Needs Introduction/Hook

I. Background info Commented [1]: ethos

A. very credible/ experienced Commented [2]: appeals to (ethos pathos logos) by using
historical facts blahh balhc balhdf
1. “In 1983, I was a twenty-three-year-old student at Harvard Law School
working in Georgia on an internship” (3)
2. “I’ve represented abused and neglected children … I’ve represented
mentally disabled people whose illnesses have often landed them in prison
for decades” (17)
B. his drive for helping the wrongfully condemned / prisoners that couldn’t afford
legal help comes from a genuine want to help
1. “In 1988, we discovered an opportunity to get federal funding to create a
legal center that could represent people on death row. The plan was to use
that funding to start a new nonprofit” (21)
a) because Stevenson is doing this not for the profit, it’s easier to trust
him, as he has no ulterior motives
II. justice in a corrupt system
A. Prime example: Walter McMillian - sentenced to death for a crime he didn’t
commit Commented [3]: all three

a) personally worked on Walter’s case to get him free

2. “He became uncharacteristically emotional. ‘They put me on death row
for six years! They threatened me for six years. They tortured me with the
promise of execution for six years. I lost my job. I lost my life. I lost my
reputation. I lost my – I lost my dignity’” (254)a
a) emotional - demonstrates the effects of injustice in the system
3. Horrible after effects Commented [4]: pathos

4. “traumatizes and victimizes people when we exercise our power to convict

and condemn irresponsibly - not just the accused but also their families,
their communities, and even the victims of the crime” (17)
B. Most cases - minorities (POC, women, disabled)
C. specific examples of discrimination Commented [5]: logos

1. “In Alabama, even though 65 percent of all homicide victims were black,
nearly 80 percent of the people on death row were there for crimes against
victims who were white” (142)
a) statistics and examples of cases he’s worked on build a convincing
argument of injustice within the justice system
III. the importance of mercy and empathy (pathos)
A. children tried as adults cases
a) actual studies that showed why children shouldn’t be tried as adults
(brain development and such) ← factual evidence
b) most grow into adults - capable of making responsible decisions
 2. “When he talked about his own act of violence, he seemed deeply
confused about how it was possible he could have done something so
destructive. Most of the juvenile lifer cases we handled involved clients
who shared Evan’s confusion about their adolescent behavior. Many had
matured into adults who were much more thoughtful and reflective; they
were now capable of making responsible and appropriate decisions” (266)
3. “Contemporary neurological, psychological, and sociological evidence has
established that children are imparied by immature judgement, and
underdeveloped capacity for self-regulation and responsibility … Young
teens lack the maturity, independence, and future orientation that adults
have acquired” (267-8).
a) research to back up Stevenson’s claims
B. Cycle of violence
1. crimes of violence typically get sentenced harshly
2. “Those boys were found guilty for killing my grandson, and the judge sent
them away to prison forever. I thought that would make me feel better, but
it actually made me feel worse” (307)
C. Human nature is to grow / change Commented [6]: pathos

1. “Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done” (17)