“Race to Judgment” by Frederic Block; SelectBooks, Inc., 320 pages.

In his thrilling novel, Race To Judgment, Judge Frederic Block takes us on a fast-paced ride through the underbelly of the New York State Criminal Justice System, as it is portrayed in Kings County (Brooklyn). The reader is transported through what can only be described as its tragic racial history involving myriad wrongful convictions of minority defendants that, only in recent years for the most part, have led to several spectacular, high profile exonerations.

Block's riveting story is told through the eyes of Ken Williams, its main protagonist. Williams' life and career is modeled on that of the late Ken Thompson, who recently passed away at the youthful age of 50, after serving as Brooklyn's District Attorney for only two years. We quickly learn that Williams—as did the real-life Thompson—formerly served with distinction in the Private Bar, as a federal line prosecutor and as a distinguished and honorable district attorney of Kings County.

Writing from the perspective of an experienced U.S. District Judge and former criminal defense attorney, Block deftly navigates through the streets and courts of Kings County as only a seasoned veteran would be able to do. He does so, in a manner that creates an intriguing and often electrifying story line, yet he has managed to make the book “user friendly” for non-lawyers too who will surely enjoy the page-turning, twisting plot that, although “ripped from today's headlines,” is also partially fictionalized.

Indeed, Block describes his book as “reality fiction.” Yet, the reader quickly recognizes more reality than fiction, since, like the real-life Ken Thompson, Block's fictional Ken Williams, transforms himself from a relatively unknown practitioner into the role of a genuine legal hero, who vigorously upholds the law and prosecutes real criminals, while successfully engineering the exoneration of countless wrongfully convicted minority defendants. It is their odyssey in search for freedom, therefore, which the fictional Williams champions in some of the novel's most exhilarating vignettes. With a foreboding, fierce style, Block captures the emotional high of inmates' quests for, and ultimate tasting of true freedom, as only one who has been wrongfully convicted and horrifically incarcerated can fully appreciate. In the process, the characters come alive and, as many of the horrible facts unfold, both real and fictionalized, the stench of storied Kings County corruption jumps off the pages.

In a writing style that is at times blunt but more frequently eloquent, Block humanizes the life of District Attorney Williams, whose short but defining imprint on the lives of so many was impelled by his relentless commitment to principle and indefatigable determination that justice will ultimately prevail. We thus follow Williams through a gut-wrenching personal journey in which he encounters powerful enemies who seek to obstruct his laudable goals at every turn. In so doing, the author highlights the agony of those intrepid public servants who choose to battle corruption in otherwise insulated places, occupied by men and women who carry shields and guns that readily mask their seemingly ceaseless and overbearing abuse of power and authority.

Poignantly, in the “reality” portion of this very unusual novel, although never mentioning them by name, Block makes no effort to conceal his contempt for the former district attorney of Kings County and his chief assistant. He thereby recounts what has been frequently published in Gotham's tabloids, noting that since their retirement, these former officials have faced harsh criticism for having engineered a plethora of wrongful homicide convictions involving minority defendants whose later exonerations exposed a system replete with prosecutorial abuse and ethical bankruptcy, if not merely sloppy lawyering. Indeed, if Block is to be taken seriously, the hallmarks of Williams' predecessor's administration were indifferent to the truth and a terrifying practice of unlawfully secreting exculpatory information, all in violation of a prosecutor's constitutionally mandated obligation of immediate disclosure.

On the other hand, although his writing is generally praiseworthy, this particular reader found Block's portrayal of the Hasidic Community of Crown Heights personally disturbing. The author characterizes it as an insular sect of religious extremism by including a secondary—and totally gratuitous—story line focusing on a horrific case of incest involving a great Rabbi in that community who is alleged to have raped and impregnated his own daughter—an Orthodox young woman who must then flee her community and, in conflict with her own strict religious principles, abort the baby she was carrying. Based on fiction, Block could well have omitted this part entirely without detracting from his true mission: exposing the racial prejudice that had defined significant segments of Brooklyn's criminal justice system during the subject period.

By making incest in the Hasidic Community a secondary focus of attention, Block, in my judgment, unfairly equates that issue with racial profiling, when in truth, incest in the Hasidic Community is extremely rare, yet, racial profiling is alone, an overwhelming and significant verity that permeates the criminal justice system with which the author is—and should remain—most concerned.

Full disclosure: because of this reviewer's own personal commitment to Orthodox Judaism, and deep respect for the proud and honorable leadership of the Brooklyn Hasidic Community in particular, perhaps my reaction to this part of Block's journey is overly sensitive. My comments about this part of an otherwise intriguing novel, therefore, should by no means discourage readers. To the contrary, I urge this work of “reality-fiction” as, on balance, it is a great read of which the esteemed author should be justly proud.

Finally, with respect, to the numerous “Country Western Ballads” that Judge Block, himself a very accomplished musician, sprinkles throughout his book, I will leave those portions of his work for others to review and discuss. As one who has made his legal “bones” defending Hip Hop luminaries, this converted reviewer cannot, with any degree of personal political correctness, deal with such staid country music lyrics. Read this book—and the lyrics, and if the spirit moves you, sing the songs and join the line—dancing!

Benjamin Brafman is a criminal defense attorney and founder of Brafman & Associates.