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The Arguement Of The Legal System In Just Mercy By Bryan Stevenson

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In the book Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, he talks about how some people do not get fair treatment in the legal system, especially if they can not afford good lawyers. I think the book is really important because it shows how the justice system can be unfair. I am going to talk about two big problems: first, how some people do not get good legal help because they can not pay for it, and second, how young people, especially those who are struggling, are treated unfairly in court. We will look at examples from the book, like Johnnie D., Trina Garnett, Charlie, and Antonio Nunez, to see why these are big problems and what we can do about them. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson shows how the legal system in America often treats people unfairly, especially …show more content…

Charlie, a 14-year-old sentenced to life in prison without parole, reflects the harsh realities juveniles face within the legal system (Stevenson 104). Charlie’s case makes us question if it is fair to give such tough punishments to young people, pushing for a rethink in how we handle juvenile cases. Antonio Nunez, a 16-year-old sentenced to life, without parole, underscores, the lack of second chances for juvenile offenders (Stevenson 143). Nunez’s story emphasizes the need for more supportive and rehabilitative approaches for young people who make mistakes, urging them to shift towards giving them opportunities for redemption and growth. Stevenson shows how some people do not get good legal help. Especially if they can't pay for it. Jhonnie D., a man with a disability, did not have a good lawyer, so he was wrongly convicted (Stevenson 82). Jhonnie D.’s story tells us that if you can not afford a good lawyer, you might not get treated fairly in court. This shows we need to make sure everyone has access to good legal help. Trina Garnett had a tough childhood, but her lawyer did not help her, so she stayed in prison for a long time (Stevenson

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In Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson tells a first person account of his years defending the people who were wrongly convicted or punished by the US justice system. At the heart of the novel is the story of Walter McMillian, a man wrongly convicted of murder and sent to death row. Throughout the novel, Stevenson presents examples of individuals who were wrongfully punished due to racism and discrimination. He shows the readers how our criminal justice system unfairly impacts members of the Black community. He also highlights the destruction and devastation this can cause.

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In the introduction chapter of Bryan Stevenson’s book Just Mercy, Stevenson states, “The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned.” I agree with this quote because it is easy to treat people with love and fairness when you like them and when they think and act like you. It is not so easy to treat someone with the same amount of respect and love when you prejudged them or make assumptions about them before getting to know them. It is significant to remember that all people deserve respect and compassion no matter the situation; it is the golden rule being lived out. Treat others how you want to be

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In Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy, he writes to illustrate the injustices of the judicial system to its readers. To do so, Stevenson utilizes multiple writing styles that provide variety and helps keep the reader engaged in the topic. Such methods of his include the use of anecdotes from his personal experiences, statistics, and specific facts that apply to cases Stevenson had worked on as well as specific facts that pertain to particular states. The most prominent writing tool that Stevenson included in Just Mercy is the incorporation of anecdotes from cases that he himself had worked on as a nonprofit lawyer defending those who were unrightfully sentenced to die in prison.

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In Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson concludes “the opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is justice,” and by this he means that when there is no justice, most people will live in poverty, despair, and fear. Despair is the complete loss of all hope, and each of these characters felt that feeling. Bryan Stevenson was stopped and searched by the police, and he was full of fear because one officer had pulled a gun on him. Fear, Police rely on fear to break the law and do as they wish, because they know a majority of people are scared to go against the police. In chapter 3, Walter McMillian was in jail awaiting his trial and eventual execution, this alone drove him into a pit of despair.

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The author Bryan Stevenson teaches his audience about criminal and racial discrimination in judicial systems using his own firsthand knowledge of devastating occurrences, and references in the nonfiction novel Just Mercy. The stories that Stevenson tells are all examples of how the legal system has been corrupted. Firstly, Stevenson uses ethos throughout his prose to provide an individual's perspective on America's racial injustices. Stevenson is a civil rights lawyer who shares personal experiences with injustice.. When Stevenson states, "I've represented abused and neglected children who were prosecuted as adults,"(9)

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Have word got around about the free help Mr. Stevenson was offering to those on death row people started to want his help for other reasons; such as life imprisonment convictions. The cases began to overwhelm the staff at the EJI, but they worked everyday to get more convictions overturned and sentences reduced. They also began to work on the prison conditions around the United States and try to get justice for those brutally assaulted or raped in

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