He served about a year in prison after pleading guilty to lying to FBI agents about how many times he spoke to his former boss, Ed Peters, regarding a legal fees dispute that could have cost trial lawyer Dickie Scruggs more than $15 million. Dorman, Michael. Peggy Noonan. DeLaughter attended law school at the University of Mississippi, commonly known as Ole Miss. In December of 1999, Governor Kirk Fordice appointed Bobby DeLaughter a Hinds County Court Judge after the former judge, Chet Henley, died of a heart attack. He betrayed the whole system of justice that we live by," Kirksey said. Bobby and Peggy DeLaughter, right, with Michael Collins, left, who is supervising the restoration of their house, Hiawatha, top. On March 28, 2008, DeLaughter was suspended from the bench indefinitely by the Mississippi Supreme Court due to allegations of bribery and judicial misconduct. But tell him that there is not going to be any quid pro quo.' . Are you interested in writing another book about your work as a prosecuting attorney? As Ms. Davis, 55, reminisced about the difficulties of moving the fragile house, now restored to its 1840s splendor and serving as an annex to the inn, her neighbor Bob Chunn, 61, brought up his own, more recent experience. He served as a deacon at both churches. Dixie Claire Townsendm. Some take delight in his downfall; others call it a tragedy that has stained the legal community. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. View the profiles of people named Peggy DeLaughter. He was an ardent fan of the Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, and Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Peggy, moved there after he emerged from prison in 2010, and he has just released a new novel, inspired in part by his experiences. An Inside Look at Ukrainian Troops Training to Use Western Tanks, How Chipotle's Stock Price More Than Quadrupled in Five Years, How Repaying Student Loans Is ChangingDramatically. His self-published first book, Inside the Labyrinth: A Bo Landry Erotic Thriller, was released last month, and he is currently working on a sequel. Not everyone, however, is in favor of the pardon idea. HISTORICAL ACCURACY IS DRAMATIC WEAKNESS IN, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Welcome to the new courant.com: Whats changed, FAQs and more, HISTORICAL ACCURACY IS DRAMATIC WEAKNESS IN `GHOSTS OF MISSISSIPPI, Hartford man sentenced to nine years for string of AT&T store robberies, 99 sheep, 1 goose rescued from Beacon Falls farm due to concerns for animals welfare, TikTok sets new default time limits for minors, Two Palestinians arrested in West Hartford mans killing; third shot dead, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. In the meantime, DeLaughter is keeping busy with his new career restoring apartment buildings. Dixie the Song. For decades during his adult life, he was an avid golfer and tennis player. But it is Woods who gives Ghosts its demonic fascination, using countless facial tics and gestures twitching his lips, making the nut sign language with a twirling finger to his head to set out a truly despicable and ridiculous embodiment of white supremacist lunacy. We were really shunned by the preservation community when we started, said Lynn Edmundson, director of the nonprofit preservation group Historic Houston, which was founded in 2002 and has moved 25 houses since 2004, mothballing several of them until they could be moved to new sites. Say theres a shopping center going in, and a historic building stands in the way, said Eugene Brymer, the staff executive of the International Association of Structural Movers in Lexington, S.C. At one time, it would have just been torn down. Decatur, Ms. Where Medger Evers was born in 1925. . Senator Trent Lott, to put DeLaughter up for a federal judgeship. Mississippi Writers Project But in Gods Word the Bible, he tells us of a time when we will be able to see our love ones again. All rights reserved. But its most jaw-dropping line comes from Mr. Evers's widow, Myrlie Evers (Whoopi Goldberg). Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Vicksburg, MS under the direction of Sebrell Funeral Home of Ridgeland, MS. During the summer of 1973, DeLaughter met Dixie Claire Townsend. The dismantling, relocation and reassembly had cost perhaps $30,000; the restoration, another $175,000. DeLaughter told the jury of eight blacks and four whites. Thanks! Peggy DeLaughter. Many people are just stuck on an old house, Mr. Means said. Bobby B. DeLaughter, Never Too Late: A Prosecutors Story of Justice in the Medgar Evers Case, June 4, 2002. Beckwith was tried twice, but the juries of white males could not come to verdicts. On July 30, DeLaughter stepped down as a Hinds County circuit judge and admitted he lied to FBI agents when he said he had two conversations with former Hinds County District Attorney Ed Peters about a pending lawsuit against Scruggs. I highly recommend reading Never Too Late: A Prosecutors Story of Justice in the Medgar Evers Case. He said that he chose New Orleans because he found that the city was a tolerant and forgiving place where people have been coming for the past 300 years to start new lives.. The sentence was imposed by Judge Glen Davidson and is in keeping with the recommendation of his plea agreement. But for those who grew up in historic houses, mixed feelings about moving them can run deep. Share a memory of Barney Roy DeLaughter, Jr. Barney Roy DeLaughter, Jr., joined his beloved Billie Friday, April 13, 2018 at his home in Clinton, MS. He later became embroiled in a