Criminal That I Am

March 16, 2015
Defense attorney Ridha provides an unflinching account of representing Cameron Douglas, son of actor Michael Douglas, on a drug charge, and the series of personal and professional missteps that made Ridha the subject of a federal investigation. She recalls her first encounter with Douglas, who was incarcerated at
the time, when she was first enlisted as his defense lawyer, and the development of their romantic relationship, admitting
“I sign over to him every waking moment.” When Douglas is placed in solitary, Ridha cancels a weekend ski trip to spend every possible moment with him in the attorney room, where he suffers a debilitating panic attack. After weeks of failing to get anti-anxiety medication from the prison, Ridha illicitly provides Douglas with her own Xanax, which he shares with other inmates. Informed upon, Ridha is given a slap on the wrist, but the trial of Douglas’s suppliers drags her back into the limelight, with destructive effects on her career and relationship. She adeptly conveys the emotional breakdown that transpires, articulating (with a tinge of humor) her despair and the horror of public shaming: “My bra will become the stuff of newspaper headlines.” Positioned as both insider and outsider, lawyer and criminal, Ridha creates a juicy narrative that serves as a vehicle for reflecting on criminal behavior and the human inclination to transgress. Agent: Rachel Sussman, Chalberg & Sussman.

May 15, 2015
When attorney Ridha is rousted by the pounding of two federal agents at her door early one morning, she admits that, like most others engaged in criminal activities, she knows why they are there. That's the least of her reassurance, however, and this memoir collected from court dockets and transcripts, e-mails, newspaper accounts, her imperfect recollections, and more details exactly why those agents came for her. Ridha's partner in crime, so to speak, was none other than actor Michael Douglas' son, Cameron, tapped for drug trafficking. Ridha, serving as one of his attorneys, wound up smuggling him some medications he needed but the jail wouldn't provide; it was a crime, and she was caught. And her heart was caught, as well, by handsome, affable pseudocelebrity Cameron, even though he shared the smuggled-in drugs, resulting in Ridha's love-starved stupidity being recorded in history. The burgeoning romance and the looming charges here end with a whimper, not a bang, but Ridha's remorse and guilty feelings are palpable. A cautionary (albeit sometimes lighthearted) tale.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)