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Charlie Gingrich
Race Justice America
Professor Levy
October 5, 2016
Dear Mr. Stevenson,
After reading Just Mercy I developed a much more enlightened point of view
regarding our criminal justice system. Originally, I didnt buy into the idea that the
United States of America, one of the most prominent countries in the world, could
have a racially charged justice system. But, as I began to delve into Just Mercy my
eyes were immediately opened to many individuals within the justice system who
abuse their judicial power to carry out their prejudice beliefs regarding African
Americans. In fact, after only eight to ten chapters of your book I was quite
convinced that the United States has a racially biased judicial system. Your firsthand
accounts of judges presuming people of color are undoubtedly guilty before the
inception of the trial, denying the accused a fair trial, and brutally punishing the
mentally disabled were the major examples that genuinely changed my thoughts on
the issue. In my opinion, the stories of Walter McMillian, George Daniel, and Avery
Jenkins, couldnt be more powerful illustrations of this injustice.
Mr. Stevenson, when you broke down and explained many of the court cases
discussed in Just Mercy you provided another viewpoint that I could use to better
distinguish the unfair and unlawful treatment that Walter McMillian received. For
example, Walter was placed on death row before he was tried in the court of law. His
right to be considered innocent until he is proven guilty was already violated before
the trial even took place. Then, once the trial began the state of Alabamas two key
witnesses, Bill Hooks and Ralph Myers, presented largely inconsistent testimony.
Hooks stated that Walter McMillian kidnapped him and drove him to the scene of
the crime and Myers stated that he drove by the house as the crime was taking

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place, when he was working at NAPA auto parts in Monroeville, Alabama (Just
Mercy Pg. 96). Even as a reader without a background in criminal law, I could see
the two mens accounts of what happened doesnt seem to add up.
Walter even had multiple individuals place him at a church fish fry when the
crime took place (Just Mercy Pg. 95,96). Judge Norton didnt even acknowledge the
twelve plus witnesses who testified at the hearing in his response he sent to you
(Just Mercy Pg. 205). He only mentioned Ralph Myers testimony in his decision (Just
Mercy Pg. 205). You would think a judge would easily see through the lies and step
in to ensure Walter had a fair and unbiased trial, but that was far from the case. It
was very clear that Walter was being punished not for the crime he supposedly
committed, but for the color of his skin and the interracial relationship he had with a
white woman in Monroeville. There wasnt any evidence that suggested Walter
possibly committed such a violent act against a women. You even mentioned it
yourself that Judge Norton was a custodian for the system who was unlikely to
overturn the previous judgement, even if there was compelling evidence of
innocence (Just Mercy Pg. 205). Regardless, in this instance the justice system in
Monroeville completely failed a citizen by not providing a fair, unbiased trial, and
assuming guilt because of ethnicity, instead of the facts of the case. Now, it is worth
pointing out that in 1993 the system did eventually reach the right decision and
overturned Mr. McMillians sentence, but Mr. McMillian wouldve never been
sentenced had the criminal justice system been truly colorblind.
The story of George Daniel and Avery Jenkins were two of the more upsetting
stories you told in Just Mercy because you could see how mentally ill both men truly
were. Your prison visits painted a vivid picture that you could imagine while reading
each line of your book. As a reader, I felt like I was someone who had known each

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character for many years and began to develop a personal relationship with each
person through your writing. Once this relationship was established, it became
crystal clear just how much the judicial system had failed these two men. The
system amazingly seemed to ignore their obvious mental illnesses. For instance,
after you took over the George Daniel case, you presented to the court that Mr.
Daniel had suffered severe brain damage from a car accident that rendered him
mentally unstable. The court then denied your claim citing Dr. Ed Segers false
testimony as reasonable grounds to dismiss the fact that Mr. Daniels had developed
a serious mental illness (Just Mercy Pg.191). Turns out, Dr. Seger never graduated
college and forged his medical credentials that allowed him testify as an expert
witness in court (Just Mercy Pg.191). Then, an appeal had to be made to the Federal
Court before the original ruling would be reversed and only in Federal Court did the
state of Alabama acknowledge that Mr. Daniel was in fact extremely ill (Just Mercy
Pg.191). Nonetheless, George Daniel spent years of unnecessary time on death row,
when he shouldve been placed into a psychiatric facility for proper evaluation and
care.
Finally, Id like to discuss my findings in regards to the Avery Johnson case.
Similarly, to George Daniels case, the court seemed unwilling to investigate the
idea that Mr. Johnson may have been mentally ill in his original trial (Just Mercy
Pg.197). I understand it is the defenses duty to request a psychiatric evaluation, but
it does makes you wonder how an issue like a prisoners mental health can be
overlooked, or ignored so many times. They could become a danger to themselves,
the guards, or other inmates. We should be ensuring their safety, instead of ignoring
it. Your stories clearly have pointed out a pattern of inadequacy amongst the public
defenders that represent the African American clients in Just Mercy. Maybe a little

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more of each individual states budget should be set aside to provide more
competent lawyers to those individuals who wouldnt otherwise be able to afford it.
Maybe the road to become a public defender should be made a little more rigid, or
maybe each individual state should provide these lawyers with a more robust salary.
Regardless, the defendants should be given every opportunity to clear their name in
the first trial, not the second, or the third trial. In many cases like Mr. Johnson and
Mr. Daniels the time they spend in prison awaiting their sentencing date only
worsened their mental illness because they were not able to receive proper
treatment to ensure their illness never progressed. If the court could reach the right
verdict in a timelier matter the defendant wouldnt suffer nearly as much. Lastly, I
wanted to thank you, Mr. Stevenson, for changing my views about our countries
criminal justice system. While our system and the people who serve in our system
may not be colorblind, youve taught me that thinking critically can change my life
and save the lives of those around me. For that, I thank you. Below Ive listed a few
questions Id like you to answer, if you dont mind.
Sincerely,
Charlie Gingrich
Did any case leave you so emotionally drained and tired that you questioned
whether you wanted to continue representing clients on death row? If so, what case
or cases and why?
What part of the nations criminal justice do you believe needs to see the most
improvement and how would you go about implementing the necessary changes?
In your opinion, what would be the perfect criminal justice system?

Works Cited

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Stevenson, Bryan. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption. New York:
Spiegel & Grau, 2014. Print.