Mr. McMillian was sent back to his cell on death row, where he ultimately spent six years. Stevenson's fight for justice for McMillian provides the heart of the narrative to Just Mercy, but the film lays bare the horrifying fact that this tragic story is no one-off. [3] He died on September 11, 2013. In 1986, an 18-year-old white woman named Ronda Morrison was murdered in downtown Monroeville, Alabama. It also emerged that District Attorney Theodore Pearson "had concealed evidence proving his innocence": a witness had seen the victim alive after the time when prosecutors claimed that McMillian had killed her. Marshal based in Mobile. Gain even more insight into the true story behind the movie by watching the videos below, which include Walter McMillian and Bryan Stevenson interviews. (file photo). This set off a chain of events that changed Mr. McMillians life forever. He had initially told police that he had no knowledge of McMillian's involvement and didn't know him. McMillian's case is just one example of the systemic racial bias that ran rife through America's justice system. Monroeville: The Most Perfectly Southern Town In Alabama How accurate is Just Mercy? "We've represented children prosecuted as adults," says Stevenson. Lee's novel features a black man who is falsely accused of rape and the white lawyer who unsuccessfully defends him against an angry white . This is the view from the bench. On November 1st, 1986, Ronda was found murdered at her workplace, Monroe Cleaners. "[5] This practice, called judicial override, allows "elected trial judges to override jury verdicts of life and impose death sentences." Walter McMillian was among the first exonerees from death row in the modern era. Monroe Countys unemployment rate of 10.9% in July, is higher than the state average. caller, EJI determined he was the most likely suspect. Lawyer Bryan Stevenson's efforts to expose the perjured testimony made by criminal witnesses, including evidence withheld from Walter McMillian's lawyers that revealed the witnesses' testimony to be a lie, led to the conviction being overturned. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. I don't like visiting jail. Alabama: Teen brothers and 20-year-old man charged with murder after mass shooting at girl's 16th birthday party left four dead, Alabama: Four dead and 28 injured after mass shooting at birthday party, Tornado kills at least 26 as it tears through southern US states during 'supercell' storms. Sheriff Tom Tate is the sheriff of Monroeville at the time of Ronda's murder. Walter McMillian was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of a young white woman in Monroeville, Alabama. LitCharts Teacher Editions. [5], Six years after the original trial, in an unrelated case, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals found that the prosecutor, District Attorney Theodore Pearson, and Judge Key "had practiced 'intentional racial discrimination' in jury selection. Struggling with distance learning? Mr. McMillian's conviction was overturned by the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals in 1993 and prosecutors agreed the case had been mishandled. Andrews defeated incumbent Mayor Sandy Smith by 159 votes and will be sworn into office on November 2, and in many ways the outcome was split along racial lines within the citys six precincts. Absentee votes made the difference, with Andrews securing 172 more than Smith. In November 1988, 28-year-old attorney Bryan Stevenson, a Harvard Law School and Harvard School of Government graduate, who was the director of the newly formed Alabama Capital Representation Resource Center in Montgomery, took on the task of appealing the case. From the 60 Minutes archives: The true story behind "Just Mercy" It was appealed to the United States Supreme Court,[19] which ruled against McMillian, holding that a county sheriff could not be sued for monetary damages. Smith, who served 28 years as the director of the Monroeville/Monroe County Chamber of Commerce, was appointed by the Monroeville City Council to complete Oglesbys term. The courtroom in the film To Kill a Mockingbird was modeled after the Alabama courtroom where Harper Lee's father once practiced law. [7][9] Myers pleaded guilty as a conspirator in the murder and received a 30-year prison term.[7]. "I had to apologise. In answering the question, "How accurate is Just Mercy?" We are in dire need (of new economic development) and we tried a few projects, but they havent panned out. Walter "Johnny D." McMillian (October 27, 1941 September 11, 2013)[1] was a pulpwood worker from Monroeville, Alabama, who was wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to death. "I think there's still a lot of work to do. 2d 1253 (Ala.Cr. However, the movie does leave out the more unsavory side of McMillian. App.1991). Police could not solve the crime. Herbert Richardson, portrayed by Rob Morgan in the Just Mercy movie, was a Vietnam veteran and a real-life client of Bryan Stevenson. I certainly dont want to, in any way, shape or form, downplay it, said George Elbrecht, a retired judge in Monroe County who is currently an assistant district attorney. The purpose of the fish fry was to recruit new members for their church congregation (they didn't have an actual church building yet). It just means he had some rough edges that the movie sanded off. Equal Justice Initiative Walter McMillian spent six years on Alabama's death row for a murder he didn't commit. The smell of someone you know burning to death is the most painful and nauseating experience on this earth. The scars on Myers's face, which were recreated for the movie, were the result of a childhood fire. The witnesses then admitted they lied at the trial. He was born in a poor African American community in rural Delaware, attended Harvard Law School, and founded (with his friend Eva Ansley) the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) in Montgomery, Alabama. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson | HuffPost Entertainment But it didn't matter. He returned to death row, having already served his time on bail there after his arrest a year earlier; guilty until proven innocent. Mar.30.2023 The old courthouse in Monroeville was the setting for the novel, 'To Kill a Mockingbird.' Photo credit: Joe Cuhaj Mr. McMillians experience on death row was traumatic. "So I represent nine and 10-year-old kids who are looking at 50 and 60-year prison sentences in adult prisons. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. "[6], The story was featured in a 1995 book entitled Circumstantial Evidence: Death, Life, and Justice in a Southern Town by former Washington Post journalist Pete Earley. It just came to my mind, with all of this experience and all of this training provided to me on the state and federal level I felt like my roots are here and its time to pay off in the investment made in me, he said. I'm going to put twelve people on a jury who are going to find your goddamn black ass guilty." In August 1988, a black man named Walter McMillian, known as Johnny D, was sentenced to death for the murder of a white teenage girl in Monroeville, Alabama. reputation as the Literary Capital of Alabama, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. [6] However, Chapman did not agree that there had been a "deliberate effort to frame Mr. Entertainment reporter Richardson had PTSD from his time in Vietnam and struggled with psychological difficulties. Teachers and parents! CNN Monroeville, Alabama, might be best known as the inspiration for resident Harper Lee's novel "To Kill A Mockingbird" - a launching point for countless classroom discussions on race. ", The real Walter McMillian filed a civil lawsuit against local and state officials involved in the murder investigation that resulted in him being wrongfully accused and ending up on Death Row. EJI proved the States witnesses had lied on the stand. Bryan Stevenson and EJI received death threats. [13][5] Two of the witnesses claimed to have seen McMillian's "low-rider" truck outside the dry cleaner's around the time that the crime occurred. She said he while he was not a wallflower, he wasnt outgoing or boisterous or the type who would run for student government. When Walter McMillian was a 12-year-old black boy in Monroe County, Alabama where Harper Lee set To Kill a Mockingbird a bullet-riddled black man was found hanging from a tree in nearby Vredenburgh. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. Yes. [3] A journalist described him as a "black pulpwood worker". The actor mockingly wipes his brow. A new investigation was ordered. Monroeville, Alabama, might be best known as the inspiration for resident Harper Lee's novel "To Kill A Mockingbird" a launching point for countless classroom discussions on race and. At one time, in my lifetime when I was a very small child, Alabama State Troopers stood out as among the law enforcement organizations that (former Alabama Gov.) Known to his friends and family as Johnny D, Mr. McMillian spent 15 harrowing and tortuous months on Alabamas death row before trial. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. Monroeville is known as the home of Harper Lee and Truman Capote, and made famous as the inspiration of "To Kill a Mockingbird" and stood as the backdrop for the story in "Just Mercy." On Tuesday . Her body had been discovered at her place of employment, Jackson's Dry Cleaners in Monroeville, Alabama. At a screening of the film set up in London by the UK's Urban Lawyers charity, which works to improve diversity in the legal profession, he is speaking alongside Foxx and Jordan. While injustice still exists, what has changed since McMillian's case, says Stevenson, is that more people are aware of it, and working to fight it, whether that be lawyers helping the EJI or filmmakers highlighting real-life stories. Judge Robert E. Lee Key overrode the jurys sentence of life imprisonment and sentenced Mr. McMillian to death by electrocution. One side contained a recording of Myers implicating McMillian, but when they flipped the tape over, they discovered a recorded conversation in which Myers vehemently protested being forced to implicate Walter McMillian, stating that he did not know the man, nor did McMillian play any role in the murder.It is believed that had Judge Robert E. Lee Key, Jr. not stepped in and given McMillian the harsher sentence of death in the electric chair, the jury's initial sentence of life in prison would have resulted in McMillian's case being overlooked by social justice activists and Civil Rights lawyers like Bryan Stevenson. It is this narrative of racial inferiority, this ideology of white supremacy. Copyright 2023 HistoryvsHollywood.com, CTF Media, Walter McMillian Interview & Related Videos, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. In addition, one of his sons had married a white woman. But the overwhelming evidence of innocence ultimately forced the State to agree to drop the charges. He was arrested by Monroe County Sheriff Tom Tate and eventually charged with capital murder. All rights reserved (About Us). Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 7/1/2023). I am also worried about others. "Just Mercy": The Intersection of Justice, Hope, and Abuse of Power Stevenson set up the EJI, a non-profit organisation based in Montgomery, Alabama, to provide legal representation to people who have been illegally convicted, unfairly sentenced or abused in state jails and prisons, and works to challenge the death penalty. And the judge started laughing and the prosecutor started laughing, and I made myself laugh because I didn't want to disadvantage my client - a young white kid I was representing. Mr. McMillian was sent back to his cell on death row, where he ultimately spent six years. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." The town was first known as Walker's Mill and Store, named for Major Walker, the area's first European-American settler. He goes on to tell what he calls his "pheeew" joke. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. At the trial, he testified that he had given McMillian a ride to the dry cleaners where he witnessed him murder Morrison, the store's clerk. Over the years, the biggest thing that I have learned is that you really want to learn from the people, you listen to them.. [6] McMillian's attorney then filed a motion to dismiss all charges. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption EJI presented this dramatic new evidence but it took six years of hearings and appeals before the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals finally ruled that Mr. McMillians conviction was unconstitutional. The Just Mercy true story confirms that this is what both Walter McMillian and J. L. Chestnut (the attorney who initially defended him) believed was the reason he had been sought out for the murder. You know, this is a man who educated people in the city. Blood on the leaves and blood at the root, Black bodies swinging in the Southern breeze, Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees. [7][14], McMillian's "appellate lawyers discovered that prosecutors had withheld evidence and that the state's star witnesses had lied. In addition, one of McMillian's sons had married a white woman. "[6], McMillian was known in the small community for having an affair with a white woman, Karen Kelly. He noted that California Senator Kamala Harris, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, is only the second Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate, and that only two Black men Democrat Cory Booker of New Jersey and Republican Tim Scott of South Carolina are currently serving in the Senate. "[6] He was held there, pre-trial, for 15 months. By browsing this site, we may share your information with our social media partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Supporters celebrated Mr. McMillians release. Charles Andrews was elected the city of Monroeville's first Black mayor on Tuesday, August 25, 2020. Tourism is also down at the Monroe County Heritage Museum, which remains open but has seen a 40% to 50% decline in attendees, according to museum director Wanda Green. I cannot think of a better person to step into the role as mayor and being the first African American mayor. Tucker would later gain fame as a columnist and editor at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper, winning a Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 2007 after being a finalist in 2004 and 2006. [9][Note 5], In 1992 the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals in McMillian v. State 594 So. He coerces Myers to proceed with his testimony by illegal sending him to death row. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. "I think we all have a certain perspective of what the criminal justice system is and the judicial system, based on the media, the news, what people tell you, but to actually see it through Bryan's eyes - what could happen to you from a traffic stop all the way to death row to the electric chair, the things that had to happen to get from point A to there - was truly incredible. Monroeville, AL - To Kill A Mockingbird Town and Museum "If you haven't been to the States, you should know when you come to the States; you can be a lawyer here in the UK, you can be a doctor, you can be an educator, but in the States, you're going to be in situations where you're going to have to navigate a presumption of dangerousness and guilt. The only mark on McMillian's record had been a misdemeanor charge from a bar fight. I don't give a damn what your people say either. According to Bryan Stevenson's book Just Mercy, the witnesses who placed Walter McMillian at the fish fry at the exact time of the murder included a police officer. "When you have to keep navigating all of that stuff, [when] you have to keep worrying about calming down other people because they are afraid of your blackness, it gets exhausting. However, Stevenson says, "we are still in this struggle". [Jennifer Lynch, 11/12/2013] To Kill A Mockingbird Town. "When you see Michael perform, they're real words.". Seven years after her murder, her parents published a memorial in The Monroe Journal. Ghee credited Andrews for running a more well-organized campaign than he did four years ago. It just happened that the guard had been a former foster kid too. yelp/Sheri B. But the political victory also allowed him to reflect on his childhood and moments such as spotting a sign that read White Only above a water fountain at a local gas station around the same time he had just learned how to read. Two officers arrived on the scene and when Stevenson started to open his car door, one of the officers unholstered his pistol and yelled, "Move and I'll blow your head off!" After finishing your barbecue, head on over to Mel's Dairy Dream for some delicious ice cream. Interestingly, the real-life events in Just Mercy unfold in Monroeville, Alabama, which is the birthplace of Harper Lee, author of the similarly-themed (fictional) book To Kill a Mockingbird. 'Just Mercy' punches hard at racist criminal justice in Alabama When 18-year-old community college student and dry-cleaning clerk Ronda Morrison (pictured below) was shot multiple times at Jackson's Cleaners on the morning of Saturday, November 1, 1986, Walter McMillian and his wife Minnie were hosting a fish fry at their home, where he was surrounded by dozens of witnesses. A true story about a crusading lawyer (Michael B. Jordan) working to get a convict (Jamie Foxx) off Alabama's Death Row. Walter McMillian was sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit. Walter returned, stating he had killed, The police indict Walter for the murder of, his testimony. The man has great people skills, he said. The City of Monroeville is the County Seat of Monroe County, Alabama. Just Mercy Flashcards | Quizlet Family of wrongfully convicted Alabama man hopes newly released movie A group of women, white, evidently scared, minimise themselves as far into one corner as they can go, until, "Oh!" To Kill a Mockingbird Symbol Analysis. Meet the Alabama civil rights attorney who inspired the film "Just Mercy" The median household income is $34,250, which is well below the state average. You punish their family, you punish their community. Economic development is the biggest hurdle in Monroeville, where the city is still pained by the loss of jobs at Vanity Fair Brands as the apparel industry outsourced its operations offshore in the 2000s. The trial began on August 15, 1988. [9] [5] She had been shot numerous times from behind. Michael B. Jordan depicts Stevenson in the movie, while Jamie Foxx plays McMillian. Mr. McMillian was an unlikely suspect. It was also about me talking about this vision for Monroeville and wanting to be a diverse community with diverse industry and things of that nature.. Address: Big D's Butts 'N Stuff, 4441 S Alabama Ave, Monroeville, AL 36460. More than 30 years later, Stevenson is still fighting. [emailprotected], Mr. McMillians testimony specifically addressed the failure to provide adequate legal help to people in prison and on death row. Yes. Jordan, who rose to fame in films such as Creed and Black Panther, says he has been "forever changed" by being a part of Just Mercy. There is still some tension, between Blacks and whites and neighborhoods remain largely segregated. McMillian's case served as a catalyst for Alabama's compensation statute, which was passed in 2001. McMillian had explained to Sheriff Tate shortly after his arrest that he was at the fish fry on the morning of November 1. 'Just Mercy': What Happened To Walter McMillan? | Crime News Yes. By browsing this site, we may share your information with our social media partners in accordance with our, winning a Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 2007, close friend with Lee during her lifetime. In 1988, Bryan Stevenson met Walter McMillian and began working to appeal his conviction and death sentence. Just Mercy (2020) - History vs. Hollywood A very public divorce between this woman and her husband pulled Mr. McMillian into the limelight and he soon went from someone having an interracial affair to someone thought to be capable of murder. Andrews defeated incumbent Mayor Sandy. Sheriff Tate was never removed from office; he retired in 2019. -Graham S. The timeline below shows where the character Ronda Morrison appears in, A few weeks after Walter testifies at Karen Kellys custody hearing, the body of, boyfriend collaborated, not only in killing Vickie Pittman, but that he and Walter also murdered, of 1987 on sodomy charges (under anti-homosexuality laws) and questioned him about the murder of, Myers went to buy cigarettes and then came back. An aspect of his story that the movie gets right is that he really did play "The Old Rugged Cross" over the prison's P.A. In the last two years of his life, he couldnt enjoy the outdoors or get around much without help. "[Note 3][4], On September 19, 1988, Judge Robert E. Lee Key, Jr., overruled the jury's recommendation of a life sentence and imposed the death penalty. The other officer pulled Stevenson from his car, pinned him against the hood and frisked him. "I don't think we've seen any change really on this presumption of dangerousness and guilt that gets assigned to black and brown people in America," he says. He was found guilty - based on the false testimony of a criminal, and despite accounts from several black witnesses who could vouch for his whereabouts at the time of the murder - and sentenced to death by electrocution. Thirty-six of the nearly two hundred convicts on death row are there because of override."[5]. Convicted . Bryan Stevenson: The Lawyer Who's Saved Dozens From Death Row In Alabama, elected trial judges were authorized to override a jurys life verdict and impose the death penalty. He said he has the communication skills and a respected law enforcement background to bridge the divides that might exist in a city battling a declining population, increased poverty, and the loss of industry. Pic: EJI/ Warner Bros, Stevenson spoke about the film in the House of Lords ahead of its UK release, Death row inmate Herbert Richardson (Rob Morgan) is in some of the most heartbreaking scenes in the film. Things are changing., She added, I think that Charles will be a mayor for the entire city, and he will be able to overcome some of the racial divide., Wayne Flynt, a historian and a close friend with Lee during her lifetime, said the election of Andrews as the citys first Black mayor represents another sign of the slow healing from the deepest historical scar in Alabamas past., He said, Monroe County is on the southern fringe of the historic Black Belt, once the wealthiest place on earth, and now one of the poorest places in America. Monroeville, Alabama - Wikipedia Since his release, Foxx's father has lived with his famous Oscar-winning son. Tucker said she can recall the mayor-elect being pretty quiet in high school, but always maintaining a nice guy reputation. In August 1988, a black man named Walter McMillian, known as Johnny D, was sentenced to death for the murder of a white teenage girl in Monroeville, Alabama. After six months with no leads or suspects, their attention focused on Walter McMillian. Just Mercy movie review & film summary (2019) | Roger Ebert HUNTSVILLE, Ala. The memoir and movie Just Mercy highlights the wrongful conviction and exoneration of Walter McMillian, and several family members hope the passion for the story doesn Walter McMillian - Equal Justice Initiative Where did it come from? Just Mercy tells the story of EJI's clients, from Walter McMillian and Anthony Ray Hinton who were exonerated from Alabama's death row to Joe Sullivan and Ian Manuel who won release after being sentenced to die in prison for nonhomicide crimes in Florida when they were just 13 years old. This was almost an unheard-of decision, given that he had yet to be convicted. McMillan whose story is depicted in the movie "Just Mercy" premiering Christmas Day 2019 never got the happy ending he deserved after his release from prison in 1993. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Stevenson says he was initially reluctant to see his story translated to the big screen, worried it might receive the Hollywood treatment to make it more entertaining. Bryan Stevenson Click the card to flip Stevenson is the author, narrator, and protagonist of the book. -The Washington Post. The following week, on March 2, Circuit Court Judge Pamela W. Baschab ruled on the motion, dismissing all charges against McMillian. "I don't want to oversell it, but we're trying to knock down that perception of what you see when you see a black man.". I have suffered pain, agony, loss, and fear in degrees that I had never imagined possible, he testified in 1993. List of wrongful convictions in the United States, "Death of justice in Alabama: Brian Baldwin was condemned to the electric chair by a racist travesty", "Double Jeopardy: In Alabama, a judge can override a jury that spares a murderer from the death penalty", "Alabama Releases Man Held On Death Row for Six Years", Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, "An Alabama Sheriff, a Mystery Check and a Blogger Who Cried Foul", "Alabama frees black man on death row for 6 years - Walter McMillan", "One Lawyer's Fight For Young Blacks And 'Just Mercy', Jamie Foxx in Talks to Join Michael B. Jordan in Legal Drama 'Just Mercy', Equal Justice Initiative - Walter McMillian, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Walter_McMillian&oldid=1159932457, This page was last edited on 13 June 2023, at 12:52.