corruption scandal and was convicted of lying to the FBI. Peggy Delaughter is 71 years old and was born on 08/22/1951. Moving Hiawatha, which was on the verge of being torn down and was being offered to them for a nominal fee, seemed the obvious thing to do. Merrida Coxwell was one of two lawyers who represented De La Beckwith in the 1994 trial. So It Redesigned Its Iconic Can. "He became an embarrassment to the legal community, to the judicial community and, I would hope, to himself.". She worked for the Clarian Ledger, the local newspaper. Campbells Soup Sales Were Declining. "I learned from writing 'Never Too Late' that, at least for me, writing a memoir requires total immersion into the subject matter, reliving it and the last thing I ever want to do is immerse myself and relive what my family and I went through in my federal case," he said. (The saga was later turned into a movie, The Ghosts of Mississippi, with Alec Baldwin playing DeLaughter. He never considered a memoir on his latest experiences. A larger house, like the three-story Victorian that Darren and Lisa Tracy moved in Schuylerville, N.Y., can cost more than $50,000. And he assured me that he would tell them. DeLaughter decides to take on this challengeand brings the case back to life. "If the judiciary can do what he did and escape punishment for it, it would send a disastrous message. He keeps the reader interested by presenting details that only the prosecutor in this case would know. Its exciting. The rules on presidential pardons go like this: there really aren't any. DeLaughter became an instant hero of the civil rights movement. Reiner and Colick focus on their hero, Bobby DeLaughter (pronounced Duh LAUT-ur). Mary Anastasia O'Grady . There is nothing that I can add that speaks to the reality of the crime more than that.. It's that serious," said Charles Evers, the brother of Medgar Evers. But that's simply the way it is.". Evers blasted prosecutors for offering immunity to Ed Peters, DeLaughter's mentor who avoided jail time even though he was the one accepting illicit payments. Alec Baldwin portrayed him in the 1996 movie, "Ghosts of Mississippi," and his closing statement was once dubbed one of the greatest closing arguments in modern law. Last year, the state Supreme Court upheld the dismissal of a $1 billion trade secret lawsuit filed by Eaton Corp. against a rival as punishment for Eaton turning Peters loose to influence DeLaughter. He was played by Alec Baldwin. DeLaughters father-in-law, Russell Moore, who was serving as a judge at the time, recommended him for the position. Bobby DeLaughter won fame as the prosecutor in the Medgar Evers case, but later was convicted of obstruction of justice. Not really. Though I did not yet realize it, Holly Grove was one of the free houses, so notorious in the historic preservation world because they are anything but. New York nanny pleads not guilty in children's deaths, 2nd suit claims Elmo puppeteer had sexual contact with minor, BP blocked from new government contracts over Gulf spill, Fine art from an iPhone? She stood beside him in June of 2002 when Judge DeLaughter took the oath of office for Hinds County Circuit Judge, replacing the retiring Judge Hilburn. Scruggs is the brother-in-law of former Sen. Trent Lott and is now serving seven years in prison for trying to influence Mississippi judges, including DeLaughter. But unfortunately it sometimes is the only way to save it. Judge Davidson did not impose a financial penalty on DeLaughter due to his . A court has barred Steve Jobs from demolishing his 1926 house in California, preservationists may push to move it. E-mail Interview. He has known DeLaughter for three decades, first as a defense attorney, then a prosecutor and finally as a judge. The book begins with Evers wife Myrlies request for the re-prosecution of Byron De La Beckwith, the alleged murderer. In 1977 DeLaughter was admitted to the Mississippi Bar Association. Jerry Mitchell of the Clarion-Ledger, 2014, New York Times archive on news about Bobby DeLaughter. But in considering a pardon, to what degree should a president be swayed by the applicant's life history or past good works? Delmar Dennis. Through the years, Myrlie Evers has refused to give up the fight, both to jail her husbands killer and to pursue his beliefs (Evers-Williams she remarried is now chairwoman of the national board of directors of the NAACP, for which Medgar Evers was working when he was shot on June 12, 1963). Like any other child his age, DeLaughter was mostly interested in sports, school, family and church (Vollers 8). In the mid-1990s, DeLaughter prosecuted the murder of Evers's brother, Medgar, and successfully won a conviction against Byron De La Beckwith. As a result, Mr. DeLaughter observed, Raymond is becoming something of an old-house home.. Bolstered with evidence from the previous trials that Myrlie had saved, DeLaughter took the matter to trial Laying out his case he told the jury that there was no statue of limitations on the crime of murder, and it was never too late to correct an injustice. As he doggedly pursues the case, Bobby loses one wife and gains another. They paid $17,000 to have the house moved from a Civil War battlefield. But human beings dont really like change.. You're telling me he should spend 18 months in prison for that? "I don't consider myself a stupid person, but I was stupid," DeLaughter said. It would have been cheaper to build a copy from scratch. The best Instagram photos from 2014, After IVF shock, mom gives birth to two sets of identical twins, Inside North Korea: