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Ethos Pathos Logos In Just Mercy

799 Words4 Pages

The book, “Just Mercy”, written by Bryan Stevenson, tells the story of true justice in helping incarcerated people fight for freedom. He develops convincing arguments showing the hidden flaws and inequality in the American criminal justice system. Bryan Stevenson makes his arguments through three appeals, ethos, logos and pathos, using personal experiences, his viewpoint on juvenile sentencing and justice, and his priorities. In chapter 2, Stand, Stevenson shares his personal experiences with the Atlanta Police Department to provide exposure to racial inequality. On a drive home from Gadsden, Alabama, Stevenson gets pulled over by an Atlanta SWAT car: “The other officer was now leaning inside my car and going through my papers. I knew that …show more content…

Charlie had been jailed for murdering his mother’s boyfriend, George, at the age of fourteen with no prior juvenile history. During the first two days at this prison, Charlie was sexually abused and raped. At the beginning of the chapter, Stevenson states, “Ma’am, I can't take the case, but I will drive down to the jail and see your grandson tomorrow. We likely won't be able to represent him, but let me find out what's going on, and perhaps we can help you find a lawyer who can assist you”(94). After this exchange, Stevenson expressed the overwhelming number of current cases he had, with no intention of taking on another, he went to the county jail where Charlie was being detained at, to have a legal visit. Leaving the legal visit with new information about the treatment in-jail, Stevenson told the sheriff, he said, “Who is responsible for this? How could we ever allow this?”(102) Stevenson decided to take on Charlie's case. “Charlie’s case was transferred to juvenile court, where the shooting was adjudicated as a juvenile offense”(103). Taking this case on was a major step for Stevenson, showing his true priorities and intentions as a lawyer, agreeing to take on a case after getting more background even after being swamped with current cases. Chapter 6 shares with us Stevenson's argument of the flaws in our criminal justice system through the emotion of Charlie's

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Bryan Stevenson uses the art of rhetoric in Just Mercy to allow readers to understand how America’s history of racial tension has influenced mass incarceration through the criminal justice system. Stevenson asserts throughout the book how the criminal justice system is corrupted through vast instances such as Joe Sullivan and Walter McMillian. The criminal justice scene immorally targets those who suffer from mental illnesses, people of color, and the poor. Through Stevenson’s rhetoric, readers come to understand the parallel worlds between himself and those convicted.

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Stevenson begins chapter 12 of “Just Mercy” by telling the story of Marsha Colbey, a poor woman convicted of the 1st degree murder of her Stillborn son. A Department of Forensic Sciences autopsy revealed, “that Marsha Colbey’s baby was born alive but also asserted that the child would have survived with medical attention” (Stevenson 144). A mere few weeks after the stillbirth, Marsha found herself sentenced to life in prison for the unrelated death of her innocent child. Stevenson reports that the state weaponized her economic status to forge a powerful narrative against Marsha’s character and parenting ability. The death of a child is already a horrid event, often having significant mental health results on parents and family members.

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Mental Illness As Depicted In Just Mercy By Bryan Stevenson

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This is where the importance of Bryan Stevenson's organization in events has importance. After giving details in the background of cases he is able to talk about cases of not criminals but people with their own stories. Bryan Stevenson talks about the way the mental illness of Mr. Jenkins was never looked into by his previous lawyers. Stevenson says “His lawyers did no investigation of Mr.Jenkin’s history prior to trial, and he was quickly convicted of murder and sentenced to death.” (171)

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Ethos In Just Mercy

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The entire work helps the reader feel empathy and distress. Stevenson uses the reader's emotions to promote a greater understanding of social injustice in the United States legal system. Grabbing the attention of his audience, Stevenson introduces Walter, who was undoubtedly wrongfully convicted, as well as anecdotes about children convicted/sentenced to death leaving the readers sad and mixed with emotions. Every case Stevenson writes about helps the reader realize the unfairness of the criminal

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“There is a strength, a power even, in understanding brokenness, because embracing our brokenness creates a need and desire for mercy, and perhaps a corresponding need to show mercy (Stevenson 109) .” This bold statement is one of many as Bryan Stevenson sets the tone for his renowned award winning novel Just Mercy. As a young lawyer from Georgia, built the foundation for his company, SPDC (Southern Prisoners Defense Committee) to help convicts that are on death row or in need a second chance. Bryan Stevenson, a young lawyer from Georgia who fought for justice on the behalf of inmates on death row, showed tremendous intelligence in becoming a successful lawyer, demanding for not backing down in moments of refusal, and was an overall advocate

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Essay On Just Mercy

442 Words | 2 Pages

By explaining Walter’s situation and why he was convicted and put on death row, Stevenson was able to highlight the injustices within the judicial system and how so many innocent people can be judged too quickly because of one’s race, status, or class. Another anecdote used to demonstrate these prejudices is Stevenson’s mention of the inhuman death of Lourida Ruffin; also a black man, Ruffin lived in Alabama where the predominantly white society felt very negatively towards anyone of a different race. After committing a minor traffic violation, Ruffin was beaten by police and then was refused his asthma inhaler, and he later died in the police station’s holding cell. This case alone emphasizes the constant issue of police brutality, especially towards African American males that is still prevalent today. Stevenson later moves to discuss unfair treatment of the mentally ill in prison, using the case of Herbert

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There are many victims of unfortunate circumstances in the world today, yet some of these results could have been easily avoided. In the novel, Just Mercy, the author Bryan Stevenson addresses many cases in which children under the age of 18 are incarcerated within the adult criminal justice system. By treating children as adults in the criminal justice system their innocence and undeveloped person, become criminalized. These children become dehumanized and only viewed as full-fledged criminals and as a result society offers no chance sympathy towards them. Stevenson argues that children tried as adults have become damaged and traumatized by this system of injustice.

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Bryan Stevenson never knew what could happen and he was full of fear of the possibility of jail time or death. Herbert Richardson was a mentally ill person who didn’t get the help he needed, and due to that, he killed little girl and was executed. During that time, the mentally ill lost most of its funding, and because of that, those who needed help couldn’t get it. Richardson and other mentally ill people didn’t have much money and lived in poverty. Without justice, the world would become nothing but poverty, despair and fear, and the only ones who wouldn’t be affected are the

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