The Cockfight By Frank Abrams Is The Vivid Story About The Victims Of An Unjust Justice System

On The Table Read Magazine, “the best entertainment eBook magazine UK“, in The Cockfight by Frank Abrams, a falsely accused teacher’s fight to reclaim his life exposes the brutal flaws of a justice system where innocence is presumed lost, urging readers to confront the haunting realities of America’s prison crisis.

The Cockfight

In a gripping new novel, The Cockfight, federal and state criminal defense attorney Frank Abrams weaves a fictional yet hauntingly realistic story of William Bradford, a celebrated “Teacher of the Year” whose life unravels after being falsely accused of a heinous crime. Arrested and charged with the attempted rape of a 14-year-old student during a class trip to Washington, D.C., Bradford—a married father of two—finds himself stripped of his reputation, livelihood, and freedom. What follows is a descent into a nightmarish existence: confinement in a brutal South Georgia jail and, eventually, life under a bridge—all because of a lie.

While The Cockfight is a work of fiction, Abrams, a seasoned legal expert, grounds the narrative in sobering truths about the American justice system. “Many of the facts concerning the law and its application are or were authentic at the time the story is set, and are still factual,” Abrams explains. The novel serves as both a compelling drama and a stark commentary on a system that often fails the innocent, leaving them with little recourse for the wrongs inflicted upon them.

A Teacher’s Fight for Redemption

At its core, The Cockfight chronicles Bradford’s relentless battle to clear his name after a false accusation shatters his life. The story extends beyond the protagonist, exploring the ripple effects on those around him—family, friends, and colleagues—and how they, too, are ensnared by a justice system that Abrams describes as “often unjust.” Against this backdrop, the novel intersperses visceral tales of cockfighting, a grim metaphor for the “kill or be killed” dread that pervades the lives of those caught in the legal system’s crosshairs.

Bradford’s journey is one of injustice and redemption, a narrative that resonates deeply in a society quick to judge but slow to uphold the presumption of innocence. Abrams emphasizes a foundational legal principle often overlooked: it is the government’s burden to prove guilt, not the accused’s to prove innocence. Yet, as The Cockfight illustrates, this ideal is frequently trampled in practice.

Abrams doesn’t shy away from the broader implications of his story. He notes that the United States incarcerates more people per capita than nearly any other country, with its prison population surging by 500 percent over the past four decades. This alarming statistic, he argues, is fueled in part by a pervasive “once charged, always guilty” mentality—a mindset that leaves little room for error, nuance, or exoneration.

The novel lays bare the lack of accountability within the system. “There is little or no acceptance of responsibility when things go wrong,” Abrams writes, highlighting a society where the ideals of justice remain elusive aspirations rather than lived realities. For the innocent, like the fictional Bradford, the consequences are devastating: ruined lives, fractured families, and a struggle for redemption that the system rarely facilitates.

Fiction Rooted in Fact

Though The Cockfight is a fictional tale, its authenticity is undeniable. Abrams draws on his extensive experience as a criminal defense attorney to craft a story that mirrors real-world legal battles. The procedures, the biases, and the harsh realities of incarceration depicted in the book reflect truths that persist today, on March 13, 2025, just as they did when the story’s events were set. “The sad part,” Abrams laments, “is that in many situations, there is or has been little remedy for the wrongs that have been perpetrated against innocent people.”

The Cockfight is more than a novel—it’s a provocation. Through William Bradford’s harrowing ordeal, Abrams challenges readers to confront uncomfortable questions about justice, freedom, and the human cost of a flawed system. In the so-called “Land of the Free,” where prisons overflow and innocence is too often an afterthought, the book serves as a poignant reminder of the gap between America’s ideals and its realities.

For those who pick up The Cockfight, the story of a teacher’s fight against a lie offers both a gripping narrative and a sobering lesson: in a society quick to condemn, the pursuit of true justice remains an uphill battle—one that too many, like Bradford, are forced to wage alone.

Frank Abrams

Frank Abrams, a seasoned criminal defense attorney with 38 years of experience in North Carolina and Florida, has a distinguished career marked by appearances on public radio and Court TV, a patented banjo invention, and the notable discovery of a rare tintype featuring Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett.

The sad part is that in many situations, there has been little remedy for the wrongs that have been perpetrated against innocent people. We live in a society that is quick to judge but slow to recognize the fact that individuals are presumed to be innocent and that it is the burden of the government to prove guilt.

There are many victims of our unjust and unforgiving ‘justice’ system. Once they are caught in its web, it is difficult if not impossible to extricate oneself. Cockfighting is a system that treats animals in the same brutal way that the justice system treats people. It makes them mean and angry toward each other and generates money at the same time.

I wrote The Cockfight to emphasize what can happen when things go wrong. It is my hope that the message in this book leads to both a change in attitude and action, that injustice will no longer be tolerated, and that a fair, honest and just system will take its place.

–Frank Abrams

Find more from Frank Abrams now:

Apple Books: https://apple.co/3XM4rC8

Apple Audiobooks: https://apple.co/3DHgbiB

Kindle: https://amzn.to/4hqwONf

Paperback: https://amzn.to/4kPmrWb

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