Lawyering Through Life

Yeah, I am cool

I am spending my Saturday evening watching one of my favorite movies. A Time To Kill. Though it doesn’t live up to the book, I do think it is the best book to movie of all of Things Grisham.

Watching this movie is rather appropriate as on Tuesday, my judge begins a seven week capital murder trial. Jury selection should take a few days and hopefully by the end of the week, we will hear opening statements. The case is being tried by the Top Dog from the prosecutor’s office and the defense attorneys are highly reputable. This is Top Dog’s last stand before retirement and only a capital conviction will satisfy him. There will be no last minute plea offers as once the defendant finishes with us, we send him back to California where he will return to death row. Yep, this is not a John Grisham novel where the reader sympathizes with the defendant. I am vehemently opposed to the death penalty and this case presents a rather interesting issue. I mean, the defendant faces a death sentence in California and has come to Virginia charged with a murder that occurred almost 20 years ago. When he finishes the trial in our county, he will go to another county in Virginia and face another capital murder trial. The amount of money being spent by the Commonwealth of Virginia to try and also defend as the Commonwealth is footing the bill for his defense is astounding. I understand that he must answer for every crime he has committed and that the family members of his victims deserve to see him be held accountable for their loss. I just wonder when this will all be over.

In other news, I have made it halfway through the weekend and have not consumed any alcohol. I decided to have an alcohol free weekend for a number of reasons. One being that I am exhausted and going out will just exacerbate that problem. Two was just to test myself to see if I could do it as the last few weekends (okay, pretty much every weekend in recent memory) have centered heavily on alcohol and my body needs a break.

As an aside, while I absolutely love this movie, two things drive me absolutely crazy. One being that everybody is sweating through the entire movie. Dripping in sweat. I realize it is Mississippi and it is July, but I was in Mississippi in July and I managed to keep it together better than these people. The second is the complete lack of Ashley Judd’s southern accent. Everyone else in this movie layers the twang on thick, but not Ashley Judd. I guess since she grew up in the South but doesn’t have a thick Southern accent, she felt she didn’t have to fake it for the film.

Tomorrow, I am taking the two kids I tutor to the Mall. [That’s capital M mall, so not shopping.] Last week, after I accidentally locked the kids out of their apartment and had to drive the boy, O, to get the keys from his mom, he said something about how their last tutor used to take them places. Ouch! I suggested the zoo and O told me that he has been to the zoo seventeen times. Doubtful, but I guess the zoo’s out.

Oh, now Jake Brigance is giving his summation. I must go and get a tissue because I am about to cry. What a great movie.

posted by jersey @ 9:54 PM