"Advice, Trials and Tribulations of a Country Lawyer: Calistoga, California 1973-1983," by Peter Kagel, features the author's rise to mayor and run-ins with a colorful array of local characters - rival lawyers, corrupt officials and assorted criminals.
SAN FRANCISCO (MMD Newswire) June 20, 2011 -- "Advice, Trials and Tribulations of a Country Lawyer: Calistoga, California 1973-1983" (ISBN 1456481193) by Peter Kagel follows an ill-prepared, newly-minted lawyer starting a law practice from scratch in the Napa Valley, in the heart of California's wine country, who ropes himself into nasty small-town politics and gets elected mayor, which provides the context for his many tribulations.
The book was written to help the general public handle and understand everyday legal problems which are dissected and illustrated by his trial experiences. Although he came to the Napa Valley for peace and quiet, author Kagel had a number of startling experiences - including how two of his clients were shot to death - a possible connection between the other lawyer in town, who was his main antagonist and the famed "Zodiac Killer."
Kagel overcomes a number of other antagonists, including a sadistic local newspaper publisher, a bullying deputy district attorney, an obese psychiatrist without a clue and a lying double-crosser Kagel mistakenly helped elect to the city council. He survives not only a failed recall effort, but a life-threatening, middle-of-the-night encounter with a knife-bearing intruder, as well as a black widow spider dropped through his mail slot in an open test tube. It's the stuff of a good crime novel.
Adding to the drama, his law-associate-employee gets convicted for selling cocaine (without his knowledge), and a friend commits suicide by flying a glider straight into the ground, taking pictures throughout the entire descent. Through these and many other ordeals and circumstances, Kagel, for the most part, maintains his cool along with his mischievous sense of humor.
"The book is an entertaining ride through the eyes of a young lawyer who became the mayor and went through several scandals as a result of holding his ground," says Kagel. "It is also a very good education about the legal system. It's a helpful guide to getting through everyday legal problems without realizing you're getting a very practical legal education." Intended to entertain and inform, the book combines anecdotes and memories with advice on what to expect, along with guidance in handling the most common legal situations.
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