Water park, sacred birth site and some minders, Bobby DeLaughter was hailed as hero after convicting the killer of Medgar Evers, DeLaughter is headed to prison after pleading guilty in a corruption probe, "The man has now been destroyed," says Medgar Evers' brother, DeLaughter's attorney: "The penalty he's paying is enormous". The setting is Jackson, Mississippi, and DeLaughter expertly describes how racism was a major part of life in Mississippi in the 1960s through the 1990s. His love of sports never faded. They paint a picture of an ambitious man with a brilliant legal mind who ran afoul of the law -- of friends betraying friends and of big-time money corrupting the system. "I want DeLaughter to know I'm behind him 100 percent.". "It was tough," he said. Reiner and Colick focus on their hero, Bobby DeLaughter (pronounced Duh LAUT-ur). In the simplest relocations, a house mover and his crew jack up a structure and slide long steel beams beneath it, which are affixed to wheels and then towed by truck to the new site. "Bobby DeLaughter remains a civil rights hero, and nothing is going to tarnish that," Durkin said. Due to their opposing views on the Evers case and DeLaughters commitment to the case, Dixie and Bobby DeLaughters marriage became strained (Morris 6). The sentence was imposed by Judge Glen Davidson and is in keeping with the recommendation of his plea agreement. I dont consider myself a stupid person, but I was stupid, DeLaughter said. When prosecutors met with Evers' widow, Myrlie, "the hurt was still there, the loss was still there, the lack of justice was still there," he said. The story of DeLaughter going from civil rights hero to convicted felon is complicated, involving years of contentious litigation in his courtroom. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8, Copyright 2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Final Early Bird Pricing! This book takes the reader on a journey through time and provides vivid descriptions of life when the struggle for racial equality was at a height. Todd Means, a house mover in Mississippi, prepares to transport a home near Gulfport, demonstrating the laborious process. "I just turned 60, but I don't believe God is finished with me yet, so I'm focusing my energy on another love crafting stories which, from all that I've learned, others are finding enthralling. I was not in the market for another historic house I had already moved an old log barn and a slave cabin to my property after both were damaged in storms but Holly Grove was different. DeLaughter was very active and popular at WHS, where he played varsity football and basketball, joined a high school fraternity, was sports editor of the yearbook and president of the student body. I enjoyed writing the book and if something comes up that I feel really passionate about, Ill write another, but my work on the bench keeps me quite busy and comes first. "The toughest thing was separation from Peggy and the family.". Please accept my heartfelt condolences. At the time Bobby DeLaughter lived in Terry, Mississippi, with his wife and youngest child. Testimony Spurs Call for Mistrial.. I had been told, for example, that Holly Grove was manufactured as a kit in Cincinnati and floated down the Mississippi River on a boat, then transported overland to its site aboard ox-drawn wagons. DeLaughter joined the office in May 1987. On March 28, 2008, DeLaughter was suspended from the bench indefinitely by the Mississippi Supreme Court due to allegations of bribery and judicial misconduct. ", After Beckwith's conviction on Feb. 5, 1994, she shouted out, "Yay, Medgar, yay! Delaughter finds forgiving place. Another 67 have been purchased as paperbacks. After seventeen years of marriage, they divorced on April 15, 1991, and DeLaughter gained custody of their three children, Burt, Claire, and Drew (DeLaughter 2). He is survived by two sons: Bobby Burt DeLaughter, Sr. (wife Peggy) of New Orleans, LA and Michael Roy DeLaughter (wife Renee) of Clinton, MS; by five grandchildren: Bobby Burt DeLaughter, Jr. of Hernando, MS, James Anthony DeLaughter (wife Christi) of Brandon, MS, William Alan DeLaughter (wife Leigh) of Brandon, MS, Bonnie Claire DeLaughter Farmer (husband Ryan) of Canton, MS, and David Andrew DeLaughter of New Orleans, LA; and by four great-grandchildren: Daisy Allise DeLaughter of Brandon, MS, Julia Bennett Farmer, Tate Cameron Farmer, and Declan Bruce Farmer of Canton, MS. Visitation begins at 11:00 AM, Tuesday, April 17, 2018 at Wildwood Baptist Church in Clinton, MS, followed by a 1:00 PM memorial service. Eddy Couturier, who moves houses in the greater Boston area, said he is moving twice as many historic houses now as he was 20 years ago, and estimated that he had moved 300 in just the last five years. A memoir on his latest experiences Evers was born on 08/22/1951 to that... Comes from Mr. Evers & # x27 ; s widow, Myrlie Evers ( Whoopi Goldberg.., Russell Moore, who was serving as a judge at the University of Mississippi with. Who was serving as a result, Mr. DeLaughter observed, Raymond is becoming something of old-house... Community and, I would hope, to put DeLaughter up for a federal judgeship church!, I would hope, to the FBI it sometimes is the only way to save it of the Cubs. Has barred Steve Jobs from demolishing his 1926 house in California, preservationists may push to move it old was... An avid golfer and tennis player imposed by judge Glen Davidson and in. Lying to the reality of the pardon idea good works admitted to FBI! 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