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Week 8 - Fall 2024 - Just Mercy (YA) - Chapter 9 — Transcript

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0:06just Mercy
0:09part8 I'm here chapter n finally the
0:14date for Walter McMillan's hearing was
0:15nearing here was our opportunity to
0:17present all the new evidence in Walter's
0:19favor including Ralph Meyer's testimony
0:22and the newly discovered police records
0:24meanwhile Tom Chapman Was preparing to
0:26defend Walter's conviction with the help
0:28of Assistant Attorney General Don vesa a
0:31longtime prosecutor with a reputation
0:33for being aggressive in his prosecution
0:35of bad guys Michael and I had reached
0:38out to Chapman before the hearing to see
0:40if we could persuade him to reopen the
0:42investigation and independently
0:44reexamine whether Walter McMillan was
0:46guilty but by now Chapman and all of the
0:49law enforcement officers had grown tired
0:51of us I had considered reporting to them
0:53the bomb threats and death threats we'd
0:55received since they were likely coming
0:57from people in Monroe County but I
0:59wasn't sure anyone in the sheriff's or
1:01DA's office would care judge Robert E
1:05Lee key Jr had retired the new judge on
1:09the case judge uh Thomas B Norton Jr had
1:12grown also grown weary of us we kept
1:15insisting on obtaining all files and
1:17evidence the state had in its possession
1:20we were sure there was still more that
1:22had not been turned over in the last
1:24pre-trial appearance the judge had asked
1:26how much time will you need to present
1:28your evidence Mr Stevenson
1:30we'd like to reserve a week your honor a
1:33week you've got to be joking for a rule
1:3632 hearing the trial in this case lasted
1:38only a day and a half yes sir we believe
1:41this is an extraordinary case and there
1:43are several witnesses and three days Mr
1:46Stevenson if you can't make your case in
1:49three days after all this drama you've
1:50stirred up you don't really have
1:52anything judge I
1:55adjourned after spending another long
1:58day in Monroeville tracking down a few
2:00final Witnesses Michael and I went back
2:02to the office to plan how to represent
2:05all how to present all of the evidence
2:08in the narrow amount of time the judge
2:10had given us another concern was Meyer's
2:13trustworthiness Ralph was such a wild
2:16card that we didn't know what to expect
2:18from him we sat down with him a few days
2:20before the hearing to be Crystal
2:22Clear just answer the questions
2:25accurately and honestly Ralph I warned
2:27him I always do Ralph said confidently
2:31wait did you just say you always do
2:34Michael asked what are you talking about
2:36you always do Ralph you lied through the
2:39entire trial that's what we're going to
2:42expose at this hearing I know Meyer said
2:45cooly I meant I always tell y'all the
2:47truth don't freak me out Ralph just
2:50testify truthfully Michael said we
2:53arrived at the courthouse the morning of
2:55the uh hearing early and anxious we were
2:58both dressed in dark suits white shirts
3:00and muted ties I usually dressed as
3:03conservatively as possible for court I
3:06was a young black bearded man and I
3:09tried to meet the Court's expectation of
3:13what lawyer looked like if only for the
3:15sake of my
3:16clients both Meyer and Walter were in
3:18holding cells in the basement of the
3:20courthouse we first went to check on
3:22Meyers he was anxious worse he was
3:25unusually quiet and reserved I went to
3:27see Walter next being back at the
3:30courthouse where he'd been convicted
3:31four years earlier had shaken him but he
3:34forced himself to smile when I walked in
3:37was the trip okay I asked everything is
3:40good just hoping for something better
3:42than the last time I was
3:45here I nodded sympathetically and
3:47reviewed with him what I thought would
3:49unfold over the next few days then I
3:51made my way upstairs to get ready for
3:53court to begin when I entered the
3:56courtroom I was shocked by what I saw
3:58dozens of people from the Comm Community
4:01mostly black and poor dressed in church
4:03clothes had packed the viewing area
4:06people from Walter's family people who
4:08had attended the fish fry on the day of
4:09the crime people we'd interviewed over
