A Time to Kill

A time to kill, when is there ever a time to kill, is it time when someone hurts you

or your family, is it time to kill if someone tries to kill you? A jury of twelve people had

to decide if there ever was such a time. Does race have a role in murder, if a white

person is tried for the same crime as a black person should the verdict be different for the

white person.

In the beginning, Tonya Hailey, daughter of Carl Lee Hailey, was raped by two

"rednecks" who "was ten and small for her age. She lay on her elbows which were stuck

and bound together with yellow nylon rope. Her legs were spread grotesquely with the

right foot tied to an oak sapling and the left to a rotting leaning post of a long-neglected

fence. The ski rope had cut into her ankles and the blood ran down her legs. Her face

was bloody and swollen, with one eye bulging and closed and the other eye half open so

she could see the other white man sitting on the truck. She did not look at the man on

top of her. He was breathing hard and sweating and cursing her. He was hurting her.

When he finished he slapped her and laughed, and the other man laughed in

return, then they laughed harder and rolled around the grass by the truck like two crazy

men, screaming and laughing."

Then, her family got worried and started searching for her. They called Ozzie, the

only black sheriff in the state, to start to look for her. She was finally found near a

bridge by a "couple a Niger's fishin'" she was crying for her daddy. She uttered in

broken tears who her daddy was and they took her home to her mom and awaiting

brothers.

When, the case of the two rapers came to court Willard, one of the rapists mothers

came to a local lawyer named Jake Brigance who turned down the case. He couldn't

accept the case because he had represented Carl Lee Haileys brother after he killed

another black man and proved insanity.

After the trial something bad happened Billy Ray Cobb and Willard were shot. Or

maybe it was good. But, Carl Lee Hailey was the one who used the rapers of his precious

baby girl as paper dolls for target practice.

Jake was considered the families lawyer since he represented the Hailey family in

court on separate occasion without the degree of difficulty. Jake started the proceedings and

tried to get a bond and it was set for half a million dollars.

Then., Carl Lee spent many weeks and days in jail while on Sundays his beloved

family every Sunday. Except, for one week during psychoanalysis. Jakes newly hired 20

something legal secretary looking for court room experience and was willing to work for

free with access to Judges chambers got tied to a tree, followed by the demolition of Jake's

prized house by a gasoline fire set by the K. K. K.. After several tiring sessions in court in

the dead heat of summer in one of the hottest states in the country Jake Brigance watches

his client Carl Lee Hailey walk out of that Missippi court house a free man. A black man

set on trial for killing two white rednecks gets off read every available headline.

If, Carl Lee Hailey had actually hired the NAACP lawyers instead of using Jake I

believe that he would have lost and ended up having been sentenced to life in prison or

possibly death. He probably would have been murdered in Parchman since he killed to

whites and he is black.

John Grisham wrote this book to show how the legal system, society and people

place an important emphasis and are bias to one particular race, when we are all created

equal and race creed or color should have no ruling in a court of law. It unfortunately

does. I disliked the way he chose a Southern state because to me that shows his

ignorance to the fact racism is a problem throughout the world not just in the South. Also

I read that this was inspired by actual events, that he studied during his terms in law

school but I think that he should have tried the trial in a state like New York or Michigan.

I would recommend this book to my friends who can enjoy a suspenseful yet

gruesome and grotesque opening that leads to a sickly gratifying ending. The midpoint of

the book it gets dull because the action doesn't move that much. Then you jump to a death

or a burning or the Klan is coming to warn some people that are character witnesses, and

jurors families not to let that "nigger or his lawyer off."

A time to kill. If there is a time to kill I hope my watch stops before it's my time.

I have a heart felt sympathy for the victims and the way this book is written sometimes I

felt bad for everyone. The way that Grisham portrays the black community and Reverend

Agee using the Hailey name to impress the NAACP makes you angry and Gwen not

having bill money and Carl Lee rotting in jail and the boys trying to work take care of

their little sister who is permanently scared both physically and emotionally is enough to

make you get out your signs and protest with them on the court house steps.