Jake Brigance Returns in John Grisham’s A Time for Mercy

It’s been five years since Mississippi attorney Jake Brigance won a “not guilty” verdict for a Black father, Carl Lee Hailey, who shot and killed the two white men who raped his daughter. (That courtroom drama, told in John Grisham’s A Time to Kill, was made into a film starting Matthew McConaughey as Brigance.) Before, during, and after the trial, Jake and his family were targeted by the KKK, at one point having their house torched. 

Things have finally settled down. And a new case that Jake is handling with Harry Rex, “a gifted and devious divorce lawyer,” promises to bring in a generous fee. Taylor Smallwood, his wife, Sarah, and two of their three children were killed instantly when their small car was demolished by a train. A witness driving behind the Smallwood car said the red flashing lights at the crossing weren’t working, although the train’s conductor and engineer disputed that. No one could deny, however, that the intersection was a dangerous one. Jake and Harry are suing the railroad company on behalf of the Smallwood’s surviving daughter, an infant who was staying with a relative at the time of the accident. 

Jake’s other cases don’t make headlines, but are enough to keep his office going. He’s aided by a smart and talented paralegal, Portia Lang. The young Black woman will be leaving in six months to start law school at Ole Miss made possible by another case that Jake handled which saw Portia’s mother inherit a small fortune. (That story was told in Grisham’s Sycamore Row.) While Portia is forever grateful and loyal to Jake, he’s the one who feels he got the better deal. Portia is destined to be a terrific attorney and she’s already told Jake that after graduation she will be back to join his firm.

Jake’s mentor, Lucien Wilbanks, whose firm Jake joined, was disbarred for bad behavior, mostly attributed to his drinking. But Lucien continues to occupy an office in the building and feels free to give Jake advice. So when a case comes along that Jake will do everything in his power to avoid, Lucien tells him, “A real lawyer is not afraid of unpopular cases.”

This one is sure to place Jake on the firing line once again. Despite being kicked out of the military, Stuart Kofer was an effective and admired officer on the Clanton, Mississippi police force. Even Jake’s wife Carla, who once invited Kofer to speak to her class, liked him. But Kofer had a darker side. Off the job he drank heavily, returning to home to beat his girlfriend, Josie. One evening, after his binge included consuming large amounts of a home made brew, he hit Josie so hard he broke her jaw and rendered her unconscious. Josie’s children, Kiera 14, and Drew, 16, were hiding in an upstairs bedroom during the attack. Creeping downstairs when the house became quiet, they found their mother and thought she was dead. They called 911, but from past experience, didn’t think the cops, friends of Stuart, would do anything. While Kiera held her mother sobbing, Drew walked into the bedroom where Stuart had fallen asleep, took his service revolver, and shot him in the head.

Killing a police officer, no matter how old the assailant, is a capital crime in Mississippi, landing the assailant on death row. With Kofer’s popularity in the town, and his aggressive and angry family, no lawyer would touch the case. Judge Omar Noose, however, uses his position to place the case on Jake’s doorstep. Noose tells Jake he only needs to handle the preliminaries. Another attorney from a neighboring county will take over. Jake knows how Noose operates and understands that once he signs on, the case is his. 

Just handling the first steps puts Jake on notice that this is Carl Lee Hailey redux, only without the racial element. Police officers who once had breakfast with Jake at the local diner, start to avoid him. Anonymous phone calls are made to his office and home. Carla is alarmed, remembering the violence visited upon them during the last case. Some in Clanton are still incensed that Jake managed to get Carl Lee off. Will he do that again helping 16 year-old Drew walk?

Since Jake will only be reimbursed $1,000 by the state for representing Drew, his entire law practice is now on shaky ground. The jury pool for Smallwood will be tainted with locals upset about a cop killer possibly getting off. Yet the more Jake gets involved with Drew and his family, the more he wants to win. That old fighting spirit returns with a vengeance.

No one writes legal thrillers like Grisham. He has a talent for bringing courtroom scenes alive. The direct and cross examinations of witnesses never ring a false note. While plot is essential, he succeeds in creating characters who are believable, particularly. Brigance. Although we can’t be criticized if we keep seeing McConaughey as we read.

A Time for Mercy
John Grisham