Conspiracy

Conspiracy is the second in a series of humorous novels about the life, escapades and legal exploits of C. Bruce West, a young and successful lawyer in private practice. An illegal immigrant believes Bruce's clients, Joseph and Sarah Steiner, are going to help him avoid deportation. When the federal authorities hear about it, they become convinced that the clients are involved in an illegal conspiracy with an elected federal government official to operate a fraudulent marriage ring and to extort money from illegal immigrants in violation of the nation's immigration laws. Despite a failed sting operation, an overzealous FBI agent and an unscrupulous, over-achieving federal prosecutor refuse to accept the possibility that their interpretation of eavesdropped conversations may be erroneous, and vigorously pursue the prosecution of Bruce's clients. The federal judge to whom the case is assigned for trial is a stern, humorless tyrant with a volatile temper. In his opinion, if the defendants were not guilty, the FBI would not have charged them with the crime in the first place. As luck would have it, Bruce had previously been involved in an unpleasant encounter with the judge. Bruce embarks upon a very risky plan to win an acquittal. His actions could have serious, career-threatening consequences and could result in long prison terms for his clients if he is unsuccessful. While the trial is pending, Bruce deals with other quite humorous, unrelated matters and manages to get himself involved with the client's daughter and a newly separated woman he meets at one of his favorite local watering holes.