Bristol's Atticus Finch

In the multiple Oscar award-winning movie, ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’, the protagonist is a small-town attorney who goes by the name of Atticus Finch. If you’ve never before seen the movie or read the book on which it is based, please put at least one of them on your list. I would go so far as to suggest that you haven’t yet “fully lived” as an American citizen until you do. The movie is generally regarded by most qualified reviewers as one of the greatest and most influential movies of all time.

Atticus Finch is, of course, a fictional character. However, a very “real-life” Atticus has lived out much of his career as an attorney right here in Bristol.

So why wouldn’t most of us generally be aware of this occurrence, if such a thing were true? Well, that’s just the thing. People with the character of Atticus Finch don’t call attention to themselves. They are inherently humble. So humble, in fact, that they can live out their whole lives going virtually unnoticed, undervalued, and underappreciated.

Such a person is Bristol’s Ed Stout.

Here is Ed pictured with his grandson Turner a few years back.

Like me, Ed was a school teacher once upon a time. Then he was led into practicing the law. Graduating near the top of his class at Emory University, Ed eventually settled with his loving wife Linda right here in Bristol.

Brilliant of mind and humble of heart, Ed was and is a man of few words. Kind of interesting that an attorney would talk so little. I have been fortunate in my life to count many barristers and judges as personal friends (due largely to my decades of service in teaching and helping inmates at the Bristol Jail). I cannot name one who spoke fewer words than Ed. In fact, most were quite loquacious. I’ll go so far as to say some talked a bit more than they listened. (Notice I did say “some”. The majority of local attorneys and judges I have been privileged to meet have actually been very good listeners, I am thankful to attest.)

But not one of them I ever knew “listened” better than Ed Stout. It was perhaps his greatest asset as an attorney – and as a human being.

I was privileged to see Ed in action, as he chose to legally represent in court many of the jail inmates I taught. This man, with his immense intellect, no doubt could have become a highly-paid corporate lawyer in a big city. Instead, Ed and his dear wife both chose to serve humbly within our small town and community. She as a schoolteacher. He is an attorney.

Whenever Ed represented indigent inmates or the economically challenged of our region, he made only “chicken scratch” money. Yet he took such cases. And I must emphasize here - Ed represented these people with the same fervor and due diligence had he been representing the richest and most powerful among us.

I can vouch. I saw it. Firsthand.

“Due process of the law”. Just like Atticus Finch, Ed Stout remained an ardent believer in the ultimate foundation of our American justice system (even when he, just like the fictional Atticus, saw it fail to find true justice at times). This foundation of American Law to which Ed and Atticus so fervently held is called due process - the right of every citizen to defend themselves when accused of a crime, in front of an impartial justice system that is equally fair to all.

Ed believed that our courts generally and honorably sought the truth, in spite of the occasional and inevitable human error. In fact, there are some Bristol judges about whom I intend to write sometime. Remarkable people they were. The words “your honor” were not wasted when addressing these judges. (Larry Kirksey and Butch Flannagan, to name a couple.)

Ed represented many men whom I personally taught at the jail. These men told me that Ed always represented them well. They would often say something like, “My lawyer don’t say much, Mr. Talley, but he really listens to me.”

Oh, that every young attorney could watch Ed Stout in action. They’d realize that “less” can often mean “more”.

Once Ed even represented me.

A neighbor had falsely accused me of something. Yes, it can happen to any of us, at any time, my friends.

So Ed came to court with me. The appointed judge for that day (one whom I did not know) listened intently while the plaintiff spoke incessantly.

Ed scarcely spoke a word on my behalf. In spite of our friendship, I was getting a bit worried that things may not end well.

But in the end, the judge dismissed the case.

When I later asked Ed why he had said so little, he replied, “I say what needs to be heard. But I only say what is needed.”

And that’s all he said, even then, to me. I would put a big “Lol” sign here if I could. That is pure Ed Stout at his best. Just like Atticus Finch.

I cannot write about Ed without bringing up an inmate I taught named Bradley. This young man had been taught to steal by his family since he could walk. His parents would even stick him through a window to go unlock doors for them to burglarize homes. This young man had two chances in life; slim and none.

But Ed gave him a chance. He knew that Bradley was sincere about wanting to reform his life and become a good man. So Ed asked me to appear as a “character witness” for Bradley in Abingdon’s federal court (the domain of another wise and good judge, the Honorable James Jones).

Judge Jones listened intently when I took the stand on Bradley’s behalf. Ed knew exactly what questions to ask. Always thorough. Always succinct. Always with truth and justice in mind. Just like Atticus Finch.

The judge gave the minimum sentence possible (which was still quite lengthy).

Though Bradley had a hard row to hoe ahead of him, he left that courtroom with a newfound hope. Thanks to Ed’s involvement, he now knew that there were people who actually “believed” in him as a human being.

And that, my friends, can make all the difference in the world.

When someone believes “in” you.

Like Atticus Finch did once upon a time.

As a fictional character.

Like Ed Stout did for many years.

Right here in Bristol.

In real life.