Lawyer Monthly - October 2021 Edition

More About About Dale Fiola... How do you make your cases interesting? I think of myself as the director of a major film production and focus on those points that will highlight the issues of my case. I want to interest the judge and jury, but especially the latter. Can you tell us a little about your new book, Al-Law-Gory? Al-Law-Gory is about a trial judge in Idaho who has to make tough decisions as to imposing the death sentence on criminal defendants. Unusual things happen in the courtroom and chambers that confound his decision-making. He finds his decisions to dismiss or impose a lighter sentence are being countermanded by a spiritual presence that has taken over the courtroom. At first, he thinks that it is just his mind playing tricks on him but later discovers Valkyries, Viking mythological female warriors, have inhabited the court and are imposing their will over Judge Ferritt Lunceford. In one scene, Judge Lunceford attempts to dismiss an arson/murder case against a defendant based upon insufficient evidence to prove criminal wrongdoing. That defendant was charged with starting a fire in an apartment that caused the death of one or more occupants. While in chambers, he attempts to sign his name to dismissal papers, but none of his pens will write. He instructs his court clerk to electronically sign his signature to the dismissal document and is elated about out-smarting this spiritual presence. That does not end the presence’s involvement in the matter. The freed defendant travels in his old 1965 GMC truck and stops for gas. He sees an attractive lady jumping rope at the station. She asks him for a ride and he obliges. Eventually, the lady executes the defendant, which the reader later learns is none other than a Valkyrie. Scene after scene unfolds with the clash between the Valkyries and the judge. His arthritic state coupled with the unusual visits from strange people and happenings in his chambers push the judge to the brink of insanity. It moves from his courtroom to his home where occult phenomena place him in fear for his health and safety. He huddles in bed with blankets over his head shivering and shaking, trying to shield himself from Valkyries visiting him in the dead of night. One requests him to sit in judgment with accused defendants at his kitchen table and to sign death warrants. There are other horrific events that occur. Without revealing the ending, the allegory of the story is that we must all make decisions in our lives based upon facts as we know them. Despite all odds, Judge Lunceford made “life or death decisions” based upon the facts available. Sometimes as a layperson, or even a judge, one cannot see the total picture because that person has not been supplied with all the facts. All the facts may never be revealed in one’s lifetime. Yet, all of us have to make decisions based on the facts we have in hand. Judge Lunceford felt all his decisions were well-reasoned, but the Valkyries knew more about the facts and determined his decisions were erroneous. The book has been released on Amazon and available in hardback, digitally or by audiobook. What are your plans for the coming 12 months? I plan to continue the practice of law but slowly venture into film production. I have just completed film production of my new movie entitled Caralique, which should be released in Spring 2022. It is a story of a child prodigy who shows great talents in fashion design and rises to become the new Coco Chanel revolutionising fashion, pushing it into the 21st century. The film is directed and produced by UK award-winning Director Elizabeth Blake-Thomas and co-produced by Fashion Designer Lana Young. After working on the set of this production, I can safely say it is not easy to make a movie. Next year, I also intend to roll out a feature film of a musical I created called Witchstruck. OCT 2021 | WWW.LAWYER-MONTHLY.COM 43 Pictures professionally shot by Angelica Reyn. Al-Law-Gory book cover designed by Mark Frazier. “ There is no question Hollywood has had a significant effect upon legal performance. ‘Al-Law-Gory, Dale M. Fiola’