Perfect Murder, Perfect Town - Lawrence Schiller [328]
* Tim Talkington was a deputy DA in Hunter’s office whom the writer wanted to interview about the history of the DA’s office.
* John Ramsey may have hoped that he could create an indelible record of Shapiro suggesting that the Globe had printed material harmful to the Ramseys with reckless disregard for its truth or falsity. In most American jurisdictions proof of such reckless claims, if they are not true, would subject the publisher to liability for defamation. Any statements by Shapiro would be admissible against his employer.
* This letter is excerpted here. It appears in its entirety in Appendix B.
* Colorado law allows for the appointment of “special deputy district attorneys” by a district attorney who requires such assistance to “properly discharge the duties of his office.” The special deputies may be drawn from the state attorney general’s office, from the offices of other district attorneys or city attorneys in the state, or from federal prosecutors based in Colorado. C.R.S. 20-1-201.
* The common term indictment is an abbreviation of the document’s formal name, a bill of indictment. Ordinarily a bill of indictment is prepared for the signature of the jury foreperson by the prosecutor working with the grand jury. If the grand jury votes to indict, the foreperson signs and the indictment becomes a “true bill.” If the grand jury declines to indict, the document becomes known as a “no true bill,” or (more commonly) a “no bill.” In the event that a prosecutor refused to sign a true bill of indictment returned by the grand jury, the indictment would not be legally sufficient as an accusation. The only remedy provided in Colorado law for this uncommon situation is contained in C. R. S. 16-5-209, which provides for the substitution of a special prosecutor in the event of a regular prosecutor’s “unjustified refusal” to prosecute a crime.
* The letter is abridged here. It appears in its entirety in Appendix C.
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Dedication
Epigraph
Author’s Note
Contents
Christmas Greeting
Part One
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Part Two
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Part Three
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Part Four
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Character List
Acknowledgments
Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix C
Permissions
Searchable Terms
About the Author
Copyright
About the Publisher