A shout-out to Atticus Finch in "To Kill a Mockingbird" - he was the lawyer who defended Tom Robinson (a black man) for allegedly raping a white woman and stood up for him despite the community's threats and violence. Despite the overwhelming evidence presented at trial of Tom's innocence, the jury convicts him and he is later killed "trying to escape prison". It's an excellent book about racism and the legal system in the 40's (?) and required reading for life.