Destin Daniel Cretton, the films director, says that many of the people who got to oversee departments had worked in the business for decades but had never been given a chance to run their own shop. CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE Death, Life, and Justice in a Southern Town By Pete Earley Bantam. I can talk to him a little bit about how to move through a courtroom, and he can definitely show me how to move on a red carpet. Jordan isnt having it. The filmmakers had a plan to make it at a responsible price, so there was managed risk, and you know sometimes youve just got to take a shot on something you believe in., Warner Bros. is betting that Just Mercy will become a major awards season player, with Jordan and Foxx vying in the lead and supporting actor categories and the film duking it out with front-runners like Marriage Story and The Irishman in the best picture battle. Research the McMillian family Start your family tree now. Geni requires JavaScript! 
The surname McMillan was first found in at Tayside, where in 1263 Cilleonan MacMolan appears on documents.
Suddenly, State Troopers, city cars, sheriffs, and deputies surrounded his car. Notably, he worked as a pulpwood worker for a while until he suffered from a broken neck in 1995. That means that nobody on the planet is totally unaware of what happened during that time period. Despite the lack of any physical evidence linking McMillian to the murder of a white clerk named Ronda Morrison, he was arrested for the crime more than six months after it took place. The author did a great job about explaining the life of Mr. McMillians and the troubles he experienced due to the fact of being wrongly convicted for a crime he didnt commit. It will inspire audience members to take action. In addition, one of McMillian's sons had married a white woman. WebWalter McMillian, who is Black, was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of a young white woman who worked as a clerk in a dry cleaning store in Monroeville, Alabama. McMillian had a business of his own and was an upstanding member of his community. They had three children and lived in a dilapidated house in Repton, about 10 miles south of Monroeville. McMillian and his wife, Minnie, met when when they were teenagers and married after she became pregnant in 1962. Theyre clearly pumped by the response from the opening-night crowd, which gave the movie a spirited standing ovation. Contact profile manager; View family tree; 
He had a large, tight-knit family and several children with his wife Minnie, but, following an affair with a white woman, Walter was falsely accused and convicted of murdering a different white woman. Research the McMillian family Start your family tree now. His trial lasted less than two days. Contact profile manager; View family tree; 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. I find it very heartbreaking that even with inconsistencies and testimonies in favor of him, that he was still condemned because of the way he looked. His time spent in prison was torture not only to McMillian but to his family and friends as well. Film Festival, Stevenson had never walked the red carpet at a movie premiere. Walter McMillian: Birthdate: estimated between 1837 and 1897 : Birthplace: GA, United States: Death: Immediate Family: Son of Laban Parks McMillian and Ada Kirk Husband of Libbie Wood Father of Private; Private; Larry McMillian; Private and Private Brother of Entered Wrong and Mary J. McMillian. He spoke to the Montgomery Advertiserin 1997, saying, Its hard to get it back together. He came to attention because he had an affair with a married white woman. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. The community heard about the tragedy as many had gathered for a fish-fry at McMillans home to raise money for their local church. Walter was an unlikely suspect in Rondas murder. WebBorn to a poor black family outside of Monroeville, Alabama, Walter became a successful small businessman as an adult. 
Instant PDF downloads. Aside from having a misdemeanor charge from a barroom fight, he had a clean record and no other charges to his name. Walter McMillian died in 2013: he was 71-years-old. What happened to Walter McMillian in a small Alabama town in 1987 has long been pointed to as a classic example of a miscarriage of justice. You went, Everybody should know him.. McMillian was convicted by a His conviction was wrongfully obtained, based on police coercion and perjury. Jamie knows that you have to live in two worlds when you live in the South, says Stevenson. For me, the threshold question is not whether people deserve to die for the crimes theyve committed, says Stevenson. What I have to figure out is how were going to meet the need, he says. I think we all have a knowledge of that. He was then taken to the local jail where the charge was quickly dismissed. It was truly heart wrenching that all of the people were apart of the crime were not criminally charged nor punished, yet the only person who was punished was the innocent man. Jamie was one of those people who, in my head, I was always like, I cant wait to repay him, says Jordan. This story is just one of the many injustices colored people must experience. In a 2014 interview withNPR, Stevenson, Walters lawyer, said, I saw that create this early-onset dementia [in McMillian] that many of the doctors believed was trauma-induced, was a function of his experience of being nearly killed and he witnessed eight executions when he was on death row Thus, while the American penal system is not directly responsible for Walters demise, the traumatic experience definitely played a role in his death. It demonstrates that Stevenson is the best ambassador for a movie about a difficult subject a film that faces challenging commercial headwinds when it opens it opens in limited release on Dec. 25. before expanding in January. I believe there are other people under sentence of death who like me are not guilty. What happened to Walter McMillian in a small Alabama town in 1987 has long been pointed to as a classic example of a miscarriage of justice. 
