John Grisham has written a number of bestselling legal thrillers( The Firm, The Client) but he also wrote a fascinating book on a real-life case of injustice from the small town of Ada, Oklahoma. The "Innocent Man" that the book's title refers to was Ron Williamson.
Ron Williamson is not an entirely sympathetic victim. In the 1960s and 1970s, Mr. Williamson was a talented baseball player, but after failing to make it to the big leagues, Ron descended into alcoholism, drug abuse, and severe mental illness.
Williamson was arrested numerous times for DUI, and was also twice accused of rape, although he was later aquitted of both charges. Partly because of Williamson's bizarre behavior,he became the prime suspect in the murder of a young woman in Ada.
On very flimsy evidence, Williamson was convicted of the murder and sent to death row. Grisham does an excellent job of examining the many flaws of our judicial and correctional systems and "The Innocent Man" will frighten anyone who thinks that the police, prosecutors, judges, and prison officials know what they are doing.
Ron Williamson is not an entirely sympathetic victim. In the 1960s and 1970s, Mr. Williamson was a talented baseball player, but after failing to make it to the big leagues, Ron descended into alcoholism, drug abuse, and severe mental illness.
Williamson was arrested numerous times for DUI, and was also twice accused of rape, although he was later aquitted of both charges. Partly because of Williamson's bizarre behavior,he became the prime suspect in the murder of a young woman in Ada.
On very flimsy evidence, Williamson was convicted of the murder and sent to death row. Grisham does an excellent job of examining the many flaws of our judicial and correctional systems and "The Innocent Man" will frighten anyone who thinks that the police, prosecutors, judges, and prison officials know what they are doing.