4:12the past several months people who knew
4:14Walter from working with him even Sam
4:16Crook and his posi were crammed into the
4:18courtroom Minnie and armelia smiled as I
4:21walked in ch Tom Chapman then walked in
4:24with Don vesca and they both scanned the
4:26room I could tell from the looks on
4:28their faces that they were unhappy about
4:30the crowd Tate Larry ikner and Benson
4:34the law enforcement team primarily
4:36responsible for Walter's prosecution
4:38entered behind them the parents of Ronda
4:40Morrison were seated at the front of the
4:42court it took a few seconds for the
4:44black community members to settle into
4:46silence which seemed to annoy judge
4:49Norton a balding white man in his 50s
4:52but I was energized by their presence
4:54and happy for Walter that so many people
4:56had come out to support him gentlemen
4:59are we ready to proceed judge Norton
5:01asked we are your honor I replied but we
5:04intend to call several of the law
5:05enforcement officers present in the
5:07court room and I would like to invoke
5:09the rule of sequestration in criminal
5:12cases Witnesses who will be testifying
5:14are required to sit outside the
5:16courtroom so they can't alter their
5:18testimony based on what other Witnesses
5:20say since officers were testifying it
5:22seemed obvious that they should have to
5:24sit outside vesa was on his feet
5:27immediately no judge that's not going to
5:30happen these are the investigators who
5:31figured out this heinous crime and we
5:34need them in court to present our case I
5:36stayed on my feet the state doesn't bear
5:39the burden of presenting a case in these
5:40proceedings your honor we do this isn't
5:43a criminal trial but a postconviction
5:45evidentiary hearing judge they're the
5:49ones that are trying to retry this case
5:51and we need our people inside vesa
5:54countered the judge jumped in with well
5:56it does sound like you're going trying
5:58to retry the case Mr Mr Stevenson so I'm
6:01going to allow the state to keep the
6:02crime investigators in the courtroom
6:05this was not a good start but there was
6:07nothing we could do I decided to proceed
6:09with an opening statement before calling
6:11Meyers as our first
6:13witness I wanted the judge to understand
6:15that we weren't just defending Mr
6:17McMillan from a different angle than his
6:20old lawyers I wanted him to know that we
6:22had dramatic new evidence of Innocence
6:25that completely cleared Walter I wanted
6:27him to know that Justice demanded
6:29Walter's immediate release your honor
6:32the state's case against Walter McMillan
6:33turned entirely on the testimony of
6:35Ralph Meyers who had several prior
6:38felony convictions and another capital
6:40murder case pending against him in
6:42Escambia County at the time of Mr
6:44McMillan's trial at trial Mr McMillan
6:47asserted that he is innocent and they
6:49that he did not know Mr Meyers at the
6:52time of this crime he has maintained his
6:54innocence throughout these proceedings
6:56the judge had been fidgeting and had
6:58seemed distracted when I started so I
7:00paused even if he didn't agree I wanted
7:02him to hear what I was saying I stopped
7:05talking until I was sure that he was
7:06paying close attention finally he made
7:08eye contact with me so I continued there
7:11is no question that Walter McMillan was
7:13convicted of capital murder based on the
7:15testimony of Ralph Meyers there was no
7:17other evidence to establish Mr
7:19McMillan's guilt for capital murder at
7:21trial other than Meyers testimony the
7:24state had no physical evidence linking
7:26Mr McMillan to this crime the state had
7:29no motive
7:30the state had no witnesses to the crime
7:32the state had only the testimony of
7:34Ralph Meyers at trial Myers testified
7:38that he was unknowingly and unwillingly
7:41made part of a capital murder and
7:43robbery on November 1st 1986 when Walter
7:46McMillan saw him at a car wash and asked
7:49him to drive Mr McMillan's truck because
7:51his arm hurt Meers stated that he drove
7:54Mr McMillan to Jackson cleaners
7:56subsequently went into the cleaners and
7:58saw Mr McMillan with a gun placing money
8:01in a brown bag another man who was white
8:04was also present in the cleaners Myers
