The Perspective of the Defense
T.J Johnson served as the defense attorney for Albert and Charles Talbott. Johnson had truly believed in the boys’ innocence. Even after Charles's confession, Johnson felt he had not done enough to prevent them from their eventual execution.
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Johnson had recognized the severity of the situation the boys’ were in, and had tried to discredit the many inconsistencies that were evident throughout the trial. One of the most important aspects of the trial, J.V Brighton’s claim that the Talbott boys had admitted they had murdered their father, was heavily disputed by Johnson. He pointed out that Brighton had only met the boys a total of three times. This to Johnson made very little sense. This, coupled with Mitchell admitting that he and Brighton both wanted the $500 dollar reward that Belle posted, convinced Johnson they weren’t telling the truth.
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The prosecution's most important piece of evidence, Henry Wyatt the farmhand, changed his story multiple times throughout the trial. Johnson, who had taken note of it early on, recognized that Henry had been manipulated by the prosecution and that it was likely he suffered from a mental disability. They had convinced him to go along with Brighton’s story and in return, Henry would receive a lighter sentence. Despite Johnson’s efforts however, the boys were still convicted of their father’s murder.