The author of Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson, narrated the book. He was also the lawyer who represented the people he wrote about, mainly working with people on death row. He ran a non-profit organization called the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) to improve the justice system and get people the right sentencing. The justice system from the 1980s to now has made changes, but not enough. EJI is working to end mistreatment of those sent to death row, children or people with disabilities going to adult prison, and children sent to and abused in adult jails. The main trial Stevenson refers to is Walter McMillian, an innocent man who served six years on death row for a murder he did not commit. Walter was held on death row before even being convicted …show more content…
His trial only lasted a day and a half; most trials last 3-7 days. Three people testified against Walter and the jury ignored many alibi witnesses who were black, they stated how Walter was at a fish fry the time of the murder, one of the women at the fish fry said “We were standing next to him that whole morning. We know where he was.... We know what he was doing!” (page 79) Walters' mechanic also had an engine; his truck was even out at the time. The judge overrode the jury's sentencing for life and sentenced Walter to death. They questioned Myers and he said he didn't know anything but they said if he did not testify against Walter he would be convicted to death row as well, Bill Hooks willingly lied on his testimony to get money and out of jail. All this happened because the sheriff's department needed to convict someone of Ronda Morrison's murder and instead of doing the right investigation, they decided to put an innocent man on death row and took years of his life away. He was so traumatized by being on death row he even got dementia. Stevenson mainly represented people on death row but Joe Sullivan was a 13 year old boy who was mentally disabled and was sexually and physically abused as a child. Joe was coursed into helping these two boys get into the empty house and they stole jewelry and money. Later that day, the house owner was sexually assaulted.
In the book, Stevenson talks about the moment he realized that his life and the work he does, was full of brokenness. IT occurred after he talked with Jimmy Dill, right before Dill was to be executed. Despite the fact that he had intellectual disabilities, and could not afford a decent lawyer, Jimmy Dill was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to die. After fighting to get stay requests, the requests were ultimately denied and Dill was executed. After being denied and talking to Dill, it was then that Stevenson realized how broken the criminal justice system was. In the book he recognizes that “his clients were broken by mental illness, poverty, and racism.” (Stevenson 288) At that moment, he wanted to given up.
“Months after the crime, the storeowner was adamant that Myers had never seen Walter McMillan before.” (Stevenson 131), so the question is, how could my client have possibly committed this heinous crime if he was never even spotted within the grocery store, or even knowing Ralph Myers at that? Mr. McMillan tried persuading his previous lawyers to speak to the store owner but was, unfortunately, ignored. Now, at the time of the first trial, the jury doubted Mr. Myers, which could’ve possibly created a reasonable doubt about Mr. McMillan’s verdict. But because of how rushed this case was, it wasn’t
Court cases are always filled with different emotions. In Walter Dean Myers’ Monster, an intriguing novel, 16-year-old Steve Harmon is on trial for felony murder. Harmon is represented by his defense attorney, Kathy O’Brien. The jury found Steve Harmon not guilty because of Kathy O’Briens persuasive arguments, a testimony given by Steve’s film teacher, George Sawicki, and the lack of evidence the jury had.
A tiny town in Connecticut. Is this setting of Among Friends by Caroline B. Cooney. The time of year is from the beginning of the school year, to the end of the school year.
Bryan Stevenson reveals the horror truth of mass incarceration, which has been viewed as the modern day Jim Crow, through his memoir Just Mercy. For a majority of the book, Stevenson elaborates on the case of Walter Mcmillian, a black male, who took pride in his work as a successful entrepreneur with his lumber business. He earned the respect and admiration of strangers; but, was seen as “pleasant, respectful, generous, and accommodating” by those who knew him well and appreciated his presence (pg. 25). Although, he did have his flaws, as he was known to frequently cheat his wife, and his current mistress at the time was white, Karen Kelly― which, unfortunately, this makes him a perfect target for a false accusation. On June 7, 1987, Walter was
Acclaimed author and lawyer Bryan Stevenson depicts his crusade against an unjust and unlawful criminal justice system in his story Just Mercy. Throughout the book, Bryan depicts his progression from a confused freshman at Harvard law, into a criminal defense lawyer and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative. Unfortunately, his journey would unveil the truth America’s justice system: a system plagued by corruption and racism. Bryan Stevenson is an African American lawyer, who began his career after law school working for the SPDC, an organization that attempts to provide legal aid to prison inmates throughout southern states. While returning home from work one night, Bryan notices a SWAT car park near him. Soon he is held at gunpoint by a
Stevenson’s principal focus as an attorney is death penalty cases. He aims to get falsely accused inmates off of death row. The case at hand is that of Walter McMillian, a male that was charged for the murder of a woman named Ronda Morrison. As the case unfolds, it is evident that the evidence presented did not help to validate Walter McMillian as guilty. Due to the local police being pressured to convict a murder for the victim, they were hasty in their investigation of the evidence and quickly pinned it on a practical target. There is also an underlying racial aspect of McMillian’s conviction since he is a black male and had been with interracial, adulterous relationship with a married white woman and that had made people suspicious of him.
