In The Innocent Man, John Grisham tells the story of Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz. As you read the novel, keep in mind that this is a true story and errors in the criminal justice system
do occur. The questions below should be answered fully and completely based on the book. Any quotes used should be cited properly.
Your responses to these questions should be incorporated into an essay and not in a
question and then answer format.
You should gather from the novel an understanding of the entire criminal justice system in
Ada, Oklahoma from the police, to the courts, and corrections. Feel free to use outside sources if desired, but you must cite them appropriately and include them in a reference page. You may also use quotes from the book if cited. You will be graded on your responses to
these questions as well as spelling and grammar.
If you have questions about the assignment, please contact me.
1. Explain at least three mistakes that the police made when investigating the murder of
Debbie Carter. Why do you think they made these errors?
2. Explain at least two questionable pieces of evidence used by the prosecutors in the case against Williamson. Should the prosecutor face penalties for using this evidence?
3. Explain three mistakes that the defense attorney made during the trial. Is this an example
of one bad lawyer or a comment on the indigent defense system?
4. The state of Oklahoma redesigned its death row based on input from the prison guards.
Discuss some of the elements of the new death row that the guards wanted and why they wanted them. What was the response from Amnesty International?