A Time To Kill - John Grishan

Synopsis :
"A Time to Kill" is a John Grisham legal thriller novel set in Clanton, Mississippi,
about the trial of Carl Lee Hailey, a black man accused of brutally raping his
daughter. The story follows Jake Brigance, a young white lawyer, as he navigates
racial tensions and challenges in the town. The trial serves as a turning point,
forcing the community to confront their biases and the complexities of justice,
morality, and race.

2. What happened to the child in the movie?

the child, Tonya Hailey, is brutally raped by two men, Billy Ray Cobb and Pete
Willard. The film depicts the traumatic experience she goes through and the impact
it has on her and her family. The assault serves as the catalyst for the events that
unfold in the movie, including her father’s subsequent actions and the ensuing trial.

3. What was/were the criminal offense of the father?

In the movie “A TIME TO KILL YOU,” the criminal offense committed by the
father, Carl Lee Hailey, was the murder of two white men who raped his 10-year-
old daughter, Tonya Hailey.

3. In the movie, is the act of the father an exempting circumstance? Why?

In the movie adaptation of "A Time to Kill," directed by Joel Schumacher, the act
of the father, Carl Lee Hailey, killing the two men who raped his daughter is
portrayed as a mitigating circumstance rather than an exempting one. The film
explores the notion that Carl Lee's actions were driven by a deep sense of love,
protection, and desperation to seek justice for his daughter.
4. What is criminal justice to you?
To me, criminal justice refers to the system of laws, institutions, and procedures
that are designed to establish social control, maintain order, and punish individuals
who have committed crimes. It encompasses various components such as law
enforcement agencies, courts, corrections, and rehabilitation programs. Criminal
justice is crucial for promoting public safety, protecting individual rights, and
ensuring fairness in society. It aims to prevent and deter crime by apprehending
offenders, providing them with a fair trial, and if convicted, applying appropriate
punishment or rehabilitation measures. The ultimate goal of the criminal justice
system is to strike a balance between punishing offenders for their actions and
rehabilitating them to reintegrate them into society as law-abiding citizens.

5. Are the two men at the on-set of the movie liable of any crime?
In the movie “A TIME TO KILL YOU,” the two men at the onset of the film, Billy
Ray Cobb and Pete Willard, are the depicted as committing the crime of rape
against Tonya Hailey, the daughter of Carl Lee Hailey. Rape is a serious criminal
offense, and their actions are portrayed as morally reprehensible. However, it is
important to note that the legal liability of the characters in the movie is not
explicitly discussed or explored beyond the act itself. The movie primarily focuses
on the subsequent trial and the moral and ethical questions surrounding Carl Lee
Hailey response to the crime.

6. Is Philippine criminal justice retaliatory or reformatory?

The Philippine criminal justice system is intended to be reformatory rather than
retaliatory. The primary goal of the criminal justice system in the Philippines is to
rehabilitate offenders and reintegrate them back into society as law-abiding
citizens. While it does involve punitive measures for those found guilty of crimes,
such as imprisonment or fines, the focus is on providing opportunities for offenders
to change their behavior and be given a chance to reform through various programs
and services available within the system.