Excursus: Stevensons description of Richardsons pleas for him to take on his case reminds me of Jesus description of the imploring woman pleading with the could-care-less judge. This moment opens a vista on the glorious truth that everybody is wearied, confined, and broken by the justice system and release for one becomes a little release for all. He embarks on trying to combat social injustices in criminal law and practice, which has resulted in a high rate of African Americans convicted and incarcerated in the state and nationwide. Prosecution of poor women when pregnancy goes wrongly.. p.59: A peremptory strike in jury selection is where each lawyer may dismiss a jurist without giving a reason. he shares Bryan's passion for the work and is humble. p. 194: Stevenson tells story of the judge who says aloud in court that he wonders if anyone would speak up for Confederate Americans.. p. 188: Half of Americas prison population has a diagnosed mental illness. Under the stress of unending solitude, Ian attempts suicide and cuts himself. p.36: Prison conditions poor in 1970s which were exposed through media coverage of Attica Prison riots. (including. Michael O'Connor Stats, Fantasy & News. p. 176: Mrs Williams, an elegantly dressed older Black lady, enters the courtroom. Stevenson states that the state knew the third man was fictitious because they never went after him. p. 276: Walter is stricken with dementia and declines quickly. In the second case, that of Avery Jenkins, Stevenson encounters a menacing prison guard, who drives a truck emblazoned with Southern attitude bumper stickers and symbols of the confederacy. The story is about Stevensons efforts, early in his legal career, to overturn death penalty convictions in Alabama. Long-term confinement is destructive of peoples humanity, especially the humanity of kids. In the book, Hunt denies to stay several executions of EJI clients. Their brother, Vic Pittman, is a shady character. Walters lawyers, Chestnut and Boynton had little hope that their pre-trial motions would be granted. p.51: Walter McMillian was at home fixing transmission when Ronda Morrison was murdered. While in a bathtub, Marsha delivers a stillborn infant. Stevenson challenges Joes death in prison sentence as a violation of the cruel and unusual punishment principle in the 8thAmendment. (30 minutes) More information. The crime took place after George had knocked Charlies mother unconscious. The drama early in this chapter revolves around the question whether the unpredictable Myers will tell the truth. p.67: In 1989, author and Ava Ansley opened their non-profit law center to provide legal services to death row inmates. p. 198: Stevenson describes Jenkins post-conviction hearing esp. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. Stevenson himself describes his own encounter with the Atlanta police, which could have resulted in his death had he not been a lawyer. Not surprisingly the prosecutor in the case insisted that Charlie be fried as an adult. Stevenson meets Rosa Parks, the famous civil rights activist, toward the beginning of his career in Montgomery. p. 14:This book is about mass incarceration and extreme punishment in America. Professors used Socratic questioning. She wants to give Stevenson a hug. Join Facebook to connect with Michael O Connor and others you may know. director of photography Film Editing by Nat Sanders Casting By Carmen Cuba Production Design by Additionally, in Alabama, requesting a change of venue was a futile act. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. civil rights movement. Friendships make the argument for extenuating circumstances more compelling. In the days after the accident, George began hallucinating and behaving bizarrely. p. 259: In prison, Joe is repeatedly raped. Curiously, the incarceration of the killer brought her even more pain. If God becomes weak and vulnerable, then his sinning, covenant-breaking creatures will murder himthrough the justice system. p. 297: Stevensons success in the Supreme Court creates a long gap of 18 months with no executions in Alabama. p. 270: Stevenson reflects on work his organization did to gain relief for younger incarcerated people in view of developmental differences between adolescents and adults. This is taxing for Stevenson. Featured is his work with Walter McMillian, who had been wrongfully convicted of the murder of a young woman. Just Mercy is a 2019 American biographical legal drama film co-written and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and starring Michael B. Jordan as Bryan Stevenson, Jamie Foxx as Walter McMillian, Rob Morgan, Tim Blake Nelson, Rafe Spall, and Brie Larson. p. 17:One of the qualities of a God-pleasing society, as laid out in Exodus, is the institution of a court system. p. 280: Stevenson visits Walter in a memory facility. This chapter traces Herbert Richardsons case from his bizarre crime, which accidentally killed a child to his death in Alabamas electric chair. Following the Civil War, Whites feared that newly freed Blacks would avenge themselves on their former masters and Whites in general. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. p.71: Michael Lindsey was electrocuted in 1989. p.63: Ralph Myers again decided he didnt want to testify against Walter McMillian and implicate himself in the process in a crime he didnt commit. Its rough, its rough, man. My mother had died a few months before this trip. This chapter relates several interrelated developments that followed the initial denial of Walters appeal. Please call your insurance provider to verify before scheduling. p.77: Alabama decided to invoke transferred intent to make Herberts crime eligible for death penalty. Among his activities is to speak to an auditorium full of Swedish senior high students. Four doctors are called and each testifies that Myers told them that someone had pressured him to give false testimony. He is a self-proclaimed son of Confederates who offers his support for EJIs efforts to exonerate Walter. Traditional academic environment. Problems arise because drugs are scarce. p.70: Author expands on practice of judge overrides, which is when judges bump up penalties from life in prison to death penalty. [9][10][11][12] Filming in Atlanta, Georgia, began in September. The chapter ends triumphantly with Marsha, released through EJIs efforts, receiving the prestigious EJI annual award. p. 264: The Narrative shifts to Evan Millers conviction in Alabama. Michael O'Connor Quantity Surveyor at Gleeds // Chairman for RICS Matrics Newcastle & 1947 Club Next Gen. Newcastle upon Tyne. As he declines, the EJI social worker works to find him suitable institutional care. Second, is the Swedish camera footage of Walter tearfully and in anguish describing his years on death row. A Columbus screening of the film, followed by a panel discussion, drew not only dozens of lawyers but also two Ohio Supreme Court justices. Ligue para 1-844-477-7618. In the Jim Crow South contact between Black men and White women was too frequently met by mob violence. McMillian has maintained his innocence. Chapter 16 Quotes. : , . -Graham S. Stevensons vibrant description of Mozelle and Onzelle serves to humanize them and show their strength, which contrasts with their position as victims and their statements about not being taken seriously by officials. Judge Norton presides over Walters Rule 32 hearing. the psychiatric expert witness. p. 163: The date for Walters post-conviction evidentiary hearing arrives and will be greatly enhanced by Ralph Myers testimony plus the trove of exculpatory evidence lifted from the Monroe County sheriffs office and courts. He is as unlikely a suspect as anyone in Monroe County. p. 100: The books author summarizes the short story, The Coming of John, which appeared in Dubois, The Souls of Black Folk. He attempts suicide. p. 144: The bad news drought suddenly ends with a cloud burst of good news. She sings at an, Stevensons mother is described as a lifelong church musician. The movie version focuses on two cases One case is that of Jimmy Dill, a PTSD disabled Viet Nam Vet who foolishly sets off a bomb, killing a girl. Alabamas electric chair looms over many of Stevensons cases. Ted Pearson, District Attorney, wanted to end his career on a high note with the conviction of Walter McMillian. At EJI mailed packages are inspected. Arrangements, Albert P. O'Donnell Funeral Home, 2025 Green Ridge St., Dunmore. Triumphantly, Mrs. Williams is able to walk past the dog on the trials third day. Stevenson reflects on human brokenness as the opening for grace. Death penalty repeal or a moratorium on executions seemed possible. The family is gracious and encouraging to Stevenson. The juxtaposition of Bryan being serenaded by students with Walter, who has lost everything through his ordeal on death row, encapsulates the cruelty of the death penalty as it is administered in the United States. p. 248: While cutting wood, Walter was struck by a tree limb, got a broken neck, convalesed for a time in Stevensons home, and returned to his old life, but this time collecting and reselling car parts and scrap iron. He has no prior record, does not know the victim, is miles away at the time of the crime, and is in the company of dozens of friends at a large get-together at his home. Two years later, EJI won a constitutional ban on all mandatory life-without-parole for children. p. 154: Antonio is shot while riding his bicycle. The growing prison population made poor living conditions worse. This conversation marked a turning point in Stevensons vocation. Stevensons rage is his anger over the vast suffering that has come of this miscarriage of justice. Initially, Stevenson doesnt want to take Charlies case. This ruling signals the high courts tacit agreement that something is amiss in Walters case. The only plausible reason is because he has just concluded a brief romantic affair with a White woman. All women on Alabamas death row are convicted because of infant