Sinner's Advocate: An LDS Perspective on the Morality of Criminal Defense

Attorney Taylor Hartley answers a question he's often asked: how can a devoted Latter-day Saint defend criminals? Weaving U.S. Supreme Court case law together with scripture, he argues that Christ acted as a physician to sinners, not an executioner, and that demanding true knowledge (not mere reason) before judging others is both good law and good discipleship. Part memoir, part legal primer, part testimony, the book challenges readers to extend Christlike compassion even to the 'scum of the earth.'

• A working criminal defense attorney tackles the question every faithful lawyer dreads: how can you defend criminals and still be a good Latter-day Saint?
• Maps the U.S. Supreme Court's evidentiary standards directly onto Alma 32's degrees of faith—law and scripture side by side.
• Argues Christ was 'a physician, not an executioner,' and that condemning sinners is the un-Christlike choice.
• Real client stories, including a man wrongly accused of attempted murder who was shot before evidence cleared him.

Perfect for a thoughtful Latter-day Saint—especially a lawyer, law student, or anyone troubled by the morality of criminal defense—who enjoys connecting scripture to secular reasoning.