Joyner William "Willie" Traynor - the protagonist and editor of the local newspaper, The Times .
Calia "Miss Callie" Harris Ruffin - a black woman with eight children, seven of whom have Ph.Ds. She is selected for jury duty at the Padgitt trial.
Baggy Suggs - an alcoholic reporter for The Times.
Wiley Meek - photographer for The Times.
Danny Padgitt - a member of the notorious Padgitt family. He rapes and murders Rhoda Kassellaw but is given parole after only nine years in prison.
Lucien Wilbanks - defense lawyer for Danny Padgitt.
Harry Rex Vonner - a lawyer who befriends Willie, helping him with various legal and moral issues throughout the novel.
Sam Ruffin - eighth child of Calia Ruffin. He had an affair with a married white woman and is afraid to return to Clanton.
Rhoda Kassellaw - the victim of Danny Padgitt.
Judge Loopus - the judge at the Padgitt trial.
Ernie Gaddis - prosecution lawyer at the Padgitt trial
Hank Hooten - another lawyer at the Padgitt trial. He is rumoured to have had a relationship with Rhoda Kassellaw before her death. He later goes insane, killing two jurors and Danny Padgitt.
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