In A Lesson Before Dying, Jefferson’s case took place in a time when blacks were not afforded equality in society and especially in the criminal justice system. He was put on death row after he was unlucky enough to have been in the store when his friends got into the dispute with Mr. Grope. In their dispute Mr. Grope, and Jefferson’s two friends were shot and killed, leaving Jefferson as the only one left alive. While it makes sense that this would look bad in the eyes of the authorities, the criminal justice system that was in place at that time did not afford Jefferson a trial that was motivated by the search for the truth. Instead it was a trial motivated by racism and inequality. One where a white

They argue that when a corrupt system of justice is in place it can be used to hurt certain classes of people, and when the death penalty is utilized in combination with such a system it can result in irreversible consequences. This argument is shown to be true in the book where it is obvious that Jefferson should not have been executed. He probably should not have even been in jail, but at least if he were, there would always be the possibility that the system would change and his conviction would be justly overturned. With the death penalty in place, there is no chance for correction of wrongful convictions, and many innocent people might be the ones who suffer.

It is clear to me that with a system like the one in place in Louisiana in the 1940’s, the death penalty is a scary proposition. One in which the advantages are clearly outweighed by all the disadvantages that go along with capital punishment. But, under today’s system where such assurances exist such as DNA evidence, and the belief that a person is innocent until proven guilty, the use of the death penalty in our current system seems more justifiable. Personally, when I read stories similar to A Lesson Before Dyin

Some topics in this essay:
Grope Jefferson’s, Ernest Gaines, Dying Jefferson’s, Lesson Dying, death penalty, Death Penalty, criminal justice system, criminal justice, justice system, lesson dying, trial motivated, south 1940’s, search truth, today’s criminal justice, current system, person sentenced, dispute grope, opponents death penalty, person sentenced death,