8:06testified this man had black gray hair
8:09and allegedly talked to Mr McMillan
8:11Myers asserted that he was shoved and
8:14threatened by Mr McMillan when he went
8:16into the cleaners the mysterious third
8:18person presumed to be in charge
8:20allegedly instructed Mr McMillan to get
8:23rid of Myers which Mr McMillan said he
8:25couldn't do because he was out of
8:27bullets the white man in charge had
8:29never been identified or arrested by the
8:31state the state has not been looking for
8:33a third person a ring leader for this
8:36crime because I think they recognize
8:38that this person doesn't
8:40exist I paused again to let the meaning
8:43of this sink in based on the testimony
8:45of Ralph Meers Walter McMillan was
8:47convicted of capital murder and
8:49sentenced to death as you're about to
8:51hear the testimony of Ralph Meers was
8:53completely false again your honor the
8:56testimony of Ralph Meyers at trial was
8:58completely
9:00false I took a moment before turning to
9:02the baith to call Myers to the stand the
9:05courtroom was silent until the deputy
9:07opened the door and Ralph Myers walked
9:09into the courtroom Ralph had aged
9:11visibly since the last time the people
9:13in the courtroom had seen him I could
9:15hear murmurs about how his hair had
9:17grayed dressed in his prison whites
9:19Myers once again appeared small and sad
9:22to me as he climbed up onto the witness
9:24stand judge Norton looked at him
9:26attentively I walked over to begin my
9:29examination after asking him to State
9:31his name for the record and establishing
9:33that he had previously appeared in court
9:36and testified against Walter McMillan it
9:38was time to get to the heart of things I
9:41came closer to the witness stand Mr
9:43Meyers was the testimony that you gave
9:46at Mr McMillan's trial true I was hoping
9:50that the judge couldn't see I was
9:51holding my breath waiting for Ralph to
9:53answer Ralph looked at me cooly when
9:55then but then smoke very clearly and
9:58confidently not at all there was more
10:01murmuring in the courtroom now but the
10:03crowd quickly quieted to hear more not
10:06at all I repeated before continuing I
10:09wanted Ralph's recantation to sink in
10:12but I didn't want to hesitate too long
10:13before we needed because we needed a lot
10:17more did you see Mr McMillan on the day
10:19that Ronda Morrison was murdered
10:22absolutely not Ralph looked steady as he
10:24spoke did you drive his truck into
10:26Monroeville on that day absolutely not
10:30did you go into Jackson cleaners where
10:32when Ronda Morrison was murdered no
10:35never did now at Mr McMillan's trial did
10:38you give some testimony that there was a
10:40white man inside the cleaners when you
10:42went inside yes I did what was that
10:45testimony please as I can recall the
10:49testimony was that I had overheard
10:51Walter McMillan saying something to this
10:53guy and I also recalled saying that I
10:55had seen the back part of his head but
10:57that's just about all I can recall call
10:59on that was that testimony true Mr
11:02Meyers no it wasn't now the judge leaned
11:05in to listen with wrapped attention were
11:08any of the allegations you made against
11:10Walter McMillan as being involved in the
11:12Ronda Morrison murder true Ralph paused
11:15and looked around the con courtroom
11:17before he answered for the first time
11:19there was an emotion in his voice regret
11:21or remorse no it seemed that everyone in
11:25the courtroom had been holding their
11:27breath but now there was an audible bust
11:29from many of Walter's supporters I had a
11:32copy of the trial transcript and took
11:34Ralph through every sentence of his
11:36testimony against Walter statement by
11:39statement he acknowledged that his
11:41previous testimony was entirely false
11:43Meyers would frequently turn his head to
11:45look at judge Norton to look judge
11:48Norton directly in the eye as he spoke
11:50even during the lengthy
11:51cross-examination by Chapman he remained
11:54firm after Relentless questioning about
11:56why he was changing his testimony and
11:58chat suggestion that someone was putting
12:01him up to this Ralph became indignant he
12:04looked at the prosecutor and said me I
12:07can simply look in your face and anybody
