The "Mississippi Burning Trial"--History and background

[Horse with no Name]

Link to Trial Updates. This is a trial that is worthy of our attention.
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/price&bowers/Account.html

>>>>>snip
It was an old-fashioned lynching, carried out with the help of county officials, that came to symbolize hardcore resistance to integration. Dead were three civil rights workers, Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman, and James Chaney. All three shot in the dark of night on a lonely road in Neshoba County, Mississippi. Many people predicted such a tragedy when the Mississippi Summer Project, an effort that would bring hundreds of college-age volunteers to "the most totalitarian state in the country" was announced in April, 1964. The FBI's all-out search for the conspirators who killed the three young men, depicted in the movie "Mississippi Burning," was successful, leading three years later to a trial in the courtroom of one of America's most determined segregationist judges.
>>>>snip
Trial in the case of United States versus Cecil Price et al. began on October 7, 1967 in the Meridian courtroom of Judge William Cox. Chief Prosecutor John Doar and other government attorneys had reason to be concerned about Cox. Cox, appointed as an effort to appease powerful Judiciary Committee Chairman (and former roommate of Cox at Ole Miss) Senator James Eastland, had been a constant source of problems for Justice Department lawyers (especially John Doar) who were seeking to enforce civil rights laws in Mississippi. In one incident, Judge Cox referred to a group of African Americans set to testify in a voting rights case as "a bunch of chimpanzees."
>>>>>snip
On December 29, Judge Cox imposed sentences. Roberts and Bowers got ten years, Posey and Price got six years, and the other three convicted defendants got four. Cox said of his sentences, "They killed one nigger, one Jew, and a white man-- I gave them all what I thought they deserved."

[OldLeftieLawyer]

1. I remember this

I remember when they were murdered.

It's never too late for justice. Never.

And I'm still not optimistic.

[Horse with no Name]

2. I know.

These kids deserve justice.
It hasn't been served yet--we can only hope.

[HulkamaniacUM]

6. Liveblogging from the trial

I'm running a blog from the Killen trial, if you care to stop and take a look. And if you have any ideas, let me know.

Neshoblog

[Horse with no Name]

8. Wonderful. Thank you.

shameless :kick:

[OldLeftieLawyer]

9. Bless your busy little fingers

Thanks so much...............

[Rowdyboy]

4. The odds are pretty good.....

After all, we convicted that bastard Bryon dela Beckwith a few years ago and Killen's case appears to be at least as strong. Yes, he should have been convicted decades ago, and 40 years is FAR too long to wait, but regardless the trial is underway. I don't believe our state Attorney General would have opened the case if he didn't think there was an excellent chance he could win it.

I just hope that POS lives long enough to serve a few miserable, un-airconditioned years in Parchman to think about his life and the lives he's destroyed...

Just a few minutes ago, Killen left the courtroom, headed for the hospital. He probably expects to be able to delay proceedings with these frequent "hospital breaks" until it becomes ridiculous. Hope the judge won't allow this to happen.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

5. Ah, yes

The Michael Jackson ploy.

Listen, I don't trust anything where these bastards are concerned.

I agree that your AG is heroic in bringing the charges, and I applaud him for it, but I've been in too many courtrooms and watched too many righteous jurors turn out to be pathological loonies ever to take anything for granted.

The de la Beckwith thing, though - that was a work of art, I must say.

Next, the Emmet Till matter, something else I remember, but just barely.

We can only hope, eh?

[Rowdyboy]

7. I was working in Jackson the day the Beckwith verdict came down...

I still get chills when I remember Myrlie Evers response. She is such an incredibly gracious lady but was just overwhelmed with emotion. She had lost her husband, her childrens' father, and waited over thirty years for justice and finally found it from a jury in Mississippi.

Sad to say, thats been a very rare occurrence over the years. Hopefully, we can give a little of the same to the Till family.

[Zomby Woof]

3. kick

[Horse with no Name]

10. Another one

:kick: