Just Mercy, by Bryan Stevenson

We live in a great country, founded on freedom and equality and justice for all.  I believe that, and I believe those principles form the core of our justice system.  But, as Bryan Stevenson demonstrates all too clearly in Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption our system, like every human system is far from perfect.  Not only is it not perfect, there are elements of evil lurking within it.

Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) has dedicated his legal career to defending "the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned."  He became convinced that "the opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is justice."  EJI defends innocent people who have been condemned to death, minors and disabled individuals who have received unjust sentences, and others who have been overlooked or mistreated by the courts.  His clients are largely poor and minority, because of "our system's disturbing indifference to inaccurate or unreliable verdicts, our comfort with bias, and our tolerance of unfair prosecutions and convictions." 

Stevenson tells many of his clients' stories in Just Mercy, but the one narrative that drives the book is Walter McMillian's conviction and death sentence for a murder he didn't commit.  The entire groundless accusation, botched investigation, and joke of a trial boggle the mind.  If ever there was someone who was put on death row for no reason, McMillian was.  Stevenson was finally able to get him freed after many years, but the damage to McMillian's business, family, and mental and physical health had been done.

I tend to have a positive view of law enforcement and the justice system.  I want to believe that cases like McMillian's are few and far between.  But to hear Stevenson tell the story, his case load is beyond what he and the EJI lawyers can handle; the prisons are full of people placed there by a corrupt, racist, biased system.  I wish he would spend a little time talking about people who are in prison for life because they deserve to be there.  I appreciate his sentiment that we should not "reduce people to their worst acts and permanently label them."  People can and do change, and the justice system should have a strong element of reform.  But if someone rapes and murders, terrorizes their neighborhood, and completely disregards human life, long prison sentences are in order.

As hard on crime as I want to be (as if my opinion makes any difference) I will still stand with Stevenson's objection to the death penalty.  Some may argue that if we wrongfully execute one innocent person for every hundred executions, the deterrent effect is worth that price.  But to me that price is too high.  (Not to mention the deterrent effect of the death penalty is questionable at best.)  Just Mercy will definitely get the reader thinking about our justice system, and make us a little less eager to believe in someone's guilt when we hear about their crimes in the news.  I am thankful for Stevenson and other lawyers like him who sound the trumpet for justice and mercy for the poor and marginalized. If I were a younger man, this book would inspire me to go to law school and follow in Stevenson's footsteps.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!