Presumed Guilty

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of addiction, substance use, death, physical abuse, and racism.

“And yet, this is the first time since he moved in that he has ‘gone dark,’ as he likes to put it, turning off his phone and voicemail, relieving himself of what he often finds the most onerous responsibility of civilization, the obligation to communicate.”

Aaron is extremely solitary because of his racial difference in his community, and his habit of turning his cellphone off reflects how closed off he feels from his peers. Cellphones are a motif in the text that explains Aaron’s character and his relationships with others.

“I thought I’d bring a unique perspective, as someone who’d been accused, and a piece of me enjoyed the ironic prospect of achieving a kind of repertory role in the criminal justice system. Prosecutor. Judge. Defendant. And now defense lawyer.”

Rusty alludes to events from the previous novels in the Kindle County series when he lists his various professions and titles. These experiences inform Rusty’s perspective, which he believes could benefit him as a defense lawyer. Later, when Rusty proclaims his inability to defend Aaron, Turow reminds the reader of this moment and Rusty’s earlier convictions.

“Aaron already failed once, after his first arrest while he was a college freshman, but having gotten this far now, he supposedly has a solid chance. Thus there is a special agony in finding that all the hopes raised by months of disciplined behavior may now be wasted, bringing us to the brink of disaster.”

Aaron’s addiction, drug offense, and the constant possibility of relapse color Aaron’s life. This quotation connects to the theme The Impacts of Crime on Personal Relationships, since Bea’s paranoia about Aaron’s behavior occupies her mind, especially when Aaron disappears without a word.