The Boys from Biloxi

Great trial lawyers aren't born; they're made. The great ones simply tell the jury a story...

lay in wait to ambush the corporate mouthpieces sent down to protect the treasured assets of Old Potomac Casualty. They tried to defend their actions by hiding behind the field reports, all of which clearly proved the damages in question were caused by water, not wind. One executive, startled by the ferocity of the attack by

Yes, okay, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I have admonished Mr. Rudy, and I ask you to continue as if the word ‘crooked’ had not been uttered.” At that moment, and for hours to come, the dominant word in the jurors’ thoughts and discussions was, and would be, of course, “crooked.

He boarded the Pan American Clipper, said hello as always to Captain Pete, walked past a row of slot machines, and found a seat on the top deck, away from the other passengers. He faced south, toward Ship Island, which was not visible.

The children learned English, taught it to their parents, and rarely spoke the mother tongues at home.

The element of danger was always in the background, though rarely discussed. With Keith in law school, Beverly and Laura at Southern Miss, and Tim headed

Though he had left Cleveland decades earlier, he had managed to hang on to his nasal, clipped, Upper Midwest accent that was like nails on a chalkboard to anyone south of Memphis.

Fats knew the playbook and was adept at the dirty tricks: stuffing ballot boxes, raising large sums of unreported money, buying blocks of votes, spreading lies, intimidating voters, harassing poll workers, bribing election officials, and voting dead people with absentee ballots.

She appeared to be about fifty years old, with long stringy gray hair, and lots of wrinkles. In

I’ll see you on the other side.

Naw, we still have the votes statewide. I can’t imagine Mississippi ever electing a Republican governor. Your religion won’t matter. We just need some new talent.

An escape was impossible, so he lost unconsciousness when anyone entered the room.

from all operations. He notified the state liquor board and demanded it pull the nightclub’s license to sell alcohol. And, he hand-delivered a copy of the lawsuit to the Gulf Coast Register. The newspaper obliged with a front-page story. His war had begun. Not surprisingly, Ginger Redfield hired Joshua Burch to defend her nightclub, and, in a blustery rebuttal, he denied any criminal wrongdoing and asked the court to dismiss the charges. Jesse pushed hard for an expedited hearing, but Burch proved adept at delaying matters.

The ship was sinking and the rats were jumping overboard.

They agreed to go their separate ways on Sundays and had no idea what would happen when children entered the picture.

You ever met anyone who’s served time in Parchman prison?” “Yes sir. Met a guy in Angola who served time there.” “I’m sure he was happy to be out of there.” “Yes sir. Said it’s the worst place in the country.

McClure turned, pointed an angry finger at Hugh, and said, “This man is a cold-blooded killer who deserves the death penalty.” All twelve glared at the defendant. The courtroom was still, silent. Though the first witness had yet to be called, the trial was over. Hugh absorbed the words without flinching. He was determined to look