12:09else's face Dead Eye to eyeball and tell
12:12you that that's all I anything that was
12:15told about McMillan was a lie as far as
12:19I know McMillan didn't have anything to
12:20do with this because on the day on the
12:23day they say this happened I didn't even
12:25see McMillan and that's exactly what I
12:27told lots of people I reviewed my notes
12:30and then glanced at Michael to make sure
12:31I hadn't forgotten anything are we okay
12:34Michael looked astonished Ralph was
12:36great he was really really
12:39great I looked at Walter and only then
12:41realized that his eyes were moist he was
12:44shaking his head from side to side in
12:45disbelief I put my hand on his shoulder
12:48before announcing to the court that
12:50Meyers would be excused that um could be
12:53excused we had no further questions
12:55Meyers stood up to leave the courtroom
12:57as the deputies led him to a side door
13:00he looked apologetically at Walter
13:02before being escorted out I'm not sure
13:04Walter saw him people in the courtroom
13:06started whispering again I heard one of
13:09Walter's relatives in a muted tone say
13:11thank you Jesus the next challenge to
13:14disprove the testimonies of Bill Hooks
13:16and Joe Hightower who had claimed to see
13:19Walter's modified low rider truck pulled
13:21out from pulling out from the cleaners
13:24about the time Rhonda Morrison was
13:25murdered I called clay cast to The Stand
13:28the the white mechanic testified that Mr
13:30McMillan's truck was not a low rider in
13:32November 1986 when Ronda Morrison was
13:35murdered cast had records and clearly
13:37remembered modifying Walter's truck in
13:40May 1987 over 6 months after the day
13:43when Hooks and high tower claimed they'd
13:45seen a low rider truck in the cleaners
13:48we finished the day with woodro ikner a
13:51Monroeville police officer who testified
13:53that he was the first to arrive at the
13:54crime scene on the day of the murder he
13:57asserted that the body of Ronda Morris
13:59was not by the front counter where Myers
14:01had testified it was more significantly
14:04ikner testified that he'd been asked by
14:06Pearson the trial prosecutor to testify
14:09that Morrison's body had been dragged
14:11through the store from the front counter
14:13to the spot where it was found ikner
14:15knew that such testimony would be false
14:18and it told the prosecutors that he
14:19refused to lie he was soon after
14:21discharged from the police
14:24department at this the judge seemed
14:26visibly affected by the proceedings I I
14:29believe the concerned look on his face
14:30revealed confusion about what he was
14:32going to do in light of this evidence
14:34and I considered the judge's Newfound
14:36confusion and concern to be real
14:38progress this was the first evidence
14:40that suggested that people in law
14:42enforcement had been so set on
14:44convicting Walter that they were
14:45ignoring and even hiding evidence that
14:47showed his innocence all of the
14:49witnesses we called during the first day
14:51were white and none had any loyalties to
14:54Walter McMillan it seemed that judge
14:56Norton had not expected that the worry
14:59lines on his face were deepening maybe
15:01we were making some progress with him
15:03when wood R iker's testimony ended it
15:06was already deep into the afternoon the
15:08judge looked at the clock and called it
15:11a day I wanted to keep going to continue
15:13until midnight if necessary but I
15:15realized that that wasn't going to
15:17happen I walked over to Walter we have
15:20to stop now he asked worriedly yes but
15:23we'll just pick up and keep going
15:25tomorrow morning I smiled at him and I
15:27was pleased when he smiled back
15:29Walter looked at me excitedly man I
15:31can't tell you how I'm feeling right now
15:34all this time I've been waiting for the
15:36truth and been hearing nothing but lies
15:38right now feels like incredible I just a
15:41middle-aged white officer interrupted us
15:43to take Walter back to his holding cell
15:46I told Walter I'd come down later as
15:48people filed out of the courtroom you
15:50could see hope growing among Walter's
15:52family they came up to me and gave me
15:54hugs Walter's sister arelia his wife
15:57Minnie and his nephew Giles were all
