Although civil rights acts had long been adopted by the United States, in 1986 several states still retained their cultural segregation and adaptation of social norms that continued to alienate African Americans – especially in the southern states. Bryan Stevenson depicts several examples of people being wrongly accused of crimes because of circumstantial evidence, biases and discretion by those who have power. In particular, Stevenson’s Just Mercy, focuses on Walter McMillian’s case, a man whose conviction was handed to him based on false allegations gathered by the police’s bargaining tactics, dehumanizing practices, and his race, with the case being ultimately decided in the flawed U.S. adversarial justice system. The county in which the case took place sought to find its own version of the truth to satisfy the majority’s ideals. A key factor in the case of Walter McMillian was that he was an African American man who at one point was respected by his community. However, an extramarital affair with a white woman is what crossed the line. Affairs were not out of the norm in the Monroeville community, but given the fact that McMillian was black dramatically changed what was perceived as socially acceptable behavior. The significant questioning of McMillian’s character came into play when a young woman, Ronda Morrison was murdered. The profound change in the community’s view toward McMillian was an incentive to point to him as the mastermind behind the murder. The police were unable to produce any viable suspects which led to pressure from the community to find and convict a killer – even if the person accused was innocent. The interrogation tactics used during the questioning of suspects and witnesses produced false allegations. Tactics such as intimidation and bargaining. These practices encompassed covert operations that allowed the law enforcement – police, district attorneys, judges – to navigate the case. Several people were instrumental in concocting the false story placing McMillian at the center of the crime. After his initial lie, Ralph Myers’s was pushed by police to produce additional information which although false, was used by police to arrest McMillian. As the story gained traction in the town,
In the book “Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson, the author is a lawyer and founder of the Equal Injustice Initiative who helps and defends those that are in desperate needs. Stevenson tells different stories of different cases that he had through the course of his professional career. One of the most heartbreaking stories that Stevenson shares on his books is about a boy named Charlie. Charlie is a fourteen years old who murdered his stepfather because he was abusive with his mom and left her unconscious on the floor. Charlie was sentenced to an adult prison because his stepfather was an ex-police officer. When Steven heard about Charlie’s case he ran to the prison to go see him and the first thing that Charlie tells Stevenson is how every night he would get sexually abused in prison by so many men ,and how they would do really awful things to him. “Florida is one of a few states that allows the prosecutor to decide to charge a child in adult court for certain crimes and has no minimum age for trying a child as an adult.”(Stevenson). Charlie’s case is not an unusual one. There are hundreds of prisoners currently in US prisons who are suffering ridiculous prison sentences while other prisoners with more violent, heinous, and terrible crimes have been sentenced to lesser time in jail or are already out. In order to understand why this is still a problem, it’s important to first understand the current issues facing prisons today and what effects come from these issues. Then
“Just mercy” written by Bryan Stevenson is a story about “justice and redemption”(title). Bryan Stevenson tells the story about Walter McMillian a convicted murder. McMillian was unjustly charged for the murder of Ronda Morrison by Ralph Myers even though there was clear evidence that McMillian did not commit this murder. McMillian’s story proves the inequities in the American justice system, and Stevenson proves the faults in the system by telling McMillian’s story. “Proximity has taught me some basic and humbling truths, including this vital lesson: each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done”(17). When we judge people based on their person not the facts innocent people can be charged for crimes that they never committed, and that is where are justice system is unjust.
In the novel, Just Mercy, by Bryan Stevenson, it is extremely apparent that there is a link between poverty, wealth, injustice, and justice. This book incorporates a strong theme of poverty and how it relates to justice, as well as injustice. Furthermore, it very apparently works to explain and provide examples of problems within the justice system, and the urgency that these be corrected. One major problem being poverty in relation to obtaining justice. This being said, throughout my personal reading of the book, I have come to agree with Stevenson's statement, "the opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is justice" (Stevenson 18).
In the book Just Mercy, the case of Walter McMillian and the case of Tom Robinson in To Kill A Mockingbird have various similarities in the way their trials developed. They were both convicted of a crime against a woman, the white people were certain they were guilty, and their lawyers worked hard to prove their innocence. There is significant information in To Kill a Mockingbird, that you see in the real case of Walter McMillian, that shows there is definitely truth in fiction. These cases reveal the credibility our justice system and how a town can work together to make an innocent person look guilty.
Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption is a story of innocents sentenced to death row (2015). As an attorney at law, he sheds light on the fraudulent Criminal Justice System with the corruption of cops and prison guards, bribed witnesses, and paid off judges. Written in first person, Stevenson’s (2015) account depicts 50 years of debasement of the Criminal Justice System. Telling the accounts of corruption in first person and using dialogue that included the actual victims conversations allowed his readers to be invested in the story. His vocabulary and the stories used, made the reader realize that corruption takes place in the United States Criminal Justice System both in history and continues through today.
