$400,000 is an enormous amount of money in a small jurisdiction like that.
I would clear my calendar for the year for a $400,000 murder trial.
Enormous amount for Avery, if he had been free to spend it like he wanted.
The two lawyers, though, were probably accustomed to higher living standards along with the accompanying higher costs. Weren’t they big city lawyers? Can’t remember, but most of them are, since they don’t like to live near junkyard scrap dealers as far as I know. Property values, scenery, you know the deal.
Not that I begrudge them their money. They’re entitled to it, most of the time. It’s just when they come to a sleepy little podunk town with good old boys in charge, they have, as you call it, an uphill battle. Steep uphill.