16:00talking excitedly about the evidence we'
16:02presented Michael was pumped up too
16:05Chapman should just call you and say he
16:07wants to drop the charges against Walter
16:09and let him go home let's not hold our
16:11breath waiting for that call I
16:14replied I arrived at the courthouse
16:16early the next morning to visit Walter
16:17in his basement cell before proceedings
16:19began when I headed upstairs I was
16:22confused to see a throng of black folks
16:25waiting in the courtroom Lobby I went up
16:28to our who looked at me with concern
16:31what's wrong I asked why aren't yall
16:33inside the courtroom if there had been a
16:35huge crowd yesterday today's hearing had
16:37brought more people including several
16:39clergy members and older people of color
16:41I'd never seen before they won't let us
16:44in Mr Stevenson what do you mean they
16:46won't let you in we tried to go in
16:48earlier and they told us we couldn't
16:50come in what was going on I pushed by
16:53the deputy opened the door and saw that
16:55the entire courtroom had been altered
16:57inside the courtroom door they had
16:59placed a large metal detector on the
17:01other side of which was an enormous
17:03German Shepherd held back by a police
17:05officer the courtroom was already half
17:08filled the benches that had been filled
17:10by Walter's supporters the previous day
17:12were now mostly occupied by older white
17:14people supporting the Morrison and the
17:16prosecution clearly Chapman and vesca
17:19were trying to keep out Walter's
17:21supporters they were already sitting at
17:23the prosecutor's table acting as if
17:25nothing was going on I was livid I went
17:28directly to the judge's chamber to
17:30explain to judge Norton that Walter
17:32McMillan's family and supporters had
17:33been denied entry into the courtroom he
17:36rolled his eyes Mr Stevenson your people
17:39will just have to get here earlier he
17:41said dismissively judge the problem
17:44isn't that they weren't here early the
17:46problem is they were told they couldn't
17:47come into the courtroom no one is being
17:50denied entrance to the courtroom Mr
17:52Stevenson he turned to his bayth who
17:54left the room I followed the bayth and
17:57saw the him whisper something to the
17:59deputy outside the courtroom Mr
18:01McMillan's supporters would be let into
18:03the courtroom now that it was already
18:05half filled I'm sorry everyone I
18:08explained to the group they've done
18:09something really inappropriate today
18:12they'll let you in now but the courtroom
18:14is already half filled with people here
18:15to support the state they won't there
18:17won't be enough seats for everyone there
18:20were two ministers in the group one of
18:22them a heavy set African-American man
18:24set in a uh dressed in a dark suit with
18:27a large cross around his neck he walked
18:29over to me Mr Stevenson it's okay people
18:33please don't worry about us we'll have a
18:35few people be our Representatives today
18:37and we will be here even earlier
18:39tomorrow we won't let nobody turn us
18:41around sir Minnie arelia Walter's
18:45children and several others went in when
18:47the ministers called out Mr Williams
18:49everyone seemed to smile Mrs Williams
18:53Mrs Williams an older black woman stood
18:55up and prepared herself to enter the
18:56courtroom she precisely adjusted the
18:59placement of her small hat and
19:01delicately wrapped a long blue scarf
19:03around her neck I was thrilled to see
19:07all of Mr McMillan's supporters but
19:08realized that I needed to go inside
19:10myself I hadn't spent the morning
19:12preparing for Witnesses so I had intend
19:15as I had intended but had instead been
19:17drawn into this foolish mistreatment of
19:20Walder McMillan's supporters I was
19:22standing at council's table when out of
19:24the corner of my eye I saw that Mrs
19:26Williams had made it to the courtroom
19:28door she wasn't a large woman but there
19:30was something commanding about her
19:32presence I couldn't help but watch her
19:34as she moved toward the metal detractor
19:36metal detector she walked more slowly
19:39than everyone else but she held her head
19:41high with an undeniable Grace and
19:43dignity she reminded me of older women
