The Smoking Gun: Day by Day Through a Shocking Murder Trial with Gerry Spence

by Gerry Spence

Recounts the dramatic events surrounding the trial of Sandy Jones and her teenage son, who were accused of murdering a real-estate developer, describing the trial's three-year process of explosive courtroom scenes, class conflicts, and crushing state power. Reprint.

Genres: True Crime

560 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 26, 2003

About the author

Gerry Spence is a trial lawyer in the United States. In 2008, he announced he would retire, at age 79, at the end of the Geoffrey Fieger trial in Detroit, MI. Spence did not lose a criminal case in the over 50 years he practiced law. He started his career as a prosecutor and later became a successful defense attorney for the insurance industry. Years later, Spence said he "saw the light" and became committed to representing people, instead of corporations, insurance companies, banks, or "big business."

Reviews

[John of Canada · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I was precise with my use of words,and I can think in terms of categories which is all law is until you practise it.Then it's all villainy and low cunning."
John Cleese
Pretty much.I have been a fan of Gerry Spence since reading an article by him in Harpers' magazine describing lawyers strategies during trials.This book depressed me as much as Life Sentence by Christie Blatchford.But they both get top marks for fearlessly showing what's wrong with the law and the venality of those who we rely on for justice in Canada and the U.S.

[Marus Jastrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really fascinating story by the famous defence lawyer, Jerry Spence. It is about a woman in Newport, Oregon who was unjustly accused of murdering a neighbor. THe police were aggressively going after her and the story is about the local law enforcement's failure to look deeply into the crime and just focusing on one person. The book made me cry. I really loved it. You have to like books about trials to enjoy this read.

[Anthony M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting book. The only trial Mr. Spence lost in decades and ultimately won on appeal.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great non-fiction book that I couldn't put down. Exposes a lot of the bullying that goes on by prosecutors against vulnerable people.

[Jfro · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're a lawyer, you'll learn from Spence's details from the courtroom. Seriously, Spence is one of the best lawyers in the country for a reason. His silver tongue is an absolute gift, and his arguments have something to teach to any lawyer.

However...

The dude is so unbelievably full of himself that parts of this book are laugh-out-loud ridiculous. Every argument begins with the word "I," and Spence's ego gets in the way of the story he has to tell and the lessons he has to teach.

Spence's other problem is that he remembers in black and white. No prosecutor is as evil or corrupt as Josh Marquis and no client is as as noble and humble as Sandy Jones. Such angels and demons don't exist in real life. So, if you're a lawyer, read it, learn from it, and take Spence's tale with a grain of salt. But if you're not a lawyer, don't bother to pick it up.

[Corey Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one that truly lived up to it's billing: "day by day through a shocking murder trial with Gerry Spence." I couldn't believe how far the curtain was pulled back in reading Mr. Spence's account of every human, legal and emotional twist and turn during this murder trial that took some 4 plus years from start to finish. Spence's conversational writing style made it easy reading despite the book being over 400 pages. A great investment of time to anyone wanting to understand the inner workings of our criminal justice system, flawed as it may be. Or for anyone wanting to know what it's "really like" to be involved in a murder trial, not a Hollywood fiction. That said, this "real" account sometimes felt like fiction because it was hard to believe that some of the things actually happened.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My father is Judge Haas and Gerry is a respected friend of the family. He stays true to actual events and this story is just amazing.

[ErikaShmerika Wine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy crap does this man love to hear himself speak. 90% of this book is just Spence pontificating about his role as a defense attorney and the justice system and most of his comments about himself and his family life is absolutely cringe-inducing. However, if you can get through his ‘charm’, this case is completely engrossing. I would really love to read this case from the State’s perspective because it’s hard for me to see anything other than persecution from their side. And rather than actually serving justice, they just continually double down on their idiocy. Spence presents an in-depth account in which the real heroes of this story are relegated to cheerleaders for his martyrdom in his roll as defender of the downtrodden. He often comes across as self-righteous and disdainful towards what he sees as a lesser state than his own, and he pretty much never shuts up about himself. In spite of this, I still highly recommend this book.

[Chris Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

Not an attorney but old enough to follow along. Mr. Spence writes through the cameras eye. A straight shooter in the arena of high stakes justice, who speaks in ways that register deeply. Thank you sir.

[Frank Lester · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book.

[John Marricco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book about an intense trial.