Jerry Vincent's laptop

Jerry Vincent's laptop was the central digital store for case information and strategy in the defense practice Mickey Haller inherited. Its theft threatened Haller's preparation for Walter Elliot's trial, while a backup on a key-chain flash drive preserved fragments of Vincent's strategy and helped restore the defense's readiness.

Role in the Defense Practice

Jerry Vincent's laptop held case information and strategy in one central place. The hard files left in the office were incomplete, making the computer more than a convenient tool: it was the missing repository Haller needed to reconstruct the defense. Without it, Haller initially feared he could not proceed effectively.

Theft and Its Consequences

Whoever killed Jerry Vincent also took Vincent's briefcase from his car. The briefcase contained both the laptop and Vincent's calendar. Although Haller found the calendar relatively easy to rebuild, the loss of the laptop posed a much greater problem because the remaining paper files did not contain the full case record or strategy.

Backup and Recovery

Vincent had backed up his computer to a digital flash drive attached to his key chain, which the killer had not taken. Haller worked through the drive's megabytes of data and recovered scattered pieces of strategy for the Elliot trial. That backup did not return the missing laptop, but it gave Haller material with which to prepare: after jury selection had taken place, he said he would be ready when testimony began.