19:45I'd been around all my life women whose
19:48lives were hard but who remained kind
19:50and dedicated themselves to building and
19:53sustaining their communities Mrs
19:55Williams glanced at the available Rose
19:57to see where she would sit and then
19:59turned to walk through the metal
20:00detector and that's when she saw the dog
20:03I watched all her composure Fall Away
20:05replaced by a look of absolute fear her
20:08shoulders dropped her body sagged and
20:10she seemed paralyzed for over a minute
20:13she stood there Frozen and then her body
20:15began to tremble and then Shake
20:17noticeably I heard her groan tears were
20:20running down her face and she began to
20:22shake her head sadly then she turned
20:24around and hurried out of the courtroom
20:28I was trying to shake off the feeling
20:31the dark feeling that the morning's
20:32events had conjured when the officers
20:34brought Walter into the courtroom they
20:37allowed him to be in the courtroom
20:38without handcuffs but had insisted on
20:40keeping his ankle Shackled despite the
20:43state's early morning Maneuvers and the
20:44bad Omen of the dog Mrs
20:47Williams and the dog and Mrs Williams we
20:50had another good day in court state
20:52mental health workers who had treated
20:54Meyers confirmed his testimony from the
20:56day before Dr Omar
21:00mahabat explained that Myers had told
21:02him then that the police had framed him
21:05to accept the penalty for the murder
21:07case that he is accused of or testify
21:10that the man did moabit reported that
21:13Myers also told him they told me to say
21:16what they wanted me to say evidence from
21:18three other doctors further confirmed
21:21this testimony including a doctor
21:23Bernard Bryant who testified that Meyers
21:26told him he did not commit the CRI crime
21:29and that at the time he was incarcerated
21:31for the crime he was threatened and
21:33harassed by the local police authorities
21:35into confessing he committed a crime we
21:38emphasized to the court that all of
21:40these statements were made by Meyers
21:41before the initial trial not only did
21:44these statements boost The credibility
21:46of Meyer's recantation but they had also
21:48been documented in medical records that
21:50by law should have been turned over to
21:52Walter's trial lawyers the state's
21:55supporters and the victim's family
21:57seemed confused by the evidence we were
21:59presenting it complicated the simple
22:01narrative that they had embraced about
22:03Walter's guilt and the need for Swift
22:06and harsh punishment we had maintained a
22:08good pace and the cross-examination had
22:11been shorter than IID expected by the
22:13end of that second day I felt very
22:15hopeful I was tired but feeling pleased
22:18as I walked to my car that evening to my
22:21surprise I noticed Mrs Williams the
22:23older woman from the morning sitting
22:25outside the courthouse on a bench alone
22:27she stood when our eyes met I walked
22:29over remembering how unsettled I had
22:32been to see her flee from the courtroom
22:33earlier Mrs Williams I'm so sorry they
22:36did that what they did this morning they
22:39should not have done it and I'm sorry if
22:41they upset you but so you know things
22:43went well today I feel like we had a
22:45good day attorney Stevenson I feel so
22:49bad I feel so bad she said and grabbed
22:52my hands I should have come into that
22:54courtroom this morning she began to weep
22:57Mrs Williams it's all right I said they
23:00shouldn't have done what they did please
23:01don't worry about it I put my arm around
23:04her and gave her a hug no no no attorney
23:07Stevenson I was meant to be in that
23:09courtroom I was supposed to be in that
23:11courtroom it's okay Mrs Stevenson it's
23:14okay no sir I wanted to be there I tried
23:18I tried Lord knows I tried Mr Stevenson
23:21but when I saw that dog she shook her
23:24head and stared away with a distant look
23:27when I saw that dog I thought about
23:291965 when we gathered at the Edmund
23:32Pettis bridge in Selma and tried to
23:34March for our voting rights they beat us
23:37and put those dogs on us she looked back
23:39to me sadly I tried to move attorney
23:42Stevenson I wanted to move but I just
23:44couldn't do it as she spoke it seemed
23:47like a world of sadness surrounded her
23:49she let go of my hand and walked away I
23:52watched her get into a car with some
23:54other people I had seen in the courtroom
23:56earlier I drove back to the motel and in
23:58a more somber mood to start preparing
24:00for the last day of
24:02hearings the next morning was the third
24:04and final day of the hearing the metal
24:06detector and the dog were still there
24:08but no Deputy stood at the door to block
24:10black people from entering when I looked
24:13up at the courtroom door there stood Mrs
24:15Williams she was once again dressed
24:17impeccably in her scarf and hat I
24:20watched as the officers allowed her to
24:22move forward she held her head up as she
24:24walked slowly through the metal detector
24:26repeating over and over I ain't scared
24:29of no dog I ain't scared of no dog it
24:32was impossible to look away she made it
24:34through the detector and stared at the
24:36dog then loud enough for everyone to
24:38hear she belted out I ain't scared of no
24:41dog she moved past the dog and walked
24:43into the courtroom black folks who
24:45already were already inside beamed with
24:48joy as she passed them she sat down near
24:51the front of the courtroom and turned to
24:53me with a broad smile and announced
24:54attorney Stevenson I'm here Mrs Williams
24:58it's so good to see you here thank you
25:00for coming the courtroom filled up and I
25:02started getting my papers together they
25:04brought Walter into the courtroom the
25:06signal that the hearing was about to
25:08begin that's when I heard Mrs Williams
25:10call my name no attorney Stevenson you
25:13didn't hear me I said I'm here she spoke
25:16very loudly and I was a little confused
25:18and embarrassed I turned around and
25:20smiled at her no Mrs Williams I did hear
25:23you and I'm so glad you're here when I
25:25looked at her though it was as if she
25:27was in her own world
25:28the courtroom was packed and the BFF
25:30brought the court to or order as the
25:33judge walked in everyone Rose as is the
25:35custom when the judge took the Bene and
25:38sat down everyone else in the courtroom
25:39sat down as well there was an unusually
25:42long pause as we all waited for the
25:44judge to say something I noticed people
25:46staring at something behind me and
25:48that's when I turned around and saw that
25:50Mrs Williams was still standing the
25:52courtroom got very quiet all eyes were
25:55on her I tried to gesture to her that
25:57she should sit but she leaned back and
26:01shouted I'm here people chuckled
26:03nervously as she took her seat but when
26:05she looked at me I saw Tears In Her Eyes
26:08in that moment I felt something peculiar
26:10a deep sense of Rec recognition I smiled
26:14now because I knew she was saying to the
26:16room I may be old I may be poor I may be
26:19black but I'm here I'm here because I
26:22got this vision of justice that compels
26:24me to be a witness I'm here because I'm
26:26supposed to be here I'm here because you
26:29can't keep me away I smiled at Mrs
26:31Williams while she sat proudly for the
26:34first time since I started working on
26:36the case everything we were struggling
26:38to achieve finally seemed to make sense
26:41it took me a moment to realize that the
26:42judge was calling my name impatiently
26:45asking me to
26:47begin the last day of hearings went well
26:49six people who had been jailed or
26:51imprisoned with while Ralph Meers
26:53testified that Ralph had told them he
26:55was bring pressure to give false
26:57testimony against Walter McMillan their
26:59testimonials were consistent and one
27:01explained that Myers had written letters
27:03saying he didn't even know Mr McMillan
27:06we saved the most powerful evidence for
27:08the end the tapes of Thomas Tate Simon
27:11Benson and Larry ikner interrogating
27:14Myers on the tapes Myers repeatedly told
27:17the police that he didn't know anything
27:19about the Morrison murder or Walter
27:21McMillan the officers threatened Myers
27:24and Myers resisted framing an innocent
27:26man for murder not only did the
27:28recordings confirm Meyer's recantation
27:31they exposed the lie that Pearson had
27:33told the court the jury and Mr
27:35McMillan's trial Council that there were
