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Grace and Justice on Death Row: The Race against Time and Texas to Free an Innocent Man
A chilling and compassionate look at how close an innocent man was to being put death with a foreword by Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking.
What is worse than having a client on Death Row in Texas? Having a client on Death Row in Texas who is innocent and not knowing if you will be able to stop his execution in time.
Grace and Justice on Death A Race Against Time to Free an Innocent Man tells the story of Alfred Dewayne Brown, a man who spent over twelve years in prison (ten of them on Texas' infamous Death Row) for a high-profile crime he did not commit, and his lawyer, Brian Stolarz, who dedicated his career and life to secure his freedom. The book chronicles Brown's extraordinary journey to freedom against very long odds, overcoming unscrupulous prosecutors, corrupt police, inadequate defense counsel, and a broken criminal justice system. The book examines how a lawyer-client relationship turned into one of brotherhood.
Grace And Justice On Death Row also addresses many issues facing the criminal justice system and the death penalty - race, class, adequate defense counsel, and intellectual disability, and proposes reforms.
Told from Stolarz's perspective, this raw, fast-paced look into what it took to save one man's life will leave you questioning the criminal justice system in this country. It is a story of injustice and redemption that must be told.
What is worse than having a client on Death Row in Texas? Having a client on Death Row in Texas who is innocent and not knowing if you will be able to stop his execution in time.
Grace and Justice on Death A Race Against Time to Free an Innocent Man tells the story of Alfred Dewayne Brown, a man who spent over twelve years in prison (ten of them on Texas' infamous Death Row) for a high-profile crime he did not commit, and his lawyer, Brian Stolarz, who dedicated his career and life to secure his freedom. The book chronicles Brown's extraordinary journey to freedom against very long odds, overcoming unscrupulous prosecutors, corrupt police, inadequate defense counsel, and a broken criminal justice system. The book examines how a lawyer-client relationship turned into one of brotherhood.
Grace And Justice On Death Row also addresses many issues facing the criminal justice system and the death penalty - race, class, adequate defense counsel, and intellectual disability, and proposes reforms.
Told from Stolarz's perspective, this raw, fast-paced look into what it took to save one man's life will leave you questioning the criminal justice system in this country. It is a story of injustice and redemption that must be told.
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 4, 2016
91 people are currently reading
264 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 2, 2022
This book is both inspiring and frustrating. Yes, it's good to see people like Brian Stolarz actually living the tenets of his religious faith, and dedicating time to help bring justice to others. BUT, there is something very wrong in our society that innocent men like Alfred Dewayne Brown are being put to death because someone like Brian didn't hear about their case. And even worse, the Supreme Court has ruled that putting innocent people to death is legal and constitutional.
January 4, 2017
Whether you are a fan of legal thrillers and true crime tv shows like "Making a Murderer", stories of redemption and hope, or simply want a clear, easy to read analysis of how our justice system gets so many cases horribly wrong, this is a gripping and well written book for you. Mr. Stolarz takes the reader through the murder and wrongful conviction step by step in small, gripping chapters. You will experience a range of emotions as he tells all the ways this injustice occurred and the struggle to correct it. Even as someone who has heard and read much on the legal system and wrongful convictions, I found this book informative, provocative, and moving. I feel that the personal tone of this book and the author's effective writing style make this one of the best and most accessible books about wrongful conviction written to date.
October 1, 2016
I received an advance copy of this book. It is a compelling, gut-wrenching story that is very well-timed with the issues of race and justice in this country. The book reads like a John Grisham legal thriller as the author takes you through the many ups and downs of representing an innocent man on death row. The book also addresses the many reasons why the criminal justice system is broken and how to fix it. The most unique part of the book is seeing how a lawyer client relationship turns into a brotherhood. It is a great read and a book for our time.
January 7, 2017
Another book about a difficult topic. Brian does a great job laying out all the facts of the case and you can feel his pain, worry, and frustration as the story goes on. What happened to Dewayne Brown was a terrible injustice and thankfully his conviction was overturned. I was able to see Brian and Dewayne speak at Aldersgate this past summer, and knew the basics of the story, but I am glad to have read the book.
This is my Pop Sugar 2017 Reading Challenge - a book with pictures
This is my Pop Sugar 2017 Reading Challenge - a book with pictures
November 5, 2017
This is one of the way too many stories of people who got to spend a good part of their lives on death row for something they did not do. Also, if this book does not make you angry, there;s a problem somewhere. Prosecutorial misconduct, crucial evidence kept in a ox in an officer's garage, innocent people kept in jail for several more years so election year can go away, all are part of this story.
But for a highly motivated team of lawyers looking to do the right thing, one poor individual with an intellectual disability might have joined the list of those the state executed with no care whether they were guilty or not. Someone just had to pay. So much is wrong with the death penalty that I hope to live the day when it gets abolished. One innocent killed by the state is one too many.
But enough negativity. This book is also a great story about doing what's right, forgiving, maintaining human decency and making sure everyone is equal in front of the law. The cast of characters involved in the story does manages to restore some faith in humanity at the end of the whole sordid affair. And hopefully there are a lot more like them out there.
But for a highly motivated team of lawyers looking to do the right thing, one poor individual with an intellectual disability might have joined the list of those the state executed with no care whether they were guilty or not. Someone just had to pay. So much is wrong with the death penalty that I hope to live the day when it gets abolished. One innocent killed by the state is one too many.
But enough negativity. This book is also a great story about doing what's right, forgiving, maintaining human decency and making sure everyone is equal in front of the law. The cast of characters involved in the story does manages to restore some faith in humanity at the end of the whole sordid affair. And hopefully there are a lot more like them out there.
