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Know the True Story Behind Jamie Foxx and Michael B Jordan’s Courtroom Drama Just Mercy on Max
Find out the powerful true story behind Just Mercy, the gripping courtroom drama based on real events starring Jamie Foxx and Michael B. Jordan. Read on!
The legal drama Just Mercy, now available on Max, tells the true story of Bryan Stevenson’s fight to free wrongfully convicted death row inmate Walter McMillan.
Starring Michael B. Jordan as Stevenson and Jamie Foxx as McMillan, the film is based on Stevenson’s memoir, which details his efforts to bring justice to those unfairly sentenced.
Stevenson, a Harvard-educated lawyer, moved to Alabama to represent prisoners who could not afford legal fees. He co-founded the Equal Justice Initiative to challenge cases with little evidence and racial bias. His most well-known case involved McMillan, a Black man accused of killing a white woman in Monroeville, Alabama.
In 1986, McMillan was arrested for the murder of Ronda Morrison, despite having no criminal history. Witnesses placed him at a community event when the crime occurred, but he was still convicted, largely based on testimony from Ralph Meyers, a white man with his own legal troubles. Meyers later admitted he was forced by law enforcement to lie.
Stevenson took on McMillan’s case and uncovered evidence of police misconduct and racial discrimination. He submitted appeals to overturn the conviction, but the courts initially denied them.
Stevenson’s efforts gained national attention when he appeared on 60 Minutes, exposing the flaws in McMillan’s case. Eventually, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled in favor of a retrial, and McMillan was exonerated in 1993. He remained close to Stevenson until his death in 2013.
The film accurately portrays key moments, including the scene where Meyers confesses in court that he was pressured to lie.
However, some aspects, such as the extent of racial bias Stevenson faced, were toned down. In reality, the prosecutor even questioned the authenticity of Stevenson’s Harvard degree.
Just Mercy sheds light on wrongful convictions and the flaws in the justice system. The film also touches on the case of Anthony Ray Hinton, McMillan’s cellmate, who remained on death row until his release in 2014.
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