For many death row inmates, it takes years to get the kind of legal representation and investigation necessary to prove your innocence., The trauma McMillian faced on death row ultimately led to the early onset of dementia. The surname McMillan was first found in at Tayside, where in 1263 Cilleonan MacMolan appears on documents. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. On the other hand, maybe the jury has more fault, since surely the defense attorney would had pointed out the inconsistencies of the witnesses testimonies, meaning that it cant be trusted, but the majority of them ultimately decided to turn a blind eye too. He knew it, his family knew it, and his friends knew it. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. In the last two years of his life, McMillian could neither enjoy the outdoors nor get around without help. When he asked for an explanation, they loudly and angrily said that he was being charged with sodomy for assaulting a man. Walters wife, The State decides to join rather than oppose the motion. Walters wife Minnie warmly greets Stevenson and she offers him something to eat. Within weeks, McMillian was transferred to a maximum-security state prison in Atmore, Alabama. Because if we kill someone who didnt do something, we dont have the ability to fix that., The hope is that Just Mercy will do more than entertain. Walter became a prime suspect in the case, despite almost zero evidence against him.
Just Mercy, starring Jamie Foxx as Walter (and also sometimes called Johnnie D by his friends and family), is based off the memoir written by Stevenson, played by Michael B. Jordan. Its so clear they will believe someone that had inconsistent and false testimony over many people confirming his alibi. 
October 10, 1995. I have to block a lot out because if I didnt, Id wind up doing the wrong thing. When Ronda Morrisons murder sent shockwaves through the small Monroeville community in Alabama, the cops rushed to solve the case. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. ), Nellie Ophelia Wood (born Mcmillian), James L. Mcmillian, Joseph Parks Mcmillian, Emma Wood (born Mcmillian), Edward J. Mcmillian, < te> Mcmillian, Larry Mcmillian, 
There was a tragic murder of eighteen-year-old Ronda Morrison. Stevenson believes that Just Mercy can shine an important light on the issues that hes devoted his career to combating, but he admits that he was reluctant to become the public face of a larger movement. The crime took place at the Jackson Cleaners in Monroeville. 
He first notices the homes disrepair and the familiar signs of poverty. WebWalter had a history of cheating on his wife, Minnie, with whom he had five children. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Everybody sees theyre profitable, and theyre all saying, I want some of that too.. He loves to think ahead. Of course, the overwhelming majority of films are still centered on stories of white men, but Jordan and Foxx believe that momentum is on their side. McMillian was convicted by a He had a large, tight-knit family and several children with his wife Minnie, but, following an affair with a white woman, Walter was falsely accused and convicted of murdering a different white woman. Equal Justice Initiative Walter McMillian with his family after his release from prison.
Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. His trial lasted less than two days. Walter McMillian: Birthdate: estimated between 1837 and 1897 : Birthplace: GA, United States: Death: Immediate Family: Son of Laban Parks McMillian and Ada Kirk Husband of Libbie Wood Father of Private; Private; Larry McMillian; Private and Private Brother of Entered Wrong and Mary J. McMillian. Equal Justice Initiative Walter McMillian with his family after his release from prison. They stopped him with guns pointing at his face, and they shoved him up against his truck. McMillian had a business of his own and was an upstanding member of his community. 
Walters case was moved from Monroe County to Baldwin County with a significantly lower black population. The reveal of the witness being pressured to testify proves that the laws that help prevent these things dont always work. Judge Robert E. Lee Key overrode the verdict, using powers bestowed on him by the state of Alabama, and sentenced Walter to death by electrocution. Mr. McMillian was held on death row prior to being convicted and sentenced to death. In the manuscript stage, Stevensons book found its way to Gil Netter, the producer of The Blind Side, who thought it had big-screen potential. 
Ultimately, in light of the overwhelming amount of evidence proving Walters innocence, he was released from Death Row as a free man in 1993. Walter was an unlikely suspect in Rondas murder. 
