‘Making A Murderer’ Lawyers To Embark On ‘A Conversation On Justice’ Tour

Making a Murderer mania continues to sweep the globe as Steven Avery’s popular defense lawyers, Jerry Buting and Dean Strang, announce that they are to tour North America this spring and summer. The Capital Times reports that the duo will embark on a 26-city tour, where they will discuss Making a Murderer subject Steven Avery and his case, as well as the broader implications for the criminal justice system. A Q&A will also take place during the tour, giving individuals the opportunity to put forth their own theories to Buting and Strang.

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Jerry Buting and Dean Strang have become national celebrities following the airing of Netflix’s 10-part docu-series Making a Murderer. This stems from their brave, tireless, and impressive work defending Manitowoc County resident Steven Avery, who is currently serving a life sentence for the murder of Teresa Halbach.

Avery was convicted of this crime just two years after being exonerated from jail, where he had served 18 years for a crime he did not commit. At the time of his arrest, Avery was suing Manitowoc County for $36 million. Making a Murderer followed the arrest, trial, and conviction, where his defense team put together a compelling case that argued Steven Avery was framed for murder by Manitowoc County. With this accusation, the defense team showed that they believe the murderer of Halbach is still out there.

The tour, titled “A Conversation on Justice,” kicks off on April 16 at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston and concludes on August 21 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The tour spans the country, but it will not stop in Manitowoc County, where the events of Making a Murderer took place.

Since the airing of Making a Murderer, Buting and Strang have used their new-found celebrity to highlight flaws in the judicial system. In an interview with Business Insider, Dean Strang spoke on how he believes the judicial system is set up in a way that works against Making a Murderer subject Steven Avery and other defendants.

“For me, it’s whether or not there’s humility among the actors in the criminal justice system and the institutions that compose our criminal justice system. By humility I mean a willingness to evaluate our levels of certainty critically. Willingness to ask if error is inevitable.”

While many will see “A Conversation on Justice” as a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the American criminal justice system and converse with Buting and Strang on their ideas of its shortcomings, there is no doubt that many will see it as an opportunity to confess their love for the Making a Murderer duo as they have become internet sensations since the show aired. Dean Strang, in particular, has proven to have won the hearts of many, with Slate Magazine referring to the Making a Murderer lawyer in an interview as a “new found sex-symbol.” Strang responded that his wife was surprised by the public’s reaction.

“Surprised would be one word. It’s mostly that she can’t stop laughing about it.”

The announcement of “A Conversation on Justice” closely follows the news that the Making a Murderer filmmakers are moving ahead with a second season. Since his incarceration in 2007, Steven Avery has had an appeal for a new trial turned down, but he continues to proclaim his innocence. Although Avery remains behind bars, he has filed for a new appeal following the airing of Making a Murderer and is being represented by Kathleen Zellner. Zellner is famed for her work gaining the exoneration and release of wrongfully convicted individuals, having seen the exoneration and release of 17 of her clients. This, plus her Twitter activity, has generated even more buzz surrounding Steven Avery.

Zellner is also working with Tricia Bushnell, who is the legal director of the Midwest Innocence Project. The Innocence Project helped to exonerate Steven Avery in 2003 and featured on Making a Murderer. Their work has seen 337 wrongfully convicted individuals freed.

It is clear that the public interest in Steven Avery and Making a Murderer is still gaining momentum, as stories are making the news seemingly on a daily basis. “A Conversation on Justice” will provide fans of the show an opportunity to see the Making a Murderer defense team speak about Avery, the case, and flaws in the criminal justice system, and, of course, the opportunity for fans to put forward their own theories to the now-famous attorneys.

[Photo by Patrick Ferron/AP Images]