Written by Art Collins about his school friend, Stephen Mole, ‘A Cautionary Tale’ is part drama, part societal critique and a bold story of redemption. While society recites the mantra that ‘the punishment should fit the crime’, Collins’ thought-provoking book weighs up if life’s small wrong decisions should bear the full brunt of an increasingly-fierce criminal justice system.
Elgin, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/25/2013 -- With gun crime and sex trafficking statistics at an all-time high, millions of Americans throw their full support to the growing ‘get tough on crime’ culture. However, as a vital and moving new book by Art Collins proves, every case should be judged on its merits and without any preconceived ideas. In the case of Stephen Mole, these preconceptions quickly tarred him with a criminal stain that he will never be able to remove.
Synopsis of ‘A Cautionary Tale: The DWI Trial of Stephen Mole’:
Steve Mole was pronounced guilty of killing one person and seriously injuring two others while drunk driving. He was a fifty-ish computer programmer with sole custody of two teenagers—by all accounts a loving father. He was an avid churchgoer, conscientious worker; an everyday non-remarkable resident of Texas.
Despite having no prior convictions, the jury gave him a total of 30 years on the three separate charges. The judge ruled they be served consecutively. There would be no parole possibility until the 15 year halfway point.
Certainly the suffering he had caused was profound and no punches are pulled in chronicling the accident and its aftermath. But was the sentence just? Is society really achieving its intended results with its ever escalating “get tough on crime” mentality? If our anti-crime deterrents are so effective, why does the U.S. continue to have the highest per capita prison population in the world?
A Cautionary Tale takes us through the various settings of Steve’s dark odyssey, from the crash site and arrest through the trial and his current prison life. Given his circumstances, his attitude is startlingly optimistic and inspirational. He regards his new environment as a stage from which to live and demonstrate his faith.
His chronicle is part drama, part societal critique, but mainly a story of redemption. For many of us, it could also serve as a sobering “there-but-for-the-grace-of-God” warning.
As the author explains, he wanted to help his old school friend share his story with the world.
“After hearing about what happened to Stephen, I made contact with him and we decided that his side of the story deserved to be published. We agreed to pull no punches in describing the accident itself, but we wanted to tell the full story of Stephen’s deserving redemption,” says Collins.
Continuing, “How many of us can seriously claim we’ve never made a bad decision about getting behind the wheel after drinking? If you read the Steve’s transcripts, you’d find that emotional outrage was maybe ninety percent of the prosecutorial strategy. This is a story about crime and punishment, and how it’s cutting an ever-widening swath across our society. You’re not a criminal and neither are those close to you. Not yet. But it’s getting increasingly easier to become one and a lot harder to become an ‘ex’ one.”
Since its release, the book has garnered a consistent string of rave reviews.
“Art Collins illuminates the chaotic nature of American justice when applied to social keystones, such as drunk driving. The Steve Mole case in Texas should cause us all to pause and not only think about our own driving behavior and potential harm and consequences, but also make us think about how we apply our laws in sometime chaotic ways. Most people would agree that Steve Mole caused unintentional tragedy and there should be a penalty to pay. But, what happened to Steve Mole in the American justice system defies belief,” says Mark, reviewing the book on Amazon.
Adrian Manz was equally as impressed, adding, “To say that this book will leave the reader conflicted is an understatement. The saga is much more than a cautionary tale as the title would suggest. Rather, the author chronicles something much more thought provoking, something that most would accept as justice (more likely vengeance), and frames it in a way that leaves the reader wondering if there is much by way of equitable treatment in our criminal justice system.”
‘A Cautionary Tale: The DWI Trial of Stephen Mole’ is available now: http://amzn.to/18ncWCy.
About Art Collins
Art Collins has published four books on developing and trading mechanical systems in the futures markets. His most recent was Beating The Financial Futures Market: Combining Small Biases Into Powerful Money Making Strategies. (John Wiley and Sons)