Starting with, ordinary life lets the reader know that this could happen to anyone of color. It also empowered the various department chiefs to find people from underrepresented groups to staff other pivotal roles. He had about half a dozen of his friends and family members testifying that they were with him at the time of the crime. Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx in "Just Mercy". Aside from having a misdemeanor charge from a barroom fight, he had a clean record and no other charges to his name. But what met me on the other side in Los Angeles was this community of people like Jamie that genuinely cared about me. He also filed civil lawsuits for his sentencing to death row. McMillian has landed on the policemans radar for having an affair with a white woman, an unforgivable sin in his eyes. We started figuring out a way to do this, so now if you want to do this project with me, youve got to accept these terms.. For every nine people executed in this country, one innocent person has been exonerated. I get that Morrison was at a disadvantage when faced against white men for that exact reason, but if the testimonies were so obviously inconsistent, they should have known better. It was a pleasure to read this article about William McMillan. His loving friends and family spoke very highly of him and of everything he did for his community.1, On November 1, 1986 in Monroeville, Alabama, shocking news struck the town. He also filed a case against local and state officials, taking it to the Supreme Court. WebWalter had a history of cheating on his wife, Minnie, with whom he had five children. He had all the evidence and witnesses he could and still knowing in the end it was useless and wouldnt help him for his case is sad. The Ray star, recognizing Jordan as an actor on the rise, reached out to him when he moved out to Los Angeles as a teenager, and they bonded over basketball games, with Foxx offering his take on the best way to navigate the entertainment business. This story was very sad to read, and unfortunately a clear reality in todays times with our criminal justice system in the United States. 416 pp. Walters wife Minnie warmly greets Stevenson and she offers him something to eat. His days were spent twenty-three hours a day in a dark cell. Stevenson presented the newfound evidence at hearings and appeals before the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals.
I only make movies that put good in the world, says Netter. In 1986, at 43, Walter was involved with a (full context) Chapter 5: Of the Coming of John home. WebMcMillian, a father of nine who held two jobs, was known in the community for having an ongoing affair with a white woman named Karen Kelly (pictured below during a 60 Minutes interview ). Walters wife Minnie warmly greets Stevenson and she offers him something to eat. They arrived in Strathtay from the lands in Loch Arkaig after King Malcolm IV transplanted many Clans, including the MacMillans, from that region about 1160 AD. In 1986, at 43, Walter was involved with a (full context) Chapter 5: Of the Coming of John home. These arent favors that were giving out. WebWalter McMillian, who is Black, was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of a young white woman who worked as a clerk in a dry cleaning store in Monroeville, Alabama. I always feel that if a story moves me, hopefully it will move everybody else.. -Graham S. The timeline below shows where the character Minnie McMillian appears in. Wonder how many of them were white, if any minorities were serving at all. 
WebMyers had pled guilty as a conspirator in the murder and received a 30-year prison term. He began to raise his profile after growing alarmed by the rightward tilt in the countrys court system. WebWalter McMillian, who is Black, was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of a young white woman who worked as a clerk in a dry cleaning store in Monroeville, Alabama. In the case of Just Mercy, the production team was able to hire women or people of color to head such major departments as casting, costume design, production design, hair, makeup and stunts. In addition, one of McMillian's sons had married a white woman. He went back to death row, spending six more years there. Marvel said, All right, were going to put this up. Now watch how many black sci-fi projects are coming out. Struggling with distance learning? He was worried that if Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark case that banned racial segregation in public schools, were decided today, the outcome would be markedly different. Soon, he went from being a man who had an interracial affair to someone capable of murder. A student organization of St. Marys University of San Antonio, Texas, featuring scholarly research, writing, and media from students of all disciplines. It allows compensation for those who are wrongfully incarcerated. Conversations that ultimately shaped the course of the filmmaking process in a powerful way. McMillian was looking at two options for his sentence: death by electrocution, or life in prison. McMillian had a business of his own and was an upstanding member of his community. Again, great work! WebMcMillian, a father of nine who held two jobs, was known in the community for having an ongoing affair with a white woman named Karen Kelly (pictured below during a 60 Minutes interview ). Stevenson is prepared to surrender more of his anonymity if it means that more people will engage with the cause of criminal justice reform.
You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. In August 1988, a black man named Walter McMillian, known as Johnny D, was sentenced to death for the murder of a white teenage girl in Monroeville, Alabama. Ive had to learn how to live all over againyou try to live and keep going. 
