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

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,