27:38only two statements provided by Myers in
27:41fact Myers gave at least six additional
27:43statements to the police they were all
27:45favorable to Walter McMillan and none of
27:47them had been disclosed to Mr McMillan's
27:49attorneys as was required I called on Mr
27:52McMillan's trial lawyers Bruce Bon and
27:55JL Chestnut to testify about how much
27:58more they could have done to win an
27:59acquittal a not guilty verdict if the
28:02state had turned over the evidence it
28:03had suppressed we finished the
28:06presentation of our evidence and to our
28:08surprise the state put on no rebuttal
28:10case I didn't know what they could have
28:12presented to deny our evidence but I'd
28:15assumed they would present something the
28:17judge seemed surprised too he paused and
28:20then said he wanted the parties to
28:21submit written briefs arguing what
28:24ruling he should make we had hoped for
28:26this and I was relieved that the court
28:27would give give us time to explain the
28:29significance of all the evidence in
28:31writing and assist him in preparing his
28:33order an order I hoped would set Walter
28:37free at the end of the 3 days of intense
28:39litigation Michael and I said our
28:41farewells to the family in the courtroom
28:43and left feeling exhausted but
28:47satisfied bay manette where the keing
28:51took place is about 30 minutes from the
28:53beautiful beaches of the Gulf of Mexico
28:56we had started a tradition of bringing
28:57our staff down to the beach each
28:59September and we'd fallen in love with
29:02the clear spectacular Waters of the gulf
29:04Dolphins could be spotted in the early
29:06mornings playfully making their way
29:08through the water I'd often thought we
29:10should move our offices to write there
29:12on the water it was Michael's idea to
29:14hit the beach after the hearing before
29:16heading back to Montgomery I wasn't sure
29:18it was a good idea but the day was warm
29:21and the coast was so close I couldn't
29:23resist it would soon be dusk but the
29:25heat persisted I stood at the water's
29:27edge my head racing with everything that
29:29had transpired in court I replayed what
29:32Witnesses had said and worried about
29:35whether things had gone exactly right I
29:37analyzed every detail in my mind every
29:40possible misstep until I caught myself
29:42it was over there was no point in making
29:44myself crazy by overthinking it now on
29:47the Sandy Shore I watched the brilliant
29:49white P Pelicans Gliding effortlessly
29:52Over The Still Waters in search of food
29:55Walter would be making his way back to
29:56Holan now Shackled in the back of the
29:58van again I thought about his family and
30:01all the people who had come to court
30:03they'd kept the faith throughout the 5
30:05years that had pass since Walter was
30:07first arrested I thought about Mrs
30:09Williams she had come up to me after the
30:11hearings and had given me a sweet kiss
30:13on the cheek I told her how happy I was
30:16she'd come back to court she looked at
30:18me playfully attorney Stevenson you know
30:21I wasn't going to let those people these
30:23people keep me out her words had made me
30:26smile Michael got out of the water
30:28looking worried what did you see I joked
30:30shark eel poisonous jellyfish Stingray
30:34piranha he was out of breath they've
30:37threatened us lied to us there are
30:39people who have told us that some folks
30:41in the country are so unnerved by what
30:43we're doing that they're going to kill
30:45us what do you think they're going to do
30:47now that they don't they know how much
30:49evidence we have to prove Walter's
30:51innocence I had given this thought too
30:55our opponents had done everything they
30:57could to frame Walter in order to kill
30:59him they'd lied to us and subverted the
31:01judicial process more than a few people
31:04had told us that they'd heard angry
31:06people in the community make threats on
31:08our lives because they believed we were
31:10trying to help a guilty murderer get off
31:12uh death row I don't know I said I told
31:15Michael but we have to press on man we
31:18have to press on we both sat there in
31:21silence watching the sun Fade Into
31:24Darkness

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