Of particular interest is the care and time given to what are admittedly lesser cases–and the reasons why they sometimes require more debate than the more significant decisions. I also appreciated her comments on the role of oral argument, and on passion. 

Justice Scalia may think he’s the first judge with an antelope head in his chambers. He’s not. In the mid 1980s, I was in the offices of a Pierce County, Washington Superior Court judge in Tacoma. A beautiful pronghorn mount hung above the judge’s desk, sporting a pair of Groucho Marx glasses. Nice touch, don’t you think?

Betty writes from her long experience as an emergency room doctor, and from her extensive interviews with one of Montana’s most infamous pedophiles. Her book includes advice on identifying child predators and protecting children from them.

Seems like a regular feature in the local papers: A trusted employee, usually a middle-aged woman, is charged with embezzling a few thousand, or a few hundred thousand, dollars from her long-time employer. The employer had had suspicions, but couldn’t imagine any of his or her employees actually doing such a thing. Or the employer just thought business was tough and everyone had to work harder.

That trend caught the eye of a Missoulian reporter, who earlier this year interviewed security consultants and others who study patterns of criminal behavior. The article explores motivations, gender differences, and methods. A companion story provides tips on preventing embezzlement.

Why women? Opportunity, it seems. Women work as bank tellers and branch managers, as court clerks and office managers. They have easy access to cash, sometimes lots of it. And embezzlement is not a violent crime. It doesn’t require body size, strength, or a weapon.

They’re ordinary women, in most cases. I knew the credit union branch manager who embezzled nearly $700,000 and staged her own disappearance. Saw her every week or two for years when I did my banking. Always friendly, married, loved to chat about her kids’ sporting events. I never would have imagined her a big-time thief.

Another embezzler I knew was a repeat offender. She told the second employer about her previous conviction, explaining that she’d taken money to enable herself to leave a bad marriage and support her children on her own. She’d done her penance. But then, she abused her second chance, embezzling more than $200,000 over several years. Why? As far as I could tell, it stemmed from envy of her employer’s financial security, a desire to travel and give her children gifts, possibly including business start-up money, and a belief that he wouldn’t notice–or would be reluctant to prosecute. And of course, she got away with it for years. Her own parents shunned her. She went to prison.  But when I ran into her in K-Mart a year or more after her release, she looked like the average woman down the street.

And that’s the advantage these criminals have: they don’t fit our image of criminals. As a writer, you can use that advantage, too.

Six Guppy Agatha nominees: Daryl Wood Gerber (Best Short Story), Kaye George, Janet Bolin, and Rochelle Staab (all for Best First), Krista Davis (Best Short Story) and me (Best Nonfiction).

With Beth Groundwater and Liz Zelvin

With three other Best Nonfiction nominees: John Curran, AB (Barbara) Emrys, and Charlaine Harris. Michael Dirda joined us Saturday for the panel discussion and awards dinner.

(Thanks to all the friends who shared photos of such a memorable weekend: Dana Cameron, Janet Bolin, Liz Zelvin, Robin Templeton, Gigi Pandian, Sandra Parshall, and Dru Ann Love.)

Celebrating with my Guppy sisters, Kendel Flaum, Hank Phillipi Ryan, Diane Valleri, and Gigi Pandian.  

Six of the nine Guppies nominated for Agathas: Avery Aames (aka Daryl Wood Gerber), Kaye George, Krista Davis (in front), Janet Bolin, Rochelle Staab, and me.

                                         With Debra Goldstein. 

With Chris Grabenstein, winner of the 2011 Agatha for Best Children’s/Young Adult, who also presented the Best Nonfiction Award.

With Jenny Milchman and Robin Templeton.

From start to finish, a terrific con — and yes, I thought that even before the Agatha Awards! I was truly stunned to win. With such an amazing group of nominees — Charlaine Harris, AB (Barbara) Emrys, John Curran, and Michael Dirda — I’m deeply honored. 

A big thanks to everyone who’s read, bought, reviewed, and talked about Books, Crooks & Counselors. Your support means the world to me. Come on by, and I’ll pour you a cup of tea from a very special pot.

(Thanks to Liz Zelvin for the photo.)

Join the fun for a great cause!

Okay, so maybe “this is all because I protested a proposed copper and silver mine” isn’t exactly a common excuse. To my ears, it sounds like a slightly more creative than usual version of “not my fault.”

Especially because the suspect apparently did a similar runner before – for six years.

I’d say the chances of the judge setting bail at a level anywhere near what he can post are two: slim, and none.

What do you think?