Beyond Terror: A Battered Wife on Trial for the Alleged Murder of Her Husband - 9781462048663

Attorney David Chartier is enjoying a pleasant weekend away with his family in upstate Michigan when he receives a panicked phone call from his client, Jean Davis. Apparently, Jean is being held at the police station under suspicion of murdering her husband, John. David can't believe it, so he heads home to try and save her from life in prison. Upon his arrival, certain details come to light. Jean claims to be an abused wife, saying that John abused her, physically and psychologically, throughout their entire marriage. If she stayed, she would end up dying at his hand; if she tried to run, he would find her and kill her for her misdeed. As she tearfully explains to David, her only option was murder. Now, he must find a way to make her argument stick in court. Written by a retired trial lawyer, Beyond Terror offers a detailed, painful look at the psyche of an abused woman and the legal process that threatens to protect or condemn. David will do anything to save Jean's life, but will a jury accept her testimony? He must dig deep to find the evidence he needs and, in doing so, travel dark paths he never before considered to tread.