The Edge of Innocence: The Trial of Casper Bennett

David P. Miraldi

Jul 2017 · David Miraldi

About this ebook

The Edge of Innocence is a work of historical fiction based on the 1964 murder trial of Casper Bennett, a man accused of drowning his wife in a bathtub of scalding water in Lorain, Ohio. Bennett's sensational trial pitted an aggressive, mercurial county prosecutor against the author's father, a civil trial attorney who had never before defended anyone for murder. 

The book not only recreates the tension and excitement of this courtroom battle, but also highlights the uncertain edge that often divides guilt from innocence. The author was ten years old when he answered the phone late at night when Bennett called his father from jail, seeking his legal representation. 

Forty years later and long after his father's death, the author found the Bennett file in the bottom of his mother's closet. From the moment he began reading the papers, the long-forgotten drama cast a spell on him. As he uncovered more and more of the facts, the story he had known as a child disappeared, replaced by one far different.

The Edge of Innocence takes the reader through the criminal justice system and ultimately to the trial where the reader, like a juror, must sift through competing claims and conflicting evidence.  Full of twists and turns and colorful characters, The Edge of Innocence is all the more entertaining because it tells a true story.

Ratings and reviews

Very well written. As a retired police detective I especially connected with the behind the scenes story that happens in every trial.

About the author

 This is the first book by David Miraldi, a civil trial attorney practicing in northeastern Ohio for almost forty years. David grew up in Lorain, Ohio and has lived in Lorain County for most of his life. 

For most of his legal career, David represented everyday people in battles with insurance companies and large corporations. Based on peer reviews, David was consistently asked to join organizations such as Best Attorneys in America, SuperLawyers, and others. 

Writing and reading have always been important parts of his life. As a lawyer, he enjoyed writing briefs and struggling to find the right words to be persuasive with trial and appellate judges as well as juries. Now semi-retired, he finally has the time to take on more significant writing projects. The Edge of Innocence is the first novel in a series involving legal themes.