to the shoulders of Jaywalker to try and reach the exit hatch in the ceiling. As you know when you climb on a horse using the wrong foot, you might wind up facing the wrong way. Imagine the result. I won’t explain how they wound up in that elevator nor what the judge they met at the bottom was doing in high heels.
Teller writes in an afterword that this case was based on a real one that he tried many years ago, as is true of his other books. I really like his books. Jaywalker is such a sympathetic character one cannot help but root for him despite (or perhaps, because) of his legal shenanigans. Tellers books also have a real air of authenticity sometimes lacking in other legal dramas.
From the author’s website: “....he spent three years as an agent with the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (the precursor of the Drug Enforcement Administration), doing undercover work. For the next 35 years, he worked as a criminal defense attorney, representing murderers, drug dealers, thieves and at least one serial killer. When New York State restored the death penalty in the nineties, Teller was one of a select group of lawyers given special training to represent capital defendants, which he did on several occasions, including winning an acquittal for a man accused of committing a double murder.”
Jeremy Estrada is guilty. No question. He walked over and shot his adversary in the head. Most attorneys would have plead Estrada out hoping for the best. Not Jaywalker who fervently believes that each defendant deserves the best defence and that there are often mitigating circumstances not readily apparent. A review of the statues reveals that “If the jury can be persuaded that the defendant acted under the influence of "extreme emotional disturbance," it may return a verdict of not guilty on a murder charge. If those words applied to anyone, Jaywalker decided, they had to apply to Jeremy Estrada. The cumulative effect of his torment at the hands of Sandro, Shorty, Diego, Victor and the rest of the Raiders had surely disturbed Jeremy, not only emotionally, but physically, as well. Could there possibly be any doubt that that disturbance had been "extreme"?”
Jaywalker is so me . This quote describes me going to the airport: The next morning-he booked only early flights, because the equipment was always there, rather than being expected momentarily from Boston or Philadelphia-he'd set out for the airport neurotically early. He liked to allow enough time to get lost on the way, suffer not one but two blowouts, have trouble finding an empty spot in the long-term parking lot, discover that the shuttle bus wasn't running, encounter record lines at security...” On the other hand this is definitely NOT me, :”"Other lawyers prepared for trial. Jaywalker over-prepared; he ultra-super-hyper-over-prepared. He organized, interviewed, investigated, interrogated, subpoenaed, photographed, recorded and visited the crime scene. And then he did all those things over again, three or four times. He totally obsessed over every single case, no matter the simplicity or complexity of the charges, or the length of the potential sentence,"
There’s a very humorous scene in a judge’s elevator when the female prosecutor, in the dark, has to climb on to the shoulders of Jaywalker to try and reach the exit hatch in the ceiling. As you know when you climb on a horse using the wrong foot, you might wind up facing the wrong way. Imagine the result. I won’t explain how they wound up in that elevator nor what the judge they met at the bottom was doing in high heels.
Teller writes in an afterword that this case was based on a real one that he tried many years ago, as is true of his other books. I really like his books. Jaywalker is such a sympathetic character one cannot help but root for him despite (or perhaps, because) of his legal shenanigans. Tellers books also have a real air of authenticity sometimes lacking in other legal dramas.
From the author’s website: “....he spent three years as an agent with the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (the precursor of the Drug Enforcement Administration), doing undercover work. For the next 35 years, he worked as a criminal defense attorney, representing murderers, drug dealers, thieves and at least one serial killer. When New York State restored the death penalty in the nineties, Teller was one of a select group of lawyers given special training to represent capital defendants, which he did on several occasions, including winning an acquittal for a man accused of committing a double murder.”
March 12, 2022
Shoot Him Again!
Jeremy Estrada is seventeen years old. He has met a girl that he likes as he walks to and from his jobs. Unfortunately for him, a member of a local street gang named the Raiders (after the Oakland Raiders professional football team) also likes the same girl. The gang begins to threaten and harass Jeremy, making his life miserable.
