The Judge Who Stole Christmas

by Randy Singer

A federal judge rules the annual live Nativity scene held in Possum, Virginia, unconstitutional, but when Thomas Hammond, who plays Joseph, refuses to abide by the court order, only a Christmas miracle can rectify this volatile situation.

Genres: Christmas, Fiction, Christian Fiction, Christian, Contemporary, Suspense, Legal

263 pages, Paperback

First published October 18, 2005

About the author

Randy Singer is a critically acclaimed author and veteran trial attorney. He has penned nine legal thrillers, including his award-winning debut novel Directed Verdict. In addition to his law practice and writing, Randy serves as a teaching pastor for Trinity Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He calls it his "Jekyll and Hyde thing"—part lawyer, part pastor. He also teaches classes in advocacy and ethics at Regent Law School and serves on the school's Board of Visitors. He and his wife, Rhonda, live in Virginia Beach. They have two grown children.

Reviews

[Kandes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was an alright read, I really don't see why quite a few people gave it bad reviews. When I picked up this book, what I was looking for was a fun, light, Christmas themed read, and that's exactly what this was. I noticed alot of the other reviewers were claiming it had wrong information in it, what they mean by that, I don't know. But what I do know is this book is considered FICTION... And I'm not a lawyer so I don't know if the author stayed true to proper lawyer etiquette, but I wasn't reading it to study for the bar, so honestly I don't care. I don't see why so many people get soooo upset & say "OMG that doesn't seem real!!!" Um.... That's cuz it isn't... It's FICTION.

So overall, I found this book enjoyable.

[Carole Jarvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this heartwarming story not long after it was published in 2005, but got a lot more out of it the second time. We're way past the national debate regarding manger scenes on public property, yet the message is timeless. I loved how the threads of the story are woven between defendant, judge, and defense lawyer. The novella format doesn't allow for much character depth, but that's okay because the plot is strong. The legal parts are easy to follow, with insight being given as to both sides of the issue. And there's a great twist at the end that leads to a touching and inspirational conclusion.

[Jayna Baas · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting premise with some good characters. The courtroom scenes were well written, and the story had some very human aspects. I especially enjoyed Jasmine’s character and spending time in her point of view. Overall, I felt the story could have been much deeper and more fleshed out. It’s a good “small town vs. bigtime attorney” type of story, though, and I appreciate Singer’s effort to stick to the actual legal ramifications of case precedent rather than inventing his own happy ending out of thin air. Things may not have turned out the way I would have liked, but Singer clearly did his research to create a plausible legal scenario.

I would, however, dock a point for the story’s repetition of the popular misconception that Christmas has its roots in the pagan festival of Saturnalia. December 25 was first documented as the date of choice for the Nativity because March 25 was calculated as the date of Christ’s conception, not because it coincided with a pagan feast, whether Saturnalia or the winter solstice (the date of Christmas was documented over seventy years before the feast of the sun was established). Historical evidence indicates that these festivals had nothing to do with the choice of December 25, so let’s not perpetuate the myth.

[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is what I get for reading a "free" book for the Kindle! While the main character, Jasmine, was likable, the story was so over the top Christian conservative that it was a hard sell. The character of the father who set up the creche seemed borderline abusive to me. He had such a strong control of his family that he let his 2yo son die of appendicitis b/c he didn't "believe" in doctors, doesn't allow his young children to believe in Santa, and selfishly stays in prison at Christmas time, thus making it harder for his family to make ends meet, as he is the sole breadwinner. Sounds like magickal thinking to me.

The ending was also rather lame--you never find out what happens at the next court of appeals, only that the father gets to see the "human' side of the FEMALE judge (b/c of course a MALE judge would side with the father) when she becomes Mary in the creche scene.

While I did finish reading the book, I did wonder why I bothered with it. Not recommended.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far the best book that I have read this year. It felt so real that I had deja vu moments. The characters were lifelike, and I bounced between putting myself in the shoes of multiple characters. This would make an incredible movie, but we all know that it would ultimately get changed and probably botched somehow. The comedic relief was perfectly placed amongst the intensity of the story. My husband had just gotten home from work and heard me giggling at the author's description of someone snoring from another's point of view. I even highlighted the quote and debated whether to add it to the review. I'll refrain, I don't want any spoilers. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I have.

[Loraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Randy Singer has once again penned a courtroom drama focused on a Christian vs. secular problem that keeps the reader riveted to the last page. This time it is a live nativity scene in a small town square. Thomas and his wife Therese are Joseph and Mary in the local live nativity, and Thomas is served with a court summons from the ACLU as he takes part a few weeks before Christmas. Local resident, basketball great, and soon to be lawyer, Jasmine Woodfaulk, becomes Thomas' representative before the Fourth District Court of Virginia and Judge Cynthia Baker-Kline a known strict interpretationalist. Sparks fly, someone goes to jail, and the surprise ending will leave everyone astounded.

[Della Tingle · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a precious little book written by a quite impressive Christian lawyer. It brought me to tears.

“God works best in our weaknesses” (110).

[Wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I just can’t believe that in the United States of America we can’t even celebrate Christmas anymore.”

“Christmas is about Jesus, not Santa.”

“Stand up for what you believe in. If something’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.”

Randy Singer, one of my favorites, has penned a great Christmas legal fiction novel with a title that plays upon “How The Grinch Stole Christmas.” But in this book, it is a judge, though it is also the ACLU, threatening to remove Jesus and the manger scene from a town’s public display at Christmas time. Singer does a great job of showing the legal arguments on both sides, which I really enjoyed. As a Christian, Singer easily could have made this one-sided with one-dimensional characters and “villains.” But like always, he makes his characters and situations very real. Normally, I’m not a fan when I hear comparisons of Christian authors to big name authors like John Grisham; however, this one in particular definitely had the voice and style of a Grisham book. Add in the fact that it is a Christmas book, you’ve got yourself a perfect holiday read!

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[Brenda Selner · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5. Not as stereotypical as a news story about the issue of public Nativity displays. I was surprised at how it all came together.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good little book. I enjoyed it and really ended up liking all of the characters. There were some pleasant though predictable twists, but all-in-all, it was a good read. My favorite character was Jasmine. She seems like someone I would want to know.

[Robin Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a religious person, and I found it hard to relate to or even really sympathize with Thomas. I think mostly because of the snippet of back story we were given, about how his and Theresa's two year old son had died of appendicitis because they prayed for three days before finally seeking medical care. If I hadn't known that, I probably would've more easily sympathized with his won't-back-down stance.

I did like Jasmine, and her struggle - balancing life and coming to terms with choosing the high paying corporate law job over making a difference in her hometown - was played out well. The judge...well, of course in the end it came down to putting her personal feelings aside and following the letter of the law, but why did she have to be so rude and condescending in the meantime? Though that was probably a defense mechanism she had learned to employ.

Overall, it was an okay read. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it.

[Angieleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a sucker for Christmas books. It doesn't matter what time of year, I'll read one even in the 100+ degree weather while sitting inside with the central air on.

Straight off the bat, while this story did manage to keep my attention, it may not leave a lasting impression on me. There was very little character depth in any of the characters and most of the time I was left scratching my head as to how many children the Hammond family actually have because the baby kept being left out wherever her mother traveled; most of the time you only heard about Tiger and Hannah.

Thomas...I understand his stubbornness and why he felt so strongly about the manger, but in the end, will God reward you for sitting in a jail cell because you're protesting the judge's decision, or will He reward you for being home with your family and celebrating the birth of His Son? His point was made, but he felt the sacrifice that he had to make in sitting in jail was bigger than anything else. What a bitter pill it is when our pride rules us instead of God.

I felt the ending was rushed and I kept trying to figure out if I had pages missing as there was a lot of information left out.

I DID watching Jasmine grow into being more confident and managing her time appropriately. She handled everything with grace and was probably the only character that showed any potential to being fleshed out more.

To be honest, this book left too many loose ends. I hope there'll be a sequel to it somewhere down the line. I'd love to catch up with Jasmine and see what she's up to.

