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WorksheetsJM Ch 9-12
Total questions: 20
Worksheet time: 10mins
In Chapter 9, upon arriving at the courtroom on the second day, what difference does Stevenson discover from the previous day?
None of McMillian’s supporters had shown up on that day, so the courtroom was empty.
Walter’s supporters were waiting in the hall; they had not been permitted inside the courtroom.
Whereas no one had shown up in support of McMillian the first day, the courtroom was filled with his supporters the second day
The prosecution had changed the attorneys who were arguing the case.
In chapter 9, Mrs. Williams was one of the supporters the group chose to represent them inside the courtroom. What is noteworthy about her appearance and demeanor?
She is a sophisticated young black woman who appears to be wise beyond her years
She is a young white woman. Stevenson finds her appearance unusual in the courtroom because she is covered in tattoos and wearing cutoff jeans
She is an elegant older black woman with gravitas; she is well-dressed, graceful, and dignified. She is clearly respected in the community.
She is a quiet, middle-aged, white woman. She didn’t know McMillian personally, but she was inspired by his fight against the injustice of the criminal justice system
What does Mrs. William’s fearful reaction to the police dog in chapter 9 suggest about her past?
The implication is that she has had negative experiences with police dogs in the past, likely while fighting for equality in the Civil Rights Era.
Mrs. Williams probably wasn’t privileged enough as a child to have owned a dog. Her lack of interaction with them has possibly created this fear.
Mrs. Williams probably has a family member with a dangerous dog, which looks similar to the dogs the policemen are holding
Stevenson takes the moment to inform the reader that the majority of people who are afraid of dogs were bitten by one in childhood.
Why might Stevenson have chosen to name the chapter 9 after Mrs. Williams’ triumphant, repeated statement “I’m here!”?
Her response mirrors a response given to roll call in school when one is young. Stevenson is using the nostalgia of this to remind the reader that all situations can be educational.
Mrs. Williams had to repeat the statement so many times because no one was listening to her. Stevenson believes in the importance of being persistent until the room is willing to recognize your presence
She refused to give in to intimidation and she refused to be turned away, a statement Stevenson believes is relevant for the whole African American community.
Stevenson uses the phrase to draw a contrast between Mrs. Williams and the rest of the community. Mrs. Williams showed up, but the rest of McMillian’s friends and family have been too afraid to
In the last part of chapter 9, Stevenson describes how he and Michael went to the beach to relax after the trial. He describes it as beautiful, but his fear of sharks tempers the beauty and makes him anxious. How does this parallel and reinforce his reflections on the trial?
While the trial was overall hopeful, the outright antagonism, corruption, and threats cast a shadow on the positive progress.
Fear is often irrational. While sharks have a reputation for being deadly, they rarely attack humans. People shouldn’t allow irrational fears to ruin the few good
moments.
Stevenson believes that if McMillian had paid more attention to the dangerous sharks in the waters, he might be home safe instead of on death row.
All beautiful things and situations are hiding deadly undercurrents.
As revealed in Ch 10, what have been some of our country’s challenges in caring for mentally ill people
in the past?
There have been problems with the inhumane treatment at mental hospitals.
Some psychiatric drugs have been over-prescribed.
People have sometimes been committed to mental hospitals simply for having behaviors
that violated social norms.
All of the above
In Chapter 10 we learn that George Daniel shot a police officer, who died of his wounds. While his crime shows he was unstable and unsafe, what factors should have mitigated the legal response?
He was clearly incompetent to stand trial; he had been mentally injured in a car accident and never recovered.
Daniel didn’t realize that the man was a police officer because he was in plain clothes and failed to identify himself
Daniel was suffering from PTSD from his experiences in the war.
He had a troubled childhood without the structures necessary for him to be able to stay out of trouble later on
How is Stevenson treated by the prison guard when goes to visit Avery Jenkins in chapter 10?
The prison guard refuses to allow Stevenson to enter the prison even though he has a verifiable appointment.
Stevenson is hesitant upon meeting the guard, but he actually treats Stevenson with respect and positivity.
The prison guard strip-searches the author and makes him sign a visitation book, neither of which was actual protocol.
The prison guard gives Stevenson no trouble at all, beyond identifying that he was indeed connected to what was outside of the gate.
What does Avery Jenkins request from Stevenson at the beginning of every visit in chapter 10? Why does Stevenson not comply with the request?
He asks Stevenson for a chocolate milkshake, but the prison authorities won’t allow Stevenson to bring a milkshake into the prison.
He asks for Stevenson to convince his family to come and visit him. Stevenson does not have the time or the emotional energy to fulfill this request.
He asks for Stevenson to take him home. For obvious reasons, Stevenson cannot help him leave the prison
He asks for Stevenson to appeal his case. Stevenson is doing his best, but the process is lengthy, and his office is understaffed
The officer who harassed Stevenson in chapter 10 was present at Jenkins’s trial. How did his behavior change after the trial?
