A Time For Mercy

One of the novel’s core themes is the relationship between truth and justice. One element of this relationship is the idea of fairness regarding criminal prosecution and its subsequent trial. For example, fairness is at the heart of Jake’s internal conflict over defending Drew. Jake knows his peers will judge him for defending a cop killer, yet he believes everyone deserves a fair trial and that his “job was to fight for his client, regardless of how unpopular the cause” (590). Jake believes this more firmly as the trial progresses and knows it’s his responsibility to fight for Drew’s rights. Another example stems from Drew being unquestionably responsible for Stuart’s death. Despite his guilt, some characters and jurors feel the death penalty is unfair and that a lighter sentence is more fitting. Fighting for a lesser punishment is an uphill battle in the eye-for-an-eye culture typically portrayed of rural Mississippi, but it shows how difficult defining justice can be in the face of a complex situation. Lastly, Portia questions Jake several times, wondering if what Jake’s doing is fair for maintaining objectivity. For example, Portia challenges keeping Kiera’s pregnancy secret to gain sympathy from the jury.