She cheerfully grants EJIs motion and orders that Walter be released. This chapter recounts the final legal steps that culminate with Walters glorious release. p.69: Michael Lindseys judge overrode the jurys life imprisonment decision and consigned Lindsey to execution. When Stevenson reviews the evidence in the case, he learns that it hinges entirely on the testimony of convicted felon Ralph Myers. She unintentionally set her friends house on fire after breaking and entering, and two people died in the fire. Lifted by this memory and a radio sermon on the 2Corinthian text, My grace is sufficient for you and my power is made perfect in weakness, Stevenson finds energy to book a speech to high school students. Evidence suggested that a white man was likely responsible, but the case has never been officially solved. Steve Bright was also an influencial mentor with the Southern Prisoners Defense Fund, Atlanta. Wann du [Deitsch (Pennsylvania German / Dutch)] schwetzscht, kannscht du mitaus Koschte ebber gricke, ass dihr helft mit die englisch Schprooch. Additionally, Sheriff Tate has been paying Bill Hooks and rewarding him with release from confinement in exchange for his testimony against McMillian. (including. p. 227: Marsh Coleman and husband Glen, together with their many children, are poor White Southerners whose home is destroyed by Hurricane Ivan. He was born in a poor African American community in rural Delaware, attended Harvard Law School, and founded (with his friend, Walters legal case serves as the central storyline of the book. He goes on to suggest that these miscarriages of justice may be a return of the ghost of lynching. p. 220: The Criminal Court of Appeals rules in Walters case. Piled under with work and executions moving inexorably forward, Stevenson is the last to speak with Jimmy Dill. 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. 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. 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. Charlie is one sad example of Americas child incarceration practice, which often begins by charging juvinele offenders as adults and confining them in adult jails or prisons. This chapters overarching theme concerns the high numbers of mentally ill persons who are not only in prison, but on death row. In the Jim Crow South contact between Black men and White women was too frequently met by mob violence. p.92: Stevenson visited with Walter McMillians wife and daughter after Walters trial. Traditional academic environment. Russell Charley was a black man and friend of, Ikner is the District Attorney Investigator on, Hooks is a black man who is bribed to corroborate, Welch is a furniture salesman in Monroeville and, Ritter is a man who is executed on Holmans death row during, Hightower is a white man who is bribed to testify against. The metaphor of catching stones, reminiscent of the stoning of the woman caught in adultery, is an apt way to describe Stevensons work and the work that his book invites the reader to take up. p. 255: The chapter concludes with two contrasting scenes that emerged with the Human Rights Award. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. He sees the justice systems mistreatment of the poor, women, and children as a barometer, which reveals a troubling element in American society. The author ties the chapter together by two cases involving mentally ill inmates who land on death row mostly because of their horrible childhoods. Teaming with Eva Ansley, he forms the Equal Justice Initiative in the state capital, Montgomery. 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. In confusion Walter McMillian became suspect. Baschab is the judge who presides over the final hearing in Walters case, in which EJI motions to have all of the charges against Walter dropped. An emotional wave engulfs the room. Antonios history involves family and neighborhood violence, including the, Trina was a homeless teenage girl in the 1970s when she was convicted of murder. Sexual abuse is rampant at Tutwiler. p.55: McMillian naively believed that his alibi would win his release. p. 177: Psychiatrist, Omar Wohabbat, one of Myers therapists, testified that Ralph had stated in a counseling session that he lied. I could not understand a word of the Swedish lyrics, but it sounded angelic. 34465541-95D0-45B0-BEEB-B9E0361A315A Hurt people hurt people. The nasty guard experiences an attitude shift after he overhears Stevensons conversation with his foster-home raised client. What famous novel was written in Monroe County, AL, and how is it relevant to Just Mercy? p. 157: America has stepped up its practice of incarcerating children. p. 250: In 1994, legal aid to death row prisoners was eliminated. This led to an autopsy, which the family wanted to avoid for religious reasons. Cynically the DA and judge agreed to change to a low-Black population county, Baldwin County, Alabama. Arrangements, Albert P. O'Donnell Funeral Home, 2025 Green Ridge St., Dunmore. As a Vietnam vet he suffered a complete mental breakdown. Later, he had a romantic relationship with a nurse who had helped him. p. 291: Owning up to our brokenness makes it less likely that we would want to kill the people who themselves are the most profoundly broken. In the book, Hunt denies to stay several executions of EJI clients. Stevenson and OConner are concerned that he will give a bizarre and counter-productive performance on the witness stand. Michael O'Connor Stats, Fantasy & News. Initially, Stevenson doesnt want to take Charlies case. The points of comparison between Jesus trial and death and the stories in Just Mercy are more than incidental. Henry sang the old hymn "Higher Ground" as he was escorted . Electrocution, gas, firing squads, and hangings have given way to lethal injection in most places. Standing on a stage above the singers with the headmaster beside me, I looked up at the ceilingat the majestic artwork. p. 155: Stuck in the prison system and on probation, Antonio returns to LA from Las Vegas. His neighbors, in turn, were infuriated by this number. p. 14:This book is about mass incarceration and extreme punishment in America. p. 280: Stevenson visits Walter in a memory facility. Learn. My mother had died a few months before this trip. 88 terms . p. 25: Walter McMillian avoided Alabamas collapse of cotton growing by getting into the pulp and saw mill business. Why is his arrest and conviction put into motion? p. 112: Stevenson visits Darnell Houston. Patterson isnt the first person in the book to question where Stevenson is from: this illustrates the importance that Stevenson places on the anti-outsider mentality he encountered in Southern courts. The little boys kindness and forgiveness taught him about the power of undeserved mercy. All three were civil rights warriors who have somehow made it to old age because they have not let go of hope. This ruling signals the high courts tacit agreement that something is amiss in Walters case. These stricter laws led to thousands of arrests in poor communities. p.110: The new Monroe Co. DA, Tom Chapman, is convinced of the rightness of Walters conviction. Mercy tells the story of a young boy George (Chandler Riggs, Walking Dead) who has a close bond with his grandma named Mercy (Shirley Knight). p. 120: Charlie ends up shooting the drunken George, who turns out to be a police officer. Women, whose prison presence has increased 640% in recent decades. Jesus takes on in his earthly ministry the life circumstances of hard-living people suggesting that the good news has a special audience in those who are captive and condemned. p. 206: The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals looks more promising for a positive ruling in Walters case. 100 death row inmates. Even ends up with life imprisonment without parole. p. 28: In 1880s in Alabama a Tony Pace and Mary Cox, a Black man and White woman respectively, fellin love. Teachers and parents! He had a large, tight-knit, Ralph Myers is the man whose false accusation sends. He also has difficulty getting Charlie to respond to questions or open himself for help. This development opens the door for meaningful opportunity for release. A secondary theme in this chapter is the role of incompetent lawyers in leaving the accused without competent representation. p. 29: The US Supreme Court in 1967 struck down anti-miscegenation laws in case named Loving v. Virginia. Excursus: Its important to remember that Jesus Christ takes up the into his being the condition of being denied justice. p. 188: Half of Americas prison population has a diagnosed mental illness. p. 254: News outlets claimed Walter was seeking 9 million dollars in compensation. View the profiles of people named Michael O Connor. p.72: With volunteer lawyer, Dunkins parents sued. Convicted of killing his ex-girlfriends niece with a bomb on her porch, Richardson had been sentenced to death by electric chair. A Columbus screening of the film, followed by a panel discussion, drew not only dozens of lawyers but also two Ohio Supreme Court justices. he shares Bryan's passion for the work and is humble. Stevenson appears on 60 Minutes to rally public support in favor of McMillian, and appeals the court's decision to the Supreme Court of Alabama. Stevenson and a newly hired addition to his legal organizationMichael O'Connorcontinue to research Walter's case as they prepare to appeal the Court of Criminal Appeals' decision. Stevenson reflects on human brokenness as the opening for grace. These include the hiring of a new attorney, Michael OConnor, Ralph Myers withdrawal of his former testimony that he was an accessory to the Morrison murder, an interview with Walters lover and inmate, Karen Kelly, the conversation with Onzelle and Mozelle, Vicki Pittmans aunts, and most importantly, the Alabama Supreme Court stay of execution. Stevenson himself describes his own encounter with the Atlanta police, which could have resulted in his death had he not been a lawyer. She dies just before, Ashley is a young woman serving a juvenile life sentence for murdering her abusive relatives. Following the Civil War, Whites feared that newly freed Blacks would avenge themselves on their former masters and Whites in general. Michael O'Connor. Stevenson and OConnor visit Mozelle and Onzelle, Vicki Pittmans aunts. p. 151: Raped in prison, Trina is forced to give birth handcuffed to a bed. p. 219: Stevenson reflects on the importance of hope when awaiting justice. The listening guard felt a oneness with Avery Jenkins, for he like the inmate had grown up in foster care. He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a major in Finance, from the University of Florida and earned his Juris Doctor at California Western School of Law. Defamation lawsuits place a deadening hand on news coverage of civil rights activism. One new hire is Michael O'Connor, who is instrumental in helping with the case. The Wednesday morning ministry works to overcome the avalanche of poor assistance. p. 207: By this time, Stevenson has won several cases in this court. His brother, attempting to help Antonio, is also shot and killed. O'Connor, who had a drug problem in high school, was able to turn his life around and graduate from Yale Law School. This sequence of events is to prove to be a turning point in Walter McMillians case. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. 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