Matthew McConaughey auditioned for the role of Freddie Lee Cobb. After reading the script, he preferred the role of Jake Brigance but didn't think they would cast him due to his experience level. He went to director Joel Schumacher, who granted him a private screentest.
In 1984 at the DeSoto County courthouse in Hernando, John Grisham witnessed the harrowing testimony of a twelve-year-old rape victim. The inspiration for the book came from the case of the rape and assault of twelve year old Marcie Scott and her sixteen-year-old sister Julie Scott. Unlike Grisham's depiction, however, the Scotts were white and their assailant, Willie Harris, was black. According to Grisham's official website, Grisham used his spare time to begin his first novel, which "explored what would have happened if the girl's father had murdered her assailants." He spent three years on A Time to Kill and finished it in 1987. Grisham has also cited Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) as an influence. This book is set in 1984. Another stated inspiration was the success of Scott Turow's Presumed Innocent (1990).
Kevin Costner was considered for the role of Jake Brigance, but wanted complete control of the project. Author John Grisham objected, and Costner passed on the project.
Kiefer Sutherland claimed that Forest Whitaker later complimented him for his unflinching performance as white supremacist Freddie Lee Cobb, and told him it took guts. Sutherland at first laughed the remark off and asked Whitaker "C'mon, people will know I'm just acting, right?" To which Whitaker replied: "Nope."
Woody Harrelson wanted to play Jake Brigance, but John Grisham objected to his casting. Harrelson and McConaughey are not only friends and frequent costars ( Edtv; True Detetctive; Surfer, Dude), but in early 2023, Harrelson implied in several interviews that there is a reasonable chance that they could be half-brothers (McConaughey's mother and Harrelson's father were acquainted prior to McConaughey's birth during a time when both were separated from spouses).