Conviction: A Horrifying Crime, An Imperfect Justice

Capital Punishment has been the source of much controversy and discussion over the years. Proponents for capital punishment argue that justice can only be served for certain crimes by the death of perpetrator. Those against capital punishment argue that capital punishment is in and of itself cruel and unusual punishment.

No matter which side you are on Richard North Patterson’s book “Conviction” will have you second guessing your beliefs about capital punishment. It will leave you saddened and perhaps even disgusted but it is certain to move you as this story covers everyone’s experience with crime and the ultimate punishment.

You will view capital punishment from the perspective of the victim’s family. A family who lost a young daughter in one of the most horrible ways imaginable. Who sat through the trial of two men, who were found guilty and then waited 15 years to see that punishment carried out. You will get a glimpse of their pain and their anguish and their desire to bring closure to an incident that has haunted them longer than their child had been alive.

You will get a glimpse into a man who committed the crime, and believed that he deserved to die for an act that he was party too, but who also wanted to desperately to live. You will see the him in his last moments of life accepting his death with dignity and remorse for his crime, and will feel his love for his brother than he tries to save in his last few days of life.

You will understand the desperation of an attorney, who has less than 60 days to find a reason for the court to overturn the conviction of a man she believes to be innocent while she struggles with her own and her daughters issues regarding the crime of which he stands accused.

You will get a glimpse into the hope, and the despair of a man who never had any real chance of life, and now for the first time has found people he call friends who, love him but can’t save him.

You feel the frustration on for attorneys on both sides of the case, as they desperately seek to see justice carried out. You will begin to get a small view of the appeals process and its successes and failures.

At the end, you will be taken into the witness room of an execution. You will be made to feel the what the last moments of life is like for the convicted killer, for those who believe in him, and for those who seek justice.

Conviction is a book that is designed to make you think, and to make you feel. It is the kind of novel that makes for great reading, and that haunts you long after you close the cover.

It is not an enjoyable or entertaining book. It is a fascinating look into today’s culture and will help you to understand that justice isn’t always what it seems.