Private Eye for the Bad Guy; My Short, Brutal Career as a Criminal Defense Investigator
- Createspace Independent Publishing Platform 2017
- 192 pages
In mystery novels, private investigators search for clues that will help send the bad guy to jail. As a criminal defense investigator, Kelly Luker did the opposite: she tried to keep the suspects out of jail, gathering evidence that might free them or at least reduce the repercussions for those accused of everything from vandalism and drunk driving to kidnapping, child molestation, and murder. Unlike those who could afford expensive lawyers, her clients were the poor and homeless, represented by court-appointed attorneys. Private Eye for the Bad Guy: My Short, Brutal Career as a Criminal Defense Investigator explores some of the cases Kelly investigated, some entertaining, some grim, but all of them enlightening. She also shares her moral ambiguity, particularly when her clients' lives too closely mirrored her own troubled past. Private Eye for the Bad Guy transcends the typical detective genre. It is a powerful reminder that even the most reviled in our justice system deserve a vigorous defense. Kelly shows how it's done, and ultimately, the cost and benefit for all involved. Kelly Luker is a licensed private investigator who lives in Northern California.