Quotes from John Grisham

I was guilty all right. Guilty of stupidity for allowing myself to fall into such a mess.

Since most law-abiding citizens had no contact with the parole system, it was not a priority with the state legislatures. And since most of the state's prisoners were either poor or black, and unable to use the system to their advantage, it was easy to hit them with harsh sentences and keep them locked up. But for an inmate with a few connections and some cash, the parole system was a marvelous labyrinth of contradictory laws that allowed the Parole Board to pass out favors.

He was still wet with sweat and the coffee did little to cool things, but he needed it because it was an old friend and starting the day without it was unthinkable.

In white America, prisons are good places where bad men pay for their crimes. In black America, they are too often used as warehouses to keep minorities off the streets. Otis

If a prosecutor gets caught cheating, he either gets reelected or elevated to the bench. Our system never holds a bad prosecutor accountable.

every company of a certain size must have committed egregious sins to succeed in the cutthroat world of Western capitalism.

Sadly, dissent nowadays is considered unpatriotic, and in our post-9/11 atmosphere any criticism of those in uniform, any uniform, is stifled. Being labeled soft on crime or soft on terror is a politician's curse.

were in town. At dawn, NBC, along with the rest of the baseball world, awakened to the irresistible story of Joe Castle and his stunning debut in Philadelphia. Suddenly the biggest game of the day was

The only way to improve Noose's favorite courtroom was to burn it.

As Mike Roberts watched Tommy enter the building, he could not imagine that the boy was taking his last steps in the free world. The rest of his life would be behind prison walls.

About a month later, Riggins changed his mind. In an interview with the police, he said he was incorrect about Ron Williamson, that in fact the man he heard doing the confessing was Glen Gore.

Once you've seen a pretty girl naked, you feel a certain attachment to her.

Sistrunk looked angrily at Lettie and said, I'm allowed to be paid for my time and expenses, plus there is the matter of the loans. When can I expect the money? In due course, Jake said. I want it now. Well, you're not getting it now. Then I'll sue. Fine. I'll defend. And I'll preside, Judge Atlee said. I'll give you a trial date in about four years.

Since 1990, Oklahoma has executed more convicts on a per capita basis than any other state. No place, not even Texas, comes close.

He stared at the cheap linoleum between his shoes and admitted to himself that once again he had fallen into the trap that often snared so many of the educated and upper-class locals when they convinced themselves that the rest of the population was stupid and ignorant. Cranwell was smarter than most lawyers in town, and infinitely more prepared.

I've lost my love for money. It's the curse of the devil.

In the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus teaches the importance of forgiveness. He knows we're human and our natural tendency is to seek revenge, to strike back, to condemn those who hurt us, but this is wrong. We're supposed to forgive, always.

her mind was wonderfully uncluttered with the nagging irritations of everyday life.

He prayed long and hard for justice and healing, but was a bit light on mercy.

Percy had never owned a ball or a glove or a bat, had never played catch with his dad, had never dreamed of beating the Yankee. In fact he'd probably never dreamed of leaving the cotton patch. That thought was almost overwhelming.

And you've never been married, right?" "Correct." "Well, I've tried it twice and I'm not sure I can recommend it.

The prosecution was forced into the bizarre position of admitting Ward and Fontenot were lying while asking the jurors to believe them

You mentioned law school, he said, and this grabbed her attention. They talked about it at length, with Jake careful not to make his description as dreadful as the three-year ordeal itself. Occasionally, like all lawyers, Jake was asked by students if he would recommend the law as a profession. He had never found an honest way to say no, though he had many reservations.

banks and student loan companies had convinced Congress that such debts should be given special protection and not exempted. She remembered him saying, "Hell, even gamblers can go bankrupt and walk away.