He becomes even angrier, almost violent towards Stevenson and Jenkins.
He asks to be transferred to a different facility so that he doesn’t have to interact with Jenkins any longer.
He becomes kind and respectful to Stevenson and Jenkins.
He becomes detached and seemingly uninterested in both men, interacting with each of them with disinterest.
In the beginning of Ch 11, Judge Norton rules against granting relief to Walter McMillian. Why might
Stevenson have chosen to print the judge’s explanation of the ruling in full?
The emotional text of the ruling shows the struggle that Judge Norton went through to come to the decision that he did.
The judge acknowledges in the text the pressure he is receiving from politicians in Alabama to keep the case closed.
The ruling is relatively short and shows that the judge apparently did not consider the numerous testimonies and legal challenges Stevenson raised.
The text is full of the biases held against McMillian in his original trial, including
the assertion that he was part of a gang.
As revealed in Ch 11, what is the relationship between the news media and the South, particularly
southern politicians?
Mutually beneficial: politicians in the South provide media outlets with access to high profile stories, and in return, the journalists don’t print anything negative
about the politicians.
Hostile: southern politicians used to sue media outlets over unfavorable coverage during the Civil Rights Era in an effort to discourage and discredit the media.
Objective and respectful; neither group goes out of their way to help or hurt the other group.
Invaluable for the journalist; politicians provide journalists they like with long, detailed interviews and the scoop on various stories without asking for anything in return.
Why does the author decide to discuss McMillian’s story in the media in chapter 11, despite his general policy of not bringing media attention to his cases?
He fears McMillian will be in danger once he’s released if the general population does not know that he is innocent.
He is hoping if people learn about his organization and the good work they are doing, they will donate to a fund to keep the organization going.
He wants the personal recognition for the work he has been doing.
He hopes that if important politicians see the show, they will support his efforts for McMillian’s release.
After the 60 Minutes segment on McMillian aired, Stevenson notes that the community reacted in all of the following ways EXCEPT:
The black community was happy to see the truth about McMillian broadcast publicly.
Many in the community reacted with suspicion and indignation at the idea of outsiders involving themselves in a local issue.
McMillian’s family members were disappointed in the journalism and were worried that it hadn’t clearly identified all of the corruption surrounding the case
Local officials were quick to publicly discredit the piece, even before it aired
In chapter 11, McMillian’s wrongful conviction is finally overturned. Despite his freedom, what dampens the sense of victory?
His wife, while she still cares for him, does not wish to live with him after he is released.
He had become so used to the routines of prison life that he has a hard time adjusting to life outside of its walls.
He has grown close to Stevenson in the time that they have spent together trying to get McMillian off of death row, and he doesn’t believe he will see him again now that he has been released.
Many of his closest friends died while he was in prison, and as he leaves the prison walls, he feels as though he has no one left.
What tone does chapter 11 end with? How is this created?
Stevenson flashes back to the bomb threats he has been receiving, creating a somber and ominous tone. The reader knows it’s not over.
Stevenson ends the chapter with the image of McMillian walking into his house with his wife, creating a tone of nostalgia and peace.
Stevenson creates the image of McMillian moving his arms like he’s going to fly and saying he feels like a bird, creating a tone of hopefulness and freedom.
Stevenson describes in vivid detail the men who are left behind in the prison as McMillian is leaving, creating a tone of ambivalence and unrest.
What happened with Marsha Colbey's pregnancy in Chapter 12?
Colbey had to terminate her pregnancy because she couldn’t afford to raise another child.
Colbey gave birth to a live baby, but it died mysteriously within several days.
Colbey did drugs while pregnant, resulting in a miscarriage.
Colbey had a placental abruption which caused the pregnancy to end in a stillbirth.
As revealed in Ch 12, although America is a world power, we have a high rate of infant mortality. What
is one reason for this?
Many poor women cannot afford prenatal and postnatal care.
Many women are afraid of hospitals.
Outdated American hospital policies often prevent doctors from providing proper care to infants after they are born.
Hospitals intentionally discriminate against poor women and women of color, turning them away from the care they need.
In chapter 12, how did Marsha Colbey come to be charged with capital murder?
Colbey came to believe that she had killed her baby, and in her grief, she confessed what she thought she had done to a friend, who called the police.
Colbey’s doctor filed a police report when she didn’t show up for one of her late term prenatal appointments.
A suspicious neighbor called the police and they found the baby’s grave and found Colbey’s behavior to be suspicious.
The coroner, concerned by her findings during an autopsy that the baby had been born alive and died of unnatural causes, called the police.
As revealed in chapter 12, what form of abuse do the inmates of Tutwiler frequently suffer?
They are deprived of food and water for weeks at a time.
They are forced to do hard labor for 12 hours at a time without pay.
They are often sexually harassed and raped by the prison guards. Many have even become pregnant as a result.
They are forced into solitary confinement for weeks at a time for no reason at all, but as a means of social control.