The book has motivated individuals to become more actively involved in fighting for justice and equality. Many readers have been moved to volunteer their time or donate to organizations that work towards criminal justice reform. Stevenson himself founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing legal representation to prisoners who may have been wrongly convicted or unfairly sentenced. Through his organization, Stevenson continues to advocate for meaningful change and challenge the injustices depicted in Just Mercy. Furthermore, the impact of Just Mercy extends to the legal community and the justice system itself.
Bryan Stevenson’s purpose of writing about his grandfather’s death in his book Just Mercy is to explain how hard it is to deal with children’s crime without knowing or understanding their lives. Many children who commit crimes have grown up in hard situations. Children at the age of twelve to eighteen are going through many changes during that time, like puberty. They are also still very immature and their brains are not fully developed yet. Stevenson also explains, “Young adolescents lack life experiences and background knowledge to inform their choices,” unlike adults teenagers do not have the best judgment for issues and do not necessarily understand the consequences that come from their actions. This is why Stevenson fights against the death row put against children.
Bryan Stevenson's in Just Mercy spends most of his time in prison with incarcerated and those who are in death roll which taught him that people are more than the worst thing they’ve done. He believes that the opposite of poverty isn't wealth; its Justice. I agree with Stevensons society should be judged and how it treats its most vulnerable members.
Imagine spending your whole life behind bars for a crime you did not commit. Seems unfair, doesn’t it? It is a sad reality that in the United States, it is estimated that, “between 4-6% of people incarcerated in US prisons are actually innocent”(Because of the Statistics). Even more shocking is the disparity between wrongful convictions of black Americans as opposed to white Americans. Black Americans are 7x more likely to be wrongfully convicted of murder (Because of the Statistics) than white Americans.
Throughout American history, innocent individuals have been wrongfully prosecuted, and have been sentenced to death. In Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, he showed various aspects of other’s perspectives and their situations. The different viewpoints of each family goes to show the two common issues, racial inequality and the injustice of the justice system. In the book, Stevenson dives deep into his relationship with Walter “Johnny D” McMillian and how he was innocent when he was given the death sentence. While reading the book, your viewpoints on racial inequality may change, and how individuals don’t get justice when it comes to the death penalty regardless of race.
Nehemiah Dolman Mrs. Murray AP Lang & Comp, 1st Block March 26, 2024. Just Mercy The death penalty for people with severe mental illness, like Herbert Richardson in Bryan Stevenson’s “Just Mercy,” shows cruel and unusual punishment due to the psychological torment it inflicts when they are treated in court, serving as vengeance disguised as justice. The Herbert Richardson case is about a Black Vietnam War veteran who experienced heavy combat resulting in him developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Furthermore, due to his involvement in Vietnam, Richardson suffers from recurring nightmares, constant mental breakdowns, and severe headaches from trauma which makes him shout “Incoming!”
Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy is a reflection on the justice system in the United States and how minorities are treated without justice in the system. In his book, Stevenson has countless excerpts of his cases where he fights injustice in the system for women, children, minorities, and the poor. Bryan Stevenson is an African-American lawyer who was born in a rural town. His grandfather was stabbed to death, so from a young age, Stevenson knew what it was to feel the loss of a family member, but he was also raised to forgive. Stevenson was able to understand the pain of having a family member murdered. He went to Harvard Law, and was rather out of place as it was his class was heavily white. He became first introduced to people on death row through
There have been many wrongful convictions throughout the years, innocent defendants are found guilty in criminal trials for a crime they didn't commit. To avoid harsh punishments like the death penalty or extremely long prison sentences, defendants feel the need to plead guilty to crimes they did not commit. Innocents who were wrongfully convicted spend years in prison or on death row shows that the criminal justice system has given terrible injustice. This has been an issue that has never been solved for years by the U.S legal system. U.S citizens notice such injustice occurs every day in American courts has them doubt the fairness of the criminal justice system. In the novel, “Just Mercy,” exonerating the Falsely Accused is highlighted as