Paul Biegler's Anatomy Of A Murder Reading Response

Anatomy of a Murder Reading Response

Literature commonly depicts lawyers as justice-seeking protagonists, and though this is done in Anatomy of a Murder, when analyzed, Paul Biegler’s actions did more to subvert justice than to achieve it, and because of this justice is not achieved. Biegler does this in two ways. First, he coaches Manion into taking up an insanity plea, and continues to pursue this argument, despite knowing Manion was in control of his actions at the time of the murder. Secondly, he adopts the persona of a “small town country lawyer,” while in court in order to make the jury sympathize with him, and get in certain arguments he might not be able to present conventionally.

Most of the conversations that take place between Lt.

He speaks out of turn, uses improper objections, and asks questions he knows are improper in order to win over the jury. This begins very early on in the trial when he protests the prosecuting attorneys’ habit of both speaking up against him, claiming he felt attacked by these “legal giants.” Though he made a good point he could have objected normally to the judge, but instead chose to react in a way that jury would respond to. He does this several times throughout the trial, and it becomes very clear that is an act when he is asked how a jury can disregard statements that are stricken from the jury, to which he responds, “they can’t.” This makes the fact that he is pursuing an insanity defense even worse, because he is not playing fairly. It is also revealed in the movie that Manion was obsessive and controlling towards his wife, and acted violently towards her and anyone who paid any attention to her. At the end of the trial it is even speculated by Dancer that Manion was responsible for some of the injuries that Laura suffered. Even if Manion was an outstanding husband with no history of violence, his revenge would not have been excusable, but this fact only makes Biegler’s actions worse, because once Manion is cleared of any charges he is likely to continue behaving in the same