deaths or deaths of abusive partners. p.56: Sheriff Tate was angered that McMillian would hire an outside lawyer. Senator Kamala Harris and comic and TV host W. Kamau Bell. The judge, Thomas B. Norton Jr., is also new. This shift in position comes after Myers therapy group encourages him to rectify the situation that his lying has created for Walter. The film chronicles lawyer Bryan Stevenson's work in the early . Hunt was the governor of Alabama from 1987 to 1993. p. 131: After working with Michael on Walters case, Stevenson decides that theyd probably need to solve the Morrison murder on their own in order to secure Walters release. He develops psychological health, Antonio is a young man in California who was sentenced to life in prison as a teenager for a non-homicide crime in which nobody was injured. Nazovite 1-844-477-7623. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption Bryan Stevenson 4.63 209,899 ratings23,834 reviews An unforgettable true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion call to end mass incarceration in America from one of the most inspiring lawyers of our time. The United States is among them. Ralph Myer's seems to become unreliable as he mentally didn't seem the most stable. Stevenson is unable to keep Dill from Alabamas electric chair. 5. Excursus: The original disciple group labored under similar trauma when Jesus was executed. p.72: With volunteer lawyer, Dunkins parents sued. p. 136: Myers is Vicki Pittmans killer. p. 141: The author, Stevenson, discusses the Victim Impact Movement, which is a tangible outgrowth of the trend towards the individualization of victimhood.. The celebrations include several moving expressions of solidarity with Walter, such as the death row celebration, when Walter gives away some of his prison possessions. Volunteer lawyer spent little time on case and the judge condemned Herbert to death. The chapter ends with a Transfiguration-like moment of grace as a Swedish High School sings to Bryan. p.85: Stevenson describes failure of his last appeal, the two hour drive to Holman Prison, and meeting with Herbert during his final hour with his family. [19][20] In response to the murder of George Floyd, Warner Bros. Pictures made the film free on various streaming platforms during June 2020 to educate the public about systemic racism. Michael O'Connor had struggled with drugs and his life was filled with chaos until a close friend of his died from overdose, which motivated him to become sober. p.110: The new Monroe Co. DA, Tom Chapman, is convinced of the rightness of Walters conviction. Bit by bit, Stevenson launches an organization, The Equal Justice Initiative, which seems like a hopelessly insignificant challenger to the ruthless and racist Alabama justice system. p. 290: Stevenson, with his work with the most desperate of prisoners and the most hateful angry police and courts is engulfed by brokenness. He goes on to suggest that these miscarriages of justice may be a return of the ghost of lynching. Teaming with Eva Ansley, he forms the Equal Justice Initiative in the state capital, Montgomery. Learn. Du Bois was a famous African-American writer and activist who portrayed the realities of black communities from the. Ian, who has been in solitary confinement finds the photo shoot significant because it certifies that he is alive and not lost to the world in prison. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. Hurt people hurt people. Just Mercy: A Searing Story of Cruelty and Grace, Why American Senior High Students Should be Reading THE 1619 PROJECT. Without Ralph Myer's testimony, the case would be weak as Walter was convicted based on Ralph's false testimony. By this time the State Attorney General takes on the case, Excursis: No lie can live forever Bryan Stevenson. Despite the accelerated pace of the case, the ABI guys want Walter to stayon Death Row until the real killer is caught. p. 232: Steven discusses the expansion of mother prosecution, where infants are found dead. In response, officials put him back on death row, got him a psych evaluation, and convinced him of futility of his situation. She cheerfully grants EJIs motion and orders that Walter be released. . p. 211: Stevenson has an audience outside the South by this point. At length 60 minutes sends a crew to Montgomery. p. 6:Bright explained to the author the death penalty in compelling and memorable terms. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs This chapters overarching theme concerns the high numbers of mentally ill persons who are not only in prison, but on death row. p.81: After an unsuccessful appeal for a stay of execution by having an explosives expert testify, Stevenson encounters the murdered childs mother and siblings. Convicted of killing his ex-girlfriends niece with a bomb on her porch, Richardson had been sentenced to death by electric chair. p. 261: Stevenson describes cages at Santa Rosa, used to confine prisoners. 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