$23.95. By embracing the inclusion rider, Cretton argues, the production forced staffers to broaden job searches beyond networks of people theyd worked with in the past. WebEarly Origins of the McMillan family. The way the content is organized. This article is informative and well written! In an age of high-flying superhero adventures, Just Mercy is an earthbound story about real people trying to do right. McMillian spoke to students, community groups, and elected officials all over the country. Unknown Mcmillian, Unknown Mcmillian, Unknown Mcmillian, Unknown Mcmillian, Unknown Mcmillian, Laborn Parks Mcmillian, Ada M. Mcmillian (born Kirk). The 45-year-old self-employed logger had worked for several people in the community and had no criminal history. Aside from having a misdemeanor charge from a barroom fight, he had a clean record and no other charges to his name. $23.95. Aside from having a misdemeanor charge from a barroom fight, he had a clean record and no other charges to his name. In their own lives Stevenson through his legal work, Jordan with his embrace of the inclusion rider both men are striving to make their worlds fairer and more equitable. He had a large, tight-knit family and several children with his wife Minnie, but, following an affair with a white woman, Walter was falsely accused and convicted of murdering a different white woman. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." Even if it falls short of those ambitions and becomes an Oscars also-ran, Just Mercy will have made history. Each testimony had inconsistencies in their stories, but that did not matter. It was a scary thought. First he appeared at the Ted2012 conference in Long Beach, Calif., where he enthralled audiences with a lecture that outlined the ways in which the criminal justice system is stacked against people of color. WebGenealogy for Walter Miles McMillian (1850 - 1922) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. 
WebMyers had pled guilty as a conspirator in the murder and received a 30-year prison term. Another of McMillians daughters, Renita Odom, says the courage he had gave the family another chance to have their father back. Southern Prisoners Defense Committee (SPDC), Voting Rights Protests of 1965 (Selma-to-Montgomery Marches). Refine any search. They dont sell internationally. Thats not true for lynching. So, how did Walter McMillian die? True to form, the overarching production diversity policy didnt just stop with the production of Just Mercy. Jordan, whose production shingle Outlier Society has a first-look deal with Warner Bros., helped convince the studios parent company, WarnerMedia, to embrace the rider across all of its divisions. While McMillian did receive an undisclosed amount of compensation, it was less than he had hoped for. 
At the trial, Hooks kept his testimony and claimed to have seen the truck near the Jackson Cleaners at the time of Ronda Morrisons murder.3, McMillian was innocent. He came to attention because he had an affair with a married white woman. WebMyers had pled guilty as a conspirator in the murder and received a 30-year prison term. A state witness, Ralph Myers, stated that he had been coerced. The fact that this man was innocent, and everyone knew, he was still guilty. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. Walter McMillian lived an ordinary life alongside his wife Minnie McMillian and their three children. This story is incredibly heartbreaking and sadly not very uncommon. They had three children and lived in a dilapidated house in Repton, about 10 miles south of Monroeville. McMillian is portrayed by Jamie Foxx and Stevenson is played by Michael B. Jordan, the Black Panther star who has used his considerable leverage to bring the story to the screen. Just Mercy, starring Jamie Foxx as Walter (and also sometimes called Johnnie D by his friends and family), is based off the memoir written by Stevenson, played by Michael B. Jordan. CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE Death, Life, and Justice in a Southern Town By Pete Earley Bantam. Ive just turned a lot over to him.. Just Mercy doesnt just grapple with knotty moral and legal issues. You have to have that sensibility to understand who this character is.. With a bushy mustache in initial scenes and a thick Southern accent, Foxx so transforms himself that Stevenson says he almost felt as if McMillian, who died in 2013, was reenacting his life on screen. Thats not true for slavery. McMillian and his wife, Minnie, met when when they were teenagers and married after she became pregnant in 1962. Bryan Stevenson met Walter in 1988 and soon the case started to fall apart. 416 pp. Not to mention, the way the author starts the article is genius. In 2018, a record number of movies featured women or people of color as leads or co-leads. I had never heard about this case before reading this article, and it is unfortunate to read about McMillian and his experience. I hope together we can actually create a more just world., It was a rousing, goose-bump-inducing call to arms, one fueled by a galvanizing belief in the capacity of individuals to effect change, but also the kind of speech that few orators could pull off without seeming hectoring or maudlin. They knew their statements against a white mans perjured testimony didnt stand a chance.4, McMillians trial lasted two days. 
Have we created a system with the kind of fairness and reliability and justice that we can engage in a punishment that has to be perfect? Managed by: Cameron McMillian: Last Updated: This was an important story, a moving story and one that we felt could draw a mainstream audience".
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