[Olga · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was just ok.
I really wanted a Christmas book and found this one off hand at my local library. I like Jasmine but I don’t enjoy sports really. I can appreciate her story arc in choosing her morals and family vs big city life and balancing different parts of her life. Her family seems endearing. I understand Jasmine’s frustrations with Thomas though. He was just a brick wall and hard to understand any motive besides stubbornness. He definitely didn’t have any growth in the story at all. What was the point of telling the toddler backstory if it was never used for growth? Theresa was basically a single mom here. I loved her. She is just wanting to take care of her family and be kind & understanding. The ending was adorable with Ichabod although there were parts of this story where she just seemed bull headed as well. Also, why all the references to cnn vs Fox News - just felt icky and divisive today. The author could’ve just written “the news” and nothing would have been diminished in the story. I think it all boils down to there is good people on both sides of the issues - which is important to remind people - just wish it did that a little better. I guess I got what I wanted though, cause it did make me want to get more into the Christmas spirit and listen to Christmas music 😆 🎶

[Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book because it worked for the ABC challenge and since it was Christmas time when I read it, another good reason to read this story.

As crazy as today's world is with what is not politically correct and things being taken away or changed, this book fits right in with that mindset. For some reason, the ACLU has decided that this small town in Virginia is violating an amendment by having a live nativity scene in the town square. It is never really said how they know about this or why the ACLU feels it is necessary to stop this from happening. That aside, this book is a look into where our world is going and how the residents of Possum dealt with this issue.

I enjoyed this book, from the political/legal side to the personal side of Jazz, Thomas & Theresa and the Judge. Each had their own insight into this issue and while the judge may have felt differently, she had to uphold the law and make sure that it was being followed no matter what she believed personally. The judge comes across as harsh in the courtroom, but has a softer side that you see outside of the courtroom.

Worth reading

[Phyllis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking for a book club read that didn't feel like a repackaged Hallmark Christmas movie for the book club I lead. This book felt like a good choice for giving us a lot to discuss about Christianity, Christmas, culture, politics and how to live out our faith in the public square.

The story was interesting and not completely predictable. The setting of the small town in VA could be anytown, USA and the situation of the legality of displaying a manger scene in the town square could literally be lifted from today's headlines. I learned a lot about previous cases that have been heard and decided by the courts and the actions of the characters through out the story gave me some things to think about.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, although I felt the characters were not as well developed as they could have been. Additionally, there were a few instances of unbelievable-ness (Main characters do not have a cell phone-OK, I guess there are a few of those people left. Main character doesn't even KNOW what a cell phone is??! I don't care how country cornbread you are, everyone knows what a cell phone is these days. Everyone.)

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young law student is assigned to represent Thomas Hammond, a man who has taken part in a live nativity in the town square where she grew up. At first it is the town itself that is brought before the circuit judge who declares the manger scene must be dismantled. When the town tries to put up the manger again as part of a bigger secular display, Hammond plays the role of Joseph and is part of the next warrant. Then, despite the judge's orders to desist, Hammond constructs his own manger scene at the square. Jasmine tries to defend Hammond saying his display is not any different than any other protected speech/protest which would be allowed on the town square, but the origins of the first creche (town sponsored) hinders that defense. Singer represents the "ping pong" action of the court realistically as well as the depiction of a judge trying to follow the law while at the same time living her personal beliefs. A puppy adds a special touch to this story -- any more info would be a spoiler.

[Pat Donovan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every Christmas, I try to read at least one book that is Christmas themed. This year I decided to re-read "The Judge Who Stole Christmas" by Randy Singer. I originally read this when it came out in 2005 and it was interesting to re-read it 16 years later. What stuck out to me was/were the diversity of perspectives provided by the characters and dialogue in the book. While the usual binary conservative vs. liberal ideas were displayed here, I thought Mr. Singer did a good job representing the characters who had these views and provide balance for perspectives (more in the middle) that were less extreme. He also showed the difference between characters who just had opinions and those who had the courage to act in support of what they believed. Mr. Singer also provided some history on the celebration of Christmas over time that covered some things I didn't know (or remember from 16 years ago). Overall, this was a good, quick read to help kick off the holiday season.

