Just Mercy

1. In what way does the author establish ethos to deepen his bond with the audience? 

By comparing his own brokenness to that of his clients, underlining that being "broken" is universal

2. The author cites a “renowned physician” in paragraph two of the text. What is the purpose of this reference? 

By recognizing Paul Farmer as a renowned physician, he establishes credibility with his statement that everyone is broken.

3. Which of the following is the primary purpose of this passage? 

To offer a call to action to choose mercy over retribution

4. Stevenson repeats the phrase "I thought" multiple times in the fourth paragraph when describing his internal reactions. What is the primary rhetorical effect of this repetition?

To emphasize his personal reflection and internal struggle, inviting the reader to experience his evolving perspective.

5. Why did law enforcement target Walter?

He was in an interracial relationship

6. How did Ralph Myers help convict Walter?*

He gave false testimony

7. How did the legal system fail Walter?

Biased jury and ignored evidence

8. What happened to Walter after release?

He struggled with his health

9. Why is Monroe County, home of Walter McMillian, ironically famous? 

It is the home of Harper Lee. She is the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, the story of a black man unjustly accused of a crime against a white woman he did not commit

 

10. What does Stevenson say fuels injustice?

Fear and anger

11. How does America's current rate of incarceration compare to other nations? 

Our rate of incarceration is higher than any other countries in the world

12. What Supreme Court ruling did Stevenson win for juveniles?

No life without parole for non-homicide

13. What does Stevenson compare mass incarceration to?

Slavery and segregation

14. In Chapter 12, “Mother, Mother,” Stevenson outlines numerous cases of women charged with capital  murder for the death of their children. Which one did not occur in the book?  

Susan Smith was accused of killing her two children by driving her children into a pond. She blamed random black men for their deaths.

15. How does Stevenson use personal stories?*

All of the above

16. Why was Herbert Richardson sentenced to death?

He killed a child

17. Why did Stevenson challenge juvenile sentencing laws?

They have developing brains

18. What does “stonecatcher” symbolize?*

Fighting injustice

19. How did Walter’s case end?*

He was released but suffered

20. What is Just Mercy’s final message?

Justice needs mercy

21. Stevenson was accosted by police outside of his home in Atlanta. How did the police break the law? 

They searched his car without just cause or a warrant

22. During his interaction with the police in Atlanta, Stevenson remained calm. He reflected on his behavior as a youth, and that of other black men. He said if this had happened when he was younger, he probably would have 

Run and been shot

23. Where were Walter McMillian and Ralph Myers held as pretrial detainees? 

They were held on death row in a nearby town to exert more pressure, especially on Myers so he wouldn't recant his testimony

24. Stevenson and Eva Ansley encountered numerous issues while opening the non-profit law center serving Alabama's death row inmates. Among the most significant were: 

Recruiting lawyers and losing funding and office space

25. An early Civil Rights Activist and historian, W.E.B. Dubois’s short story, “Of the Coming of John” a black  man is considered the bearer of hopes for a community. Stevenson read the story in college but after  meeting Walter’s neighbors and family, he thinks about the story differently. Which of the following  examples is NOT a similarity to Stevenson’s autobiography Just Mercy and to Dubois’s character John’s  story?  

Bryan Stevenson was held up in his family and church as an inspiration because of his education and he felt indebted to his community

26. Why do you think Stevenson included stories of children, like Charlie, who had been incarcerated in  adult prisons? 

To show the reader that children often are at greater risk for victimization

27. After the terror of Charlie’s experiences that led to prison and incarceration in an adult prison, how was  Charlie’s story resolved?  

All of the above are true

28. Why did Ian, one of the children photographed for Stevenson's report, desire the photographs from his photoshoot? 

Ian was normally kept in solitary confinement. The photoshoot offered human contact and sensory experience for him

29. On the second day of the hearing, three issues below had changed from the first day. Which of the  following had not changed from the previous day? 

The judge had been replaced from the prevous day

30. Stevenson makes the claim that America’s prisons have become “warehouses for the mentally ill.”  Which issue below HAS NOT contributed to the huge rise in the internment of people with alleged  psychological issues?  

Accusations of possession and witchcraft

31. The correctional officer with the truck that contained pro-Confederate bumper stickers was menacing  towards Stevenson and subjected him to a strip search. What surprised Stevenson about this man?  

He listened to Stevenson's arguments in court, looked up the word "mitigation", and brought Jenkins a chocolate milkshake

32. Stevenson isn't devastated by Judge Norton's ruling but he is disapointed. He said that Norton was "locked into a maintenance role: He was a custodian for the system who was unlikely to overturn a previous judgement even if there was compelling evidence of innocence." What does this mean? 

Norton is commited to continuing the status quo

33. What is the tone that is captured by Stevenson in this passage at the end of Chapter 11: “As he walked  to the car, Walter raised his arms and gently moved them up and down as if he meant to take flight. He  looked at me and said, ‘I feel like a bird, I feel like a bird.’” 

Hopeful

34. Why is the name of Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women ironic? 

Tutwiler was a famous advocate for humane treatment and education for prisoners but the prison was notoriously sexually abusive and violent

35. What is the “collateral consequences of incarcerating women”? 

Most women prisoners have minor children whose lives are disrupted and harmed by their mothers' absences

36. What is the "prison-industrial complex" ?

The overlap of "for profit" interests of the US prison system, multi-national corporations, small private business and the inmate population in the social and polical economy of the USA

 37. Joe Sullivan was sentenced to life in prison Florida at age 13 for sexual assault. Even after all that Bryan Stevenson has seen and experienced, how was his first visit with Joe shocking?

Joe's wheelchair was stuck in a 4 by 4 cage and it took quite a bit of effort, including tipping it and violent pulling to get it disloged

38. Why is it ironic that Stevenson frequently represented teens who had commited violent crimes? 

Stevenson's grandfather had been robbed, attacked, and stabbed to death by teens.

39. Stevenson makes a convincing argument about the arrested development of a young teen sentenced to  life in prison who is permanently damaged by the trauma of a terrible childhood and a violent prison  experience. In fact, when he visits Joe, he cuts short his update on Joe’s case in front of the US Supreme Court. Instead, what did they talk about? 

Joe recited a poem that another inmate had helped him write and he couldn't remember the last line. Then, they both laughed

40. Bryan Stevenson closes the book with an epilogue announcing that Walter McMillian died of advanced  dementia at age 72 while at his sister’s house. The Postscript featured news that Anthony Ray Hinton was found innocent and released after more than 30 years on Alabama’s death row. He was the 152nd person who was exonerated and proved innocent after being wrongly convicted and sentenced to  death. Ian Manuel and Antonio Nunez have a chance of being released. Trina Garnett’s case is pending before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The US Supreme Court sent Joe Sullivan’s case back to Florida for resentencing. He was originally supposed to be released in 2014 but will now be released in December 2019.  

Bryan Stevenson certainly is a stonecatcher. What does this mean?  

It is a Biblical allusion where Jesus said he who is without sin cast the first stone. The woman in the courtroom whose grandson was murdered now comforts both the victims and the accused. She comforted Stevenson and called him a fellow stonecatcher.

41. Media coverage on a high profile case is always a double-edged sword. Southern government officials  often sued media outlets who printed positive stories on the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. What  media event changed the way people of Monroeville and everyone else viewed Walter’s case leading to  the Alabama Bureau of Investigation to reopen the case?  

A 60 Minutes segment led by journalist Ed Bradley reported on the case.