Grisham's is Good but Mayer's is Marvelous

I strongly recommend John Grisham's book "The Innocent Man," a retelling of one of the most haunting stories in the annals of false confessions.  The book tells the story of Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz, two friends from in and around Ada, Oklahoma, who were wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Debra Sue Carter in 1988.  The evidence against the men included junk science (microscopic hair analysis), jail house snitches, and Williamson's so-called dream confession.  Both men were eventually exonerated when DNA evidence linked another man -- Glenn Gore -- to the murder.  At one point, Williamson came within 5 days of being executed. 

The Grisham book works best as a character study of Williamson, a former minor-league baseball star who like other Oklahoma boys dreamed of being the next Mickey Mantle.  Williamson's descent into madness and the toll that drug and alcohol abuse (and prescription drugs) had on his body is harrowing but not quite as harrowing as the way in which the Oklahoma authorities -- both the jails and the courts -- expedited Williamson's demise by ignoring his attorney's numerous pleas that he be housed in a mental health facility.  Their callousness no doubt contributed to Williamson's early death in his early fifties. 

Grisham's book has had two other salutory effects. First, by writing a book about a false confession case, his book will certainly expose the realities of false confessions to a much larger audience.  Second, his book has revived interest in another book, Robert Mayer's excellent "The Dreams of Ada," which recounts the wrongful convictions of Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot, two other men who also falsely confessed (Ward's was a dream confession) to the same Ada police officers and are still behind bars for a crime they did not commit.  Mayer's tale, which reminds us that many wrongful convictions are based on numerous errors -- faulty i.d.'s, false confessions, jailhouse snitches, and junk science (all of them played a role in Fontenot and Ward's case) -- works best as a thorough and detailed deconstruction of a police investigation gone awry and how these mistakes (and the refusal of those in power to admit them) have led to the wrongful convictions of two innocent men.  It also provides gripping narrative of the trial strategies of both prosecutors and defense and how difficult it is for jurors to accept the notion that anyone would confess to a crime he or she did not commit.  Never mind that the confessions of Ward and Fontenot were inconsistent with each other, got numerous key facts wrong (the method of killing, the place of the killing, who did the killing, etc. etc. etc.) and the fact that their confessions did not lead police to any corroborative evidence.  It was the simple "fact" that they confessed that led to their convictions.

In airport terminals and bookstores around the country, Grisham's book is selling like hotcakes.  In most displays, a newly released paperback version of Mayer's book, "The Dreams of Ada," is right alongside Grisham's book.  Buy them both but read Mayer's book first.  The Fontenot and Ward convictions came first and Mayer's book will provide a crucial context in which to evaluate and understand the wrongful convictions of Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz.

The release of these two books has led Mark Barrett, an Oklahoma criminal defense attorney whose work (along with Barry Scheck and a host of other fine Oklahoma defense attorneys) helped exonerate Williamson and Fritz to take up the cause of Fontenot and Ward. For more information about their case and what can be done to help these two innocents go to www.wardandfontenot.com

Comments

[M. Horton]

I have read so much about John Grisham's Book The Innocent Man which is mostly about Ronnie Williamson, But is co-defendant Dennis Fritz has his story to be told.
I just read a book that touched my 62 year old heart. I thought you may be interested in the book and story. Here is my review of it.
Journey Toward Justice By Dennis Fritz Publisher Seven Locks Press 2006.
The book Journey Toward Justice by Dennis Fritz is a memoir and John Grisham calls Compelling and Fascinating. Dennis Fritz is the real character in John's Grisham's Book The Innocent Man. The Innocent Man mostly is about his co-defendant Ronnie Williamson who was sentenced to death. Dennis Fritz who was sentenced to life behind bars and Ronnie Williamson were exonerated in 1999 after 12 desperate and tortuous years in prison, Ronnie Williamson passed away a few years later.. Thanks to The Innocence Project and Barry Scheck who were helpful in getting DNA testing needed that proved Fritz was innocent after serving 12 years in prison.. Dennis Fritz does not want only to be known as the man who was wrongly imprisoned for a murder with NO evidence against him. This story would interest everyone who has, are going to have a career in Law.
There is much more to his story never told before in his book. He says he witnessed miracles and actually heard God's voice telling him "TRUST ME". He solely relied on faith in God to make it through. This Book will make you think, This can happen to anyone of us. A Great book showing what Faith, Love and Hope can do.. .. Miracles.
Thank You for taking the time to read this.

[Brittney]

Well i just finished John Grisham's book The Innocent Man. Just thought i would inform you that The Innocents is written by Taryn Simon. They're two different books. =D

[J R.]

I am in such dismay after reading The Innocent Man and Dreams in Ada. I cannot stop thinking about these men and how they suffered at the hands of the legal system. It is devostating and frustrating to think that just in this one small town all of how these people and their families have suffered more than was ever necessary. I cannot beleive the police and district attorney were able to bring charges against any of these men let alone get convictions. It is a darn shame that these men have suffered like this. Although it is highly unlikely, I will pray every night that Thomas Ward and Karl Fontenot get to see the light of day again outside of the prison walls. I applaud Mr. Grisham for writing The Innocent Man which brought this information out for the public to see just how unjust our legal system is. I also thank him for letting us know about the second book by Mr. Mayer and for making that book come to the light after many years. May God be with everyone involved with the prosecution of these innocent men as they die in prison for a crime they didn't commit, as I don't know how they can possibly live with themselves. If anyone wishes to contact me, please feel free to email as I don't beleive I will ever be able to get this out of my mind.