- year - old ▁woman ▁of ▁intelligence ▁and ▁self - ass urance . ▁She ▁exhib its ▁a ▁subt le ▁res ent ment ▁through ▁much ▁of ▁her ▁dialog ue ▁with ▁Ab ner . ▁ ▁Judge ▁Phil ander ▁Co ates ▁- ▁Ab ner ' s ▁father , ▁forced ▁to ▁ret ire ▁from ▁the ▁ben ch ▁after ▁a ▁recent ▁stroke , ▁house - bound ▁in ▁a ▁wheel ch air ▁and ▁angry ▁at ▁his ▁fate , ▁but ▁always ▁a ▁ment or ▁to ▁his ▁son . ▁ ▁J esse ▁G ear hart ▁- ▁the ▁Republican ▁county ▁chairman , ▁another ▁gray ▁little ▁man , ▁with ▁a ▁silent ▁power ▁to ▁control ▁election ▁choices ▁and ▁political ▁amb itions . ▁Ab ner ▁self - r igh te ously ▁res ents ▁the ▁demand ing ▁or ▁grant ing ▁of ▁political ▁fav ors ▁and ▁open ly ▁dis lik es ▁him . ▁ ▁J ake ▁Ri ord an ▁- ▁the ▁acknowled ged ▁" best ▁att orney ▁in ▁town ", ▁non eth eless ▁has ▁avoided ▁invol vement ▁in ▁the ▁murder ▁trial ▁while ▁pick ing ▁up ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁wealth y , ▁influ ential ▁man . ▁ ▁Tri al ▁witness es ▁ ▁John ▁Cost igan ▁- ▁a ▁county ▁detect ive , ▁st olid ▁and ▁non - cont ro vers ial . ▁ ▁Mrs . ▁Mar guer ite ▁Z ol lic of fer ▁- ▁the ▁victim ' s ▁wife , ▁initially ▁present ing ▁a ▁sympath etic ▁image ▁to ▁the ▁j ury ▁but ▁soon ▁unable ▁to ▁control ▁her ▁emot ions ▁ ▁Walter ▁C ohen ▁- ▁the ▁victim