A Fair Hearing (Verbal Irony)
When setting the bond for Cobb and Willard, Judge Bullard is more concerned about the PR aspect of his actions than the practical consequences. He decides beforehand the amount of bail to set for Cobb and Willard, which defeats the purpose of the hearing. He then says, “We’ll give them a hearing, a fair hearing, then I’ll set the bonds at a hundred and two hundred" (63). This constitutes verbal irony because his statement that the hearing will be "fair" is flatly contradicted by his predetermination of the cost of their bail.
The Ostrich Boots (Verbal Irony)
When Dr. Bass faces the jury, he's wearing ostrich boots. Grisham writes, "He crossed his legs, laying the right boot on his left knee, flaunting it. He grinned at it, then grinned at the jury. The ostrich would have been proud" (413). Of course, the ostrich probably wouldn't have been proud, because the boot is made of its skin, but the statement is sarcastic in the sense that it suggests that the boots look so good that even the ostrich would have to admire them.
Ellen in the Hospital (Dramatic Irony)
During one of the last days of the trial and W.T. Bass's disastrous testimony, Ellen is conspicuously absent from the courtroom. Nobody there, including Jake, knows that the previous night, she was pulled over by the Klan and attacked, tied up, and left for dead in a field. The reader knows because this all occurs at the end of the previous chapter, but none of her team members are aware while the trial goes on, making this an instance of dramatic irony.
The Klan Burning Down Jake's House (Situational Irony)
The Klan burns down Jake's house, which is one of the only historical landmarks in Ford County. Jake's house represents the glorification and preservation of antebellum South, but since Jake is defending Carl Lee against the death penalty, the Klan burns it down. This is ironic, since the Klan typically stands for the preservation of "old ways," racist traditions, and the glorification of the antebellum South.
