The Lifer and the Lawyer

A Story of Punishment, Penitence, and Privilege

De: George Critchlow, Michael Anderson

Narrado por: Kevin Wagner

It is true that some people are very damaged. It is not true that they are all unsalvageable. The Lifer and the Lawyer raises questions about childhood trauma, religion, race, the purpose of punishment, and a criminal justice system that requires harmless old men to die in prison.

It is a true story about Michael Anderson, an aging African American man who grew up poor and neglected on Chicago's south side and became a violent and predatory criminal.

Anderson spent the last 43 years in prison as a result of a 1978 crime spree that took place in Southeastern Washington. The book describes his spiritual and moral transformation in prison and challenges society's assumption that he was an irredeemable monster. It also tells the story of the author's evolving relationship with Anderson that began in 1979 when Critchlow, a young White lawyer from a privileged background, was appointed to defend Anderson on 22 felony charges.

For Anderson, this is a story about overcoming childhood trauma and learning how to empathize and love through faith and self-knowledge. For Critchlow, the story also raises questions about how we become who we are - about race, culture, and opportunity. Finally, the book is a revealing commentary on our criminal justice system's obsession with life sentences.

©2020 George Critchlow (P)2021 George Critchlow

Wonderful And Captivating

I really enjoyed this book! It was very informative, it had a lot of history in it, and it really talked to what was going on in Michael Anderson‘s life as well as his lawyers life! This book captivated me, I literally wanted to finish the book because I wanted to know the ending. I personally know Michael Anderson And I know that he is out of prison at this time and I know it’s heart and he will never go back! I also know his wife and I have always told her that she is one of the most remarkable women that I have ever known. Any woman that will stick with a man for over 40 years while he’s in prison is a jewel in my book! I can literally see the transformation in Michael’s life, I can feel Christ in his presence! Thank you for such a wonderful book, one of the better reads that I have had in a while!

Sensational

This is the story of Michael Anderson, a criminal who's given multiple life sentences, and his relationship with lawyer George Critchlow and their journey through Anderson's prison time. It tells the story of Anderson's troubled childhood which Critchlow compares to his own lucky one as well as detailed narratives of how Anderson committed his crimes and his journey through a life term as he tries to mend his ways and keep hold of his wife and family and hang onto any glimmer of hope of walking free one day.

It's an incredibly moving story including facts and figures about criminals and sentences in the USA along with suggestions of racism in the American judicial system. The final decisions are up to the reader. If you love true crime, legal drama, are deciding on your next book or even if you are a law student, this is a must read.