The Fifth Witness

The Fifth Witness is the 23rd novel by American author Michael Connelly and features the fourth starring appearance of Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Michael "Mickey" Haller. The Fifth Witness was published in the United States on April 5, 2011.

Plot
Mickey Haller is called on to defend a long-standing client, Lisa Trammel, when she is suspected of murdering wealthy Mitchell Bondurant. According to forensic evidence, Bondurant, who was six-foot-two, had been murdered with a hammer blow from behind, on the very top of his head, while standing up.

Haller and his staff (including his ex-wife, Lorna Taylor, and his investigator and Lorna's husband, Dennis "Cisco" Wojciechowski) work on demolishing the prosecution's case, even though Haller has never won against his opposing counsel, Andrea Freeman. On discovering Bondurant's probable involvement with organized crime, Haller concentrates on establishing alternative suspects as well as relying on forensic evidence which suggests that Trammel is physically incapable of the crime.

Haller's case hinges on the testimony of a witness whom he maneuvers into invoking the Fifth Amendment on the witness stand, thus creating a plausible alternate killer for the jury. Before Haller can detail the witness' criminal connections in open court, he takes the Fifth, ending his testimony. The judge instructs the jury to disregard the entire testimony, but the jury still acquits Trammel.

Haller subsequently realizes that Trammel is guilty, and is shaken by her indifferent attitude when he confronts her. Three weeks later, with his law practice booming as a result of the trial, he gets a call from Trammel in which she both accuses him of tipping off the police to dig up her garden and begs him to represent her when she is tried for her husband's murder. He refuses, telling her that he has just filed to run for Los Angeles County District Attorney because he no longer wishes to associate with people like her.