November 25, 2017
I was really disappointed reading this book. I bought it with high expectations (super high ratings!), but it was really difficult to get through. This could have been a great book - it has all the elements. Dewayne Brown is an innocent man, there is miscarriage of justice, political judges, hidden evidence, corrupt system, coerced witnesses, etc. etc. However, this book isn't about Brown - it is about Stolarz.
Spoiler: The author is a Christian savior who gives up time, money, and a promising career to save one man on death row. He's a great human to pursue this case (if you forget, he'll remind you every couple paragraphs) and even though he isn't part of the legal team that frees Dewayne Brown, he's the most important part.
He spends a good chunk of time "convincing" us that the death penalty is "dying" in the US (because he says so, certainly not because of the evidence he presents from Texas). He presents "only the facts" with very biased language. He cries, he sings, he cries, he jumps. I still don't know anything about Dewayne Brown....
Spoiler: The author is a Christian savior who gives up time, money, and a promising career to save one man on death row. He's a great human to pursue this case (if you forget, he'll remind you every couple paragraphs) and even though he isn't part of the legal team that frees Dewayne Brown, he's the most important part.
He spends a good chunk of time "convincing" us that the death penalty is "dying" in the US (because he says so, certainly not because of the evidence he presents from Texas). He presents "only the facts" with very biased language. He cries, he sings, he cries, he jumps. I still don't know anything about Dewayne Brown....
January 15, 2018
This story chronicles Attorney Brian Stolarz's long road to getting an innocent man, Dewayne Brown, off death row. Attorney Stolarz's account of the events leading up to Dewayne's arrest and conviction is absolutely chilling and paints a disgustingly clear picture of a broken justice system in Houston, Texas. At the same time, Attorney Stolarz's dedication to freeing Brown is incredibly moving and the way in which Stolarz shares his story leaves the reader with a feeling of hope that the best is yet to come for Dewayne, the understanding of the importance of grace, and the desire to serve as a way to put our faith in action.
November 26, 2017
This is the very moving story of a young man wrongly accused and found guilty of a crime he did not commit. Whether you are for or against the death penalty this true story shows how our justice system can be twisted to suit one man’s idea of crime fighting. By failing to give the defense everything it needed to defend their client the attorney general of Houston stacked the deck against an innocent man. This book tells how this wrong was righted. As more of these stories come to light states are putting fewer and fewer people to death.
June 5, 2017
It's important to know and let others know how unjust our justice system is. Texas just likes to put people to death--guilty or innocent. At least in this instance it only took 20 years for a man to get his freedom. Those with mental disabilities are especially vulnerable. I wish the author had given us more background on the Dwayne and on the DA in Houston. More back story helps the reader identify better with the characters for me anyway.
October 30, 2019
This book was written by the legal defense for a man convicted of killing a police officer in Houston and placed on death row. It's quite awful to realize just how powerful the DA can be. In this case, it's pretty clear that the author believes that he hid evidence that exonerated his client. And I find that a believable accusation. He also pressured a witness to change her story. I agree with the author that we should abolish the death penalty for the reasons he cites.
September 11, 2017
Splendid story by a passionate attorney seeking justice for an innocent man.
This kind of commitment to one's calling is rare and admirable. Learned a great deal about the flaws and redeeming features of our criminal justice system. A fine story that seems like it could be an important film.
This kind of commitment to one's calling is rare and admirable. Learned a great deal about the flaws and redeeming features of our criminal justice system. A fine story that seems like it could be an important film.
October 21, 2017
I did not like the start of this book as a lot of legal talk but once you get past that it's a good read and a good story and makes you think how many innocent people are suffering in prisons all over the would the death penalty debate will go on and on but they do seem to murder a lot of innocent people in America there must be a better option
December 13, 2017
This is an incredibly powerful, eye opening and somewhat scary read. It’s worrying to see how easily an innocent man was convicted and sent to death row. I couldn’t put this book down. The author makes a number of very valid points about both the state of the legal process in America generally and about the death penalty as a punishment particularly.
April 1, 2019
Death Row Story
This is an excellent book in which the author describes how he got an innocent man released from death row. He so is shows that the prosecutor illegally ignored the law. His goal is to outlaw the death penalty to prevent this from happening again.
This is an excellent book in which the author describes how he got an innocent man released from death row. He so is shows that the prosecutor illegally ignored the law. His goal is to outlaw the death penalty to prevent this from happening again.
September 8, 2020
Hard to imagine such incompetence when a person’s life is on the line! The book is more about the lawyer responsible for saving Dwayne’s life from death row then about Dwayne and how he feels through this journey but an informative read about ‘justice’ in Texas.
March 28, 2022
Should be required reading for all, or at least books telling similar stories, which there are way too damn many to even count. How people think that the current system provides justice is beyond me. I don’t know how you can be in support of the death penalty when MANY cases like this exist.
July 14, 2025
I’ve seen Brian and Dewayne speak before and I was excited to read the book. I didn’t click with the author’s writing style and really struggled to stay interested until about 100 pgs in. However, their story is amazing and eye opening.
May 7, 2017
Could not finish this book. Found the writing a bit too colloquial for my taste. The author's style is just not mine.
February 11, 2018
Amazing story that demonstrates the flaws of the death penalty.
February 13, 2020
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July 16, 2017
Excellent account of a really important story. Even those that may support the death penalty should understand how the system is flawed and allows execution of innocent individuals. While laying out his experiences defending an innocent client, the author shines a light on the problems with elected judges, "expert" testimony, evaluations of IQ, grand juries, and the honor system for disclosure on the part of the prosecutors.
January 12, 2024
Easy and entertaining read. Lots of humor in a book whose subject is anything but humorous. Very nicely written.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews