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Rating: 
Summary: A Bible For Young Lawyers Like Me
Review: As a new lawyer, this book really helped me realize so many things as to what a lawyer should do before, during, and after the trial. I am a Filipino, there is no racial discrimination in our country... yet I cried many times while reading this book. If you read this book you will really learn to appreciate the value of human dignity.
Rating:
Summary: Thought provoking wonderful narrative
Review: Bobby Delaughter was a prosecutor of the right timbre, morals, and courage at the right time to help bring justice in a 30-year old murder case. This riveting book tells how, in the face of extreme odds, his faith was brought to the forefront, to show that God really does care and uses people such as Delaughter to produce what He desires most - justice. In this book, we see not only a story of Mississippi's catharsis in turning from a place of race-baiting politicians and of organized Ku Klux Klanism to a place where justice can truly be done, but also a story of the touching emotional struggle of the victims and prosecutors alike. As prosecutors face great opposition from not only racists and self-seeking politicians, but also from well-meaning but skeptical black and white citizens and even an arrogant FBI, they rise above the ordinary at great personal and political cost. As an attorney, I coined the phrase, "sometimes truth is very hard to come by." This story embodies that principle. The efforts of Mr. Delaughter and his D.A. boss should be applauded and lauded as a great triumph, not just for the machinery and tools of this great country's ever-grinding legal system, for they are but lifeless concepts apart from the souls that man their stations, but also for those with virtue and conscience, who are the fuel and oil without which there would be no production of justice.
Rating:
Summary: Thought provoking wonderful narrative
Review: Bobby Delaughter was a prosecutor of the right timbre, morals, and courage at the right time to help bring justice in a 30-year old murder case. This riveting book tells how, in the face of extreme odds, his faith was brought to the forefront, to show that God really does care and uses people such as Delaughter to produce what He desires most - justice. In this book, we see not only a story of Mississippi's catharsis in turning from a place of race-baiting politicians and of organized Ku Klux Klanism to a place where justice can truly be done, but also a story of the touching emotional struggle of the victims and prosecutors alike. As prosecutors face great opposition from not only racists and self-seeking politicians, but also from well-meaning but skeptical black and white citizens and even an arrogant FBI, they rise above the ordinary at great personal and political cost. As an attorney, I coined the phrase, "sometimes truth is very hard to come by." This story embodies that principle. The efforts of Mr. Delaughter and his D.A. boss should be applauded and lauded as a great triumph, not just for the machinery and tools of this great country's ever-grinding legal system, for they are but lifeless concepts apart from the souls that man their stations, but also for those with virtue and conscience, who are the fuel and oil without which there would be no production of justice.
Rating:
Summary: Justice delayed but thankfully not denied.
Review: I had been interested by the story of Medgar Evers and the difficulty the state had in prosecuting his alleged killer for some time. When the State of Mississippi reopened the case for a potential third attempt at prosecution I was hopeful that some sense of justice might be achieved but not at all convinced that the then alleged killer would be found guilty of Medgar Evers' murder. Bobby De Laughter has written an insightful, thoughtful and intriguing book. As I read his account of the various threads of the story, the leads the DA's office had to develop to prosecute this case after so many years and the elements of good fortune that allowed this case to be pursued successfully I could not help but feel the presence of Medgar Evers. The goodness of the man and his persistent quest for justice is echoed in the actions of Mr. De Laughter, Ms. Myrlie Evers, the many dogged investigators and committed professionals who played their part in making the third trial come together. This is a great read, so compelling I could not put it down. In many ways this book reads like a mystery. So much of what was needed to prepare the case against Byron De La Beckwith was lost during the long period between the killing and the final trial. Twice shut out, the stakes couldn't have been higher for the prosecution in this third outing. The book is no less suspenseful because the verdict is known. Although an intensely personal account, Mr. DeLaughter clearly and consicely explains the legal hurdles the prosecution faced and incisively analyzes the behavior and motivations of the defendant. Mr. De Laughter is widely descibed as very private, but in his writing he and his experience are so accessible the reader feels as if s/he is there every step of the way. This is an intelligent and inspiring work that should not be missed.
Rating:
Summary: Justice delayed but thankfully not denied.
Review: I had been interested by the story of Medgar Evers and the difficulty the state had in prosecuting his alleged killer for some time. When the State of Mississippi reopened the case for a potential third attempt at prosecution I was hopeful that some sense of justice might be achieved but not at all convinced that the then alleged killer would be found guilty of Medgar Evers' murder. Bobby De Laughter has written an insightful, thoughtful and intriguing book. As I read his account of the various threads of the story, the leads the DA's office had to develop to prosecute this case after so many years and the elements of good fortune that allowed this case to be pursued successfully I could not help but feel the presence of Medgar Evers. The goodness of the man and his persistent quest for justice is echoed in the actions of Mr. De Laughter, Ms. Myrlie Evers, the many dogged investigators and committed professionals who played their part in making the third trial come together. This is a great read, so compelling I could not put it down. In many ways this book reads like a mystery. So much of what was needed to prepare the case against Byron De La Beckwith was lost during the long period between the killing and the final trial. Twice shut out, the stakes couldn't have been higher for the prosecution in this third outing. The book is no less suspenseful because the verdict is known. Although an intensely personal account, Mr. DeLaughter clearly and consicely explains the legal hurdles the prosecution faced and incisively analyzes the behavior and motivations of the defendant. Mr. De Laughter is widely descibed as very private, but in his writing he and his experience are so accessible the reader feels as if s/he is there every step of the way. This is an intelligent and inspiring work that should not be missed.
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Summary: The Tale Of Two Heroes - An Amazing Tale of The Law
Review: Medgar Evers was an American Hero. A young, articulate African American man, he had the courage to be head of the NAACP in Mississippi during the darkest days of the Civil Rights Movement. He was shot in the back in his driveway by an avowed "rabid racist" named Byron de la Beckwith. Beckwith was tried twice for the crime; each time the jury was hung. A quarter of a century later, an intrepid reporter named Jerry Mitchell of the Jackson Clarion-Ledger shook Mississippi to the core when he uncovered new evidence that pointed to Beckwith's guilt. Myrlie Evers, an amazing woman who was widowed by Beckwith's bullet, took that evidence to the Hinds County District Attorney's Office and asked that the case be reopened. At first, the DA was sympathetic but skeptical. Then a brilliant Assistant District Attorney, Bobby DeLaughter, began investigating the possibility of indicting Beckwith. This is the true story of DeLaughter's dogged, relentless search for justice. The story was partly told in the film "Ghosts of Mississippi" in which DeLaughter was played by Alec Baldwin. However, DeLaughter's real life account of the trial is far more captivating, amazing and, ultimately satisfying than the movie's version. This book has the passion and riveting surprises of the best of Grisham or Turow, combined with the emotional impact of "Eyes On The Prize" and "The Long Walk Home." DeLaughter, a fluid and powerful writer, takes us deep into the heart of evil as he investigates a powerful Klansman. In the end, this book is a triumphant and uplifting reminder of how the legal system can still bring justice. Highest Recommendation.
Rating:
Summary: Justice in Mississippi
Review: Then Assistant District Attorney (now Judge) DeLaughter helps do much to portray modern day Mississippi as it is, and dispel the hackneyed and narrow minded portrayals of the state as the last great bastion of racism. Judge DeLaughter is modern Mississippi, with an unwavering sense of justice, fairness, and a dedication to bring the guilty to trial. A movie was made regarding this incident, but this succinct and well written book lends such a better understanding that it must be recommended even if one has seen the movie. This is the face of modern Mississippi, and of this we are proud.
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