[Donna Siebold · Rating 2 out of 5]

A town battles to be allowed to keep their live manager scene in place. The man who plays Joseph, Thomas, considers this a moral argument and is willing to be imprisoned over Christmas to make his point. His wife is having a very hard time coping with this new legal assault on their family.

They are just getting back to normal after being charged with the death of their young child. They were trying to cure the child with prayer and by the time they resorted to medical care it was too late.

The presiding judge is regarded as anti-Christian by most onlookers but behind the scenes we learn she actually has a caring heart.

Thomas is eventually convinced to agree to the judge's demands and he makes it home for Christmas. They are helped through their ordeal by a young law student, Jazz who is having her own personal struggles.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, and liked the ending, which seemed to me to wrap things up not too unrealistically or predictably but sweetly. It doesn't indicate that this is a sequel, but there is much reference to a very dark backstory wherein this sweet Christian couple allowed their two year old child to die of appendicitis rather than see a doctor because faith healing. I'm sorry. Very few Christians feel that way and certainly the official Baptist denominations (which this small town church is supposed to be) don't advocate substituting prayer for medical care. And it certainly made the couple far less sympathetic to me than I think the author intended. I kept thinking "yeah, but you let your kid die in what was doubtless agony." Hard to get past it and root for them now.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

While things may seem cut and dry, not always are they as they seem. This story takes us on the adventure of life as it changes and builds into what could be. There is much legal discussion as the 'fight' to have a manger in the town square is the main plot, however there is a great deal about the life of a law student and her love/desire for basketball. In both 'cases' she finds people/events are not as they may appear on the surface, the reason behind action sometimes in not what we think. People can surprise you and at times just when you think there is no hope, or you know who someone is, things change.
Great Christmas read with a different take on a Christmas story.

[Phyllis Barlow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though this is a short book, it took me a while to get into it. Once I did, I got absorbed. This story is one that takes space in the news a lot; free expression of Christian religion in public vs. the rights of non-Christians to not be exposed to public displays.
I am a Christian, so I am firmly in the pro camp, however, this story gives a very balanced view of both viewpoints, and a very interesting lesson in the history of some Christmas/Christian traditions. Do you know what the song We Wish you a Merry Christmas is all about? Do you know what Xmas really means? (Why the X is used.) Read this book and you will find out.
I look forward to reading more from this author.

[Piper · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. I found it interesting but early on you find out that one of the main characters 2 year old child has died because instead of seeking medical treatment for something that was treatable they just prayed over the child until it was too late. I fully believe in the power of prayer but I also believe that God has blessed us with smart doctors and the ability to treat things like infections. This really colored my view of the character and I think I would have enjoyed the book more if that hadn't been a plot point.

This book was reviewed on the Literary Club Podcast episode 90
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[Rachel Grepke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas is a special time of the year. Holy, sacred, beautiful and joyous. Sadly, many things about this holiday have been taken out of hand in the past few years. This book, while a work of fiction, is not only well written, but also right on point. This world will oppose the Lord and those of us who stand with Him till He returns. And yet, there are those that stand up when the time is right and needed. I highly suggest this easy and meaningful read.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Story

This isn't a traditional Christmas story.
It's well written, the story could happen in today's climate of use happy people.

There are twists you won't expect and I won't give away.

The ending isn't what I wanted, but it's really good!

It's a fast read. I recommend it.

[Kari · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely terrible. I had to read this book for my book club, otherwise I would have never picked this up. To start off, the fact that the author is an attorney and still wrote this piece of trash concerns me greatly. I genuinely don’t understand how people can read this book and not see how problematic it is! This was a hilarious train wreck from the very beginning.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

I love Randy Singer books! I usually do not read Christmas books, but this one caught my eye and I was not disappointed. This is the only book that I can remember reading that gave me goosebumps at the end. I encourage you read it.

[Lisa Reidinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice holiday story.

[Wanda Burquest · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slightly different type of book by Randy Singer. It still involves a lawyer. This one is a struggle for freedom.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read my review here:
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/5097081

[Dolores Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read.