The Ordeal

Michael Jay Harris is a mountaineer from the High Sierra region of California. He grew up in Orange Country, California, and at the age of 17 he moved to Mammoth Lakes, California in order to ski every day for the rest of his life, or so he hoped. After 30 years of skiing almost every day he suddenly found himself falsely accused of child molestation. "The Ordeal" is his story about the processes involved which caused him to lose his reputation, his dignity, and his simple way of life. He invites you to read his story and decide the truth for yourself and to join the conversation at MichaelJayHarris.com.

"The Ordeal" is a detailed look at what occurs when a person is falsely accused of child molestation. From the first allegation to the flawed conviction and on to the post-conviction appeal process and prison itself, "The Ordeal" offers experiences and insights gleaned from years of struggle. While there is a large amount of courtroom drama and analysis, there is also a fair amount of legal advice related to pretrial and trial concerns and on through the post-conviction appeal process. Thus this book is an analysis of the entire oppressive criminal justice system which allows a person to be falsely accused of child molestation with just a word. This is eerily reminiscent of the lynching in our horrid past of Black men accused of rape. I would reference the plot within the book "A Time to Kill" by John Grisham for an example. Once a person is accused of child molestation they are truly guilty unless and until they are proven innocent and this is antithetical to our fundamental rights. This analysis is also continued on MichaelJayHarris.com where you can join the conversation about the realities of false allegations of child sexual abuse and the oppressive criminal justice system. Ultimately it is time to delve deep into what we need to do as a society to make sure this never happens all the while protecting our most vulnerable children from the actual abuse which does so often occur.