The Trial By Lindsey Phillip Dew Deseret Book, 1984. Paperback: 237 pages. Suggested retail price: $9.95 (US) 1984 AML Award:
Reviewed by: Jeff Needle

John Lindsey is an LDS attorney living in a small town near Manti, Utah. As a small-town lawyer, his practice is pretty well limited to the local clientele. Although not wealthy, he manages to make a reasonable living. He is married, has several children, and is the bishop of his ward.

One day, the local judge assigns John to a murder case that he really doesn't want. The victims are prominent, well-loved members of the community. One of the survivors is a slightly retarded young girl.

The case is pretty solid -- eye-witnesses, evidence found on the suspects. The local district attorney will win this case easily. But then it is revealed that the local police did not follow proper procedure in gathering the evidence, and the judge throws out the evidence under the exclusionary rule. And the eye-witnesses turn out to be less than reliable.

And there's the rub -- John knows that he has a good chance to win the case. But he also knows these two men are guilty of murder, and his sense of justice balks at the idea that they'll get off scott-free.

John has no choice but to follow the law. And when the men are released, the entire town turns on John. His law practice disappears, his children are isolated from their friends, and the members of his ward lose their confidence in him. After all, he did make it possible for the killers of several loved neighbors to go free.

The Trial describes much more than just a procedure before a judge. It is a story of conflicting moral values, an exploration of the nature of moral certainty, and the results of making choices in what can only be described as a "lose-lose" situation.

Of course, John asks the Lord for guidance, but unlike other LDS novels, the Lord is curiously silent throughout the whole process. John must work out his own salvation, and indeed, with much fear and trembling.

I thought a little of John's introspective thought will illustrate the fine quality of this novel (this is John speaking):

     When the Lord called me to be the bishop, I wondered at his judgment, but I never doubted the fact that he did call me, even though I couldn't figure out why But I am the bishop, and he has never withheld answers from me about how to fulfill my stewardship and direct this ward. In my daily life, I've been able to lean on him for answers. But on that hill, for one in my life, I was left answerless.
     When I was a child, I thought as a child. Everything was black or white. But now I see through a glass, darkly, and almost everything is in various shades of gray. The only pure while absolutes left in my life are the Lord and his gospel. But even though I've prayed and struggled, I honestly no longer know where I stand with him.

This is frank, honest stuff. And although some may balk at the relativism inherent in such thought, I found it all very refreshing.

John is ultimately returned to the good graces of the his community, but it is never said that they were justified in their rejection of their bishop. Dew is frank in his contempt for phony favor as well as phony disfavor. There is a cynical edge to the book that managed to keep my interest.

The Trial is likely out of print by now. If you can find a copy, I think you'll enjoy it.

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Jeff Needle
jeff.needle@general.com