One day, Jeremy and the girl are accosted on the street by another member of the gang, along with his girlfriend, and a fight ensues. Jeremy is winning the fight when a gun suddenly appears, and a shot is fired. Witnesses claim that the gun was Jeremy's. Jeremy comes away with the gun and, after a short chase, shoots the gang member multiple times, lastly in the head as he is lying in the street begging for his life. Jeremy is arrested and the prosecutor charges him with intentional murder.
Jaywalker is in court for a different case when the judge seeks a public defender to represent Jeremy. When none are available, he appoints Jaywalker to defend the young man. Jeremy's mother pays Jaywalker a retainer of fifty-eight dollars, all she can afford. She also makes him Puerto Rican-style lunches, insisting that he eat to keep up his energy. Jaywalker is not going to get rich on this case.
In his investigation and trial preparation, Jaywalker travels to Puerto Rico to interview a witness. He also finds other witnesses that testify to the terrorism engaged in by the Raiders, and the death threats that Jeremy has received. There is no way that Jaywalker can possibly win this case. It was, after all, an execution-style killing, according to multiple witnesses. But this is Jaywalker we're talking about here. So don't be surprised if he finds some way to prevent Jeremy from spending the rest of his life in prison.
This is a story well-told, and a novel well-written. I liked it and do not hesitate to recommend it.
Jeremy Estrada is seventeen years old. He has met a girl that he likes as he walks to and from his jobs. Unfortunately for him, a member of a local street gang named the Raiders (after the Oakland Raiders professional football team) also likes the same girl. The gang begins to threaten and harass Jeremy, making his life miserable.
One day, Jeremy and the girl are accosted on the street by another member of the gang, along with his girlfriend, and a fight ensues. Jeremy is winning the fight when a gun suddenly appears, and a shot is fired. Witnesses claim that the gun was Jeremy's. Jeremy comes away with the gun and, after a short chase, shoots the gang member multiple times, lastly in the head as he is lying in the street begging for his life. Jeremy is arrested and the prosecutor charges him with intentional murder.
Jaywalker is in court for a different case when the judge seeks a public defender to represent Jeremy. When none are available, he appoints Jaywalker to defend the young man. Jeremy's mother pays Jaywalker a retainer of fifty-eight dollars, all she can afford. She also makes him Puerto Rican-style lunches, insisting that he eat to keep up his energy. Jaywalker is not going to get rich on this case.
In his investigation and trial preparation, Jaywalker travels to Puerto Rico to interview a witness. He also finds other witnesses that testify to the terrorism engaged in by the Raiders, and the death threats that Jeremy has received. There is no way that Jaywalker can possibly win this case. It was, after all, an execution-style killing, according to multiple witnesses. But this is Jaywalker we're talking about here. So don't be surprised if he finds some way to prevent Jeremy from spending the rest of his life in prison.
This is a story well-told, and a novel well-written. I liked it and do not hesitate to recommend it.
April 12, 2022
Jaywalker does it again
Jeremy commits murder but with an excuse… that how this all starts and gets Jaywalker involved. As always he gets so involved he won’t eat or sleep, but it’s all for his client. A good read as are all of Tellers books I have read. Enjoy!
Jeremy commits murder but with an excuse… that how this all starts and gets Jaywalker involved. As always he gets so involved he won’t eat or sleep, but it’s all for his client. A good read as are all of Tellers books I have read. Enjoy!
March 4, 2024
Another great, semi-true story from this awesome author.
November 2, 2010
This is the the fourth in a lawyer series but I read it first. It was pretty funny, looking forward to reading the first three. Funny protagonist.
July 30, 2011
I love the dry wit of Teller's work. Nelson Demille meets Turow or Grisham!
April 22, 2012
uncorrected advance proof
Read
March 22, 2015Lots of trial stuff. Not interesting to me.
October 25, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. I am so happy I found you Joseph, I love court house scenes an this book is full of it.
Read
December 23, 2014mini series- A Jaywalker Case
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews