Raise Your Other Right Hand by Jody Weiner; Naples, Florida: Speaking Volumes; © 2025; ISBN 9798890-222503; 213 pages; $16.95; Publication date: March 11, 2025
SAN DIEGO – San Francisco attorney Archie Krafter must defend basketball superstar Radon Jaalaba against charges in the double homicides of his driver, Russell Marchetti, and a police officer.
He is innocent of the murder charges but to prove why he was on the scene risks termination of his career with the San Francisco Worriers (yes, the fictional team name is Worriers, not Warriors). He’d have to admit he was there to purchase illicit drugs as well as reveal the exact nature of his relationship with Marchetti.
When Jalaaba refuses to answer the questions of police or to take the witness stand at trial, Krafter must craft a defense based on the doctrine of reasonable doubt.
The life of Krafter is complicated by the fact that he is married to Lora, the daughter of the Dellacozzi crime family. Lora, a musician and repertory theater owner, has separated herself from the family business. However, when her younger brother Dominic is charged with a fraudulent scheme to separate investors from their savings, she prevails upon her husband, who has refused to be his lawyer, to at least give him some free advice.
Author Weiner is himself an attorney and a sports fan, who describes the games of law and basketball with equal authority. The title of the book, Raise Your Other Right Hand, reflects Weiner’s droll sense of humor in describing how members of a jury are sworn in. He educates readers to such ethical questions as an attorney’s obligation to resist conflicts of interest.
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Donald H. Harrison is publisher and editor of San Diego Jewish World