Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)

The inspiring true story of justice delayed but in the end justice accomplished.

Medgar Evers is a black civil rights activist in Mississippi who was murdered by an assassin on June 12, 1963. It is later suspected that Byron De La Beckwith, a white supremist, is the murderer. He would be tried twice with both trials ended in hung juries. In 1989, Evers' widow Myrlie has been trying to bring De La Beckwith to justice for over 25 years, and she believes she has what it takes to bring him to trial again. However, most of the evidence from the old trial has disappeared, but Bobby DeLaughter, an assistant District Attorney, decides to do what he can to help her, despite being warned that it might hurt his political aspirations and the strain it is causing his marriage. Eventually, De La Beckwith is brought to trial for the third time, 30 years after the murders. This film was made just a couple of years following the conclusion of the re-trial of De La Beckwith.

Alec Baldwin is strong in his portrayal of Bobby DeLaughter, the assistant D.A. There are strong performances throughout, but most notably by James Woods as De La Beckwith and, in possibly the best acting role of her career, Whoopi Goldberg as Myrlie Evers.

What to do
Get some popcorn, rent the video, and watch the movie. Consider the themes and questions presented below. Even if you have seen it before, watch it again from the viewpoint of a paralegal-to-be.

Major Themes
Evidentiary procedure; trial record; witnesses; human rights

Relevant to this Segment

1. As you watch the film notice the reluctance of the prosecution to re-open an old case. Even to eventual hero of the case is reluctant at first and affected by political and family pressures. The assumptions the assistant D.A. has initially about the case melt away, though, as he begins to investigate the facts, and as the victim becomes more personal and real to him through the evidence. Is there any point at which it has been too long to prosecute a