Criminal That I Am
A Memoir
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3.3 • 6 Ratings
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
“A gripping read, as fascinating as it is shocking” (New York Journal of Books) by a young lawyer who becomes romantically entangled with convicted drug felon Cameron Douglas—a page-turning journey through professional self-destruction and tabloid scandal to redemption.
Criminal That I Am is a defense attorney’s account of the criminal justice system as seen through the prism of a particular case: her own. Jennifer Ridha was enlisted to serve as counsel to Cameron Douglas, the troubled but earnest son of film actor Michael Douglas, in a federal drug trafficking case. As media scrutiny and the pressures of Cameron’s case mount and as Jennifer becomes increasingly transfixed by her charismatic but troubled client, he asks her to do the unthinkable: commit a crime. In a decision inexplicable even to herself, guided only by her indignation and infatuation, she agrees. When her transgression is discovered, her criminal case begins, and her life as she knows it is over.
Criminal That I Am, “an unflinching account...a juicy narrative that serves as a vehicle for reflecting on criminal behavior and the human inclination to transgress.” (Publishers Weekly), details Jennifer’s redemptive journey, beginning with her decision to commit a crime on behalf of a man she loved to the calamitous yet ultimately transformative consequences that came after. Recounted with brutal introspection and self-deprecating humor, this strange and twisted love story contemplates what we make of crime and punishment...and what it makes of us.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Defense attorney Ridha provides an unflinching account of representing Cameron Douglas, son of actor Michael Douglas, on a drug charge, and the series of personal and professional missteps that made Ridha the subject of a federal investigation. She recalls her first encounter with Douglas, who was incarcerated at the time, when she was first enlisted as his defense lawyer, and the development of their romantic relationship, admitting "I sign over to him every waking moment." When Douglas is placed in solitary, Ridha cancels a weekend ski trip to spend every possible moment with him in the attorney room, where he suffers a debilitating panic attack. After weeks of failing to get anti-anxiety medication from the prison, Ridha illicitly provides Douglas with her own Xanax, which he shares with other inmates. Informed upon, Ridha is given a slap on the wrist, but the trial of Douglas's suppliers drags her back into the limelight, with destructive effects on her career and relationship. She adeptly conveys the emotional breakdown that transpires, articulating (with a tinge of humor) her despair and the horror of public shaming: "My bra will become the stuff of newspaper headlines." Positioned as both insider and outsider, lawyer and criminal, Ridha creates a juicy narrative that serves as a vehicle for reflecting on criminal behavior and the human inclination to transgress.