There are always two sides to an argument, but different people have different opinions on which side is right and wrong; as a result, we can compare a debate or argument as of a coin, due to the fact that it has two sides. When it comes to the topic of judicial system in America, most of us will readily agree that it needs to be reformed. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of who will step forward and make changes to the court system. Whereas some are convinced that no one is going to do anything about it, others maintain that the government will be the savior by making the changes. In the introduction of Just Mercy: A Story of Justice And Redemption, by Bryan Stevenson -an American lawyer, social justice activist, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, and a clinical professor at New York University School of Law- Stevenson emphasizes that people are not being treated fairly in the judicial system of America. The book was written to give readers a close up look on mass incarceration and extreme punishment given in America. Convincing the readers is not easy, except if the author uses strategic techniques such as ethos, pathos, and logos. It is even more tough if the topic is sensitive and debatable as this one. Stevenson used these three techniques in a variety of different ways to convince the readers.
Just Mercy was written in 2014 by Stevenson Bryan. This story takes place in Montgomery Alabama. This story is about the broken system of justice. How people are judged unfairly even in the supreme Court. Bryan Stevenson primarily focuses on death penalty cases and juveniles sentenced to life or death. He provides relief for those incarcerated also, he understands the need to fix this criminal justice system by focusing on poverty, and racial disparities. Stevenson chooses cases that did not receive justice. This book discusses the prison life and how they are treated. It also decides about the different cases and how each case has one theory. It provides additional insight into the rush to incarcerate for life people as young teenagers, putting them in an adult prison. Where they are certain to suffer from sexual, mentally and physical abuse.
Bryan Stevenson, the author of Just Mercy, has many themes in his book. One of which is the importance of human life. He goes through many cases of which, in the end, he realizes that every human deserves empathy and mercy and a fair chance at living their lives. Throughout the novel there is one specific case that changes Stevenson’s perspective the most however. This case is the Walter McMillian case that demonstrates the unfairness that was tolerated for death row inmates. Stevenson expresses this theme throughout the book. Some examples are through the McMillian case, the mental patient case, the juvenile case, and his own experience.
In the book Just Mercy: A story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson, there are several topics discussed regarding the American Justice system. One of those many topics discussed is regarding how a person’s race, social status and income, may influence the outcome of a court trail. In present day America, many years after the era of Jim crow and segregation the Justice system still seems to be more lenient towards white Americans, especially those with high income and a good standing in society. The American justice system has become unjust in the trials deemed to be fair, due to an evident prejudice against minorities, their social status and whether or not they receive a well off or poor income.
Just mercy is a powerful novel Written by Bryan Stevenson in the book he put us in a different world. while he depicts the social injustices he experiences while he defended an innocent man. Walter whom was set up for a murder of a women named Ronda even with multiple witnesses he is still convicted. Which made this be my topic of interest during the time that I was reading Just Mercy. Because In this society we have a race based institution where they can directly say a African American is guilty without fair trial. in the which mean that African Americans are “Guilty until proven innocent”. which is the opposite when it come to the opposite races.
Who knew that America thrives off of one of the seven deadly sins? No, it’s not gluttony, but pride. Selfish pride in our country and ourselves has steered our nation onto a path of corruption. It has persuaded almost every person to care more for themselves than their neighbour, not to mention a stranger. In Bryan Stevenson’s novel, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, Americans’ lack of care or concern for others is unveiled through our mistreatment of the condemned. Our selfishness has bled into our laws and beliefs, which has caused malpractice in and out of the courtroom.
Reading books with heavy content never gets any easier. A lot of the times, it is hard to comprehend the nature of the book because it sounds fictionalized. The problems that we hear and read about are oftentimes the reality of the society that we live in and yet, because we become complacent our lives, we end up forgetting about these problems. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson is an excellent reminder of what is wrong with our society. He shows readers how skewed our justice system is, while protecting those while were wronged. The purpose of this book is “about getting closer to mass incarceration and extreme punishment in America. It is about how easily we condemn people in this country and the injustice we create when we allow fear,
Throughout the period of inequality there were many cases dealing with the crime of racial relationships. One of many was the case of lovings vs. virgina. The main problem if the case was the fact that a white man was married to a black woman. During this period of time that was crime, because people saw blacks as low class people and uneducated. However different states believed it to be a crime, for example in Virginia, when they returned they were sent to court and then they make them go to jail. Bryan Stevenson wrote a book titled Just Mercy about his life coming from the color community describing the challenges he faced on an average day to day bases. The book tells his life
The article When Mercy Collides with The Law is a very interesting piece, on a man living in a Chicago suburb who opened his basement to the homeless on cold nights. The city came in and stopped him, on the grounds that he violated “municipal regulations”. Greg Schiller, 53, had set up a shelter for the homeless during the recent cold spells, allowing them to stay the night when it dropped below negative 15. He provided cots and hot food and drink for them. The city of Elgin shut him down because his basement didn’t meet certain safety requirements. The side I would choose in this dispute is the side of Schiller, although I can see the point of the city council. I think that he has the right to provide for disadvantaged
Criminal justice in America now and then appears to be more criminal than just — loaded with blunder, misbehavior, and prejudice, if not unordinary, discipline, combined with determined resistance to change and an inability to learn from even its most recognizable mistakes. What 's more, no place, are matters are more worse than in the southern state of Alabama, the embraced grounds where Stevenson has become an advocate for the oppressed in the legal system.