The law can be interpreted in many ways and it is the duty of lawyers to interpret it in the best way for there client. "Courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. It's knowing you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.” Atticus has the ability to persevere through what ever the opposition throws at him. Maxwell Green handles most court appointed positions as he is young and experienced in the law. This is not racist at heart but in practice it is because the people who need court appointed lawyers are the people who earn the least money, that would be the blacks. Maxwell Green is no match for Mr. Gilmer who is experienced and in his 60’s. The case is a high profile case and the only reason Atticus is called in is because Tom has been charged with a capital crime, a crime that may be punishable by death.
The concept of capital punishment is that a convicted criminal is executed by the state, in modern times it is reserved for murderers but in the past capital offenses included rape arson and robbery. “You know rape’s a capital offense in Alabama,” said Atticus. “Yes sir, Jem said, but the jury didn’t have to give him death if they wanted to they could’ve gave him twenty years.” Some might justify capital crimes by saying rapists and arsonists ruin peoples lives but from 1812 to 1965 when crimes other than murder carried the death penalty