What is a summary of Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption (by Bryan Stevenson)?

Bryan Stevenson's book discusses the ramifications of the death penalty, the treatment of juveniles in prison, and the plight of black men within the American justice system.

The book begins by drawing attention to the murder of Ronda Morrison, an eighteen year old white woman from Monroe County, Alabama. A black man, Walter McMillian, was implicated in her murder. Stevenson compares McMillian to Tom Robinson, the iconic black protagonist in Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird. ...

Bryan Stevenson's book discusses the ramifications of the death penalty, the treatment of juveniles in prison, and the plight of black men within the American justice system.

The book begins by drawing attention to the murder of Ronda Morrison, an eighteen year old white woman from Monroe County, Alabama. A black man, Walter McMillian, was implicated in her murder. Stevenson compares McMillian to Tom Robinson, the iconic black protagonist in Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird. Even though McMillian was never at the scene of the crime, he is pronounced guilty and sentenced to death.

Stevenson concludes that McMillian's race sealed his fate, despite the lack of evidence connecting him to Morrison's death. Stevenson also documents the fate of military veterans who suffer from debilitating medical conditions upon their return from war. He recounts the case of Herbert Duncan, a Vietnam War veteran who was sentenced to death for his crimes in Alabama.

Stevenson later takes on McMillian's case, and he is contacted by Darnell Houston, who warns him that one of the eyewitnesses in McMillian's case lied under oath. Despite this, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals denies McMillian's appeal, and his death row sentence stands.

Throughout the book, Stevenson documents his efforts on behalf of impoverished citizens caught in the bureaucracy of a discriminatory justice system. He cites cases in Florida and California, where juveniles were sentenced to death or to life imprisonment without parole for non-homicide crimes. In 2010, his efforts result in the Supreme Court ruling against life imprisonment without parole for children convicted of non-homicide crimes. Stevenson also works on behalf of women and the mentally ill within the American justice system.