Wilkes for the Defense — Winston Schoonover

This first novel is an acidly hilarious view of justice in action, but many readers will find it disrespectful, vulgar and foul. In a bizarre cross between Rumpole of the Bailey and mud wrestling, Schoonover writes himself in as the legal sidekick of John Wilkes, defender of the downtrodden, or at least of those downtrodden who can pay high legal fees. Among Wilkes's picaresque misadventures is a stay in prison, where, disguised as an Arab, he leads the inmates in a riot. He makes a futile attempt to defend ``the Lizard,'' a pimp who routinely abuses his 72 ``rental units.'' To get free publicity, Wilkes (who bears no affection for members of the judiciary) runs for a post on the New York State Supreme Court. Despite his best efforts to insult the entire electorate, Wilkes is in great danger of defeating his opponent, the Mob's preferred candidate. Schoonover is an alias for Charles Sevilla, a criminal defense lawyer; portions of the novel have appeared in the law journals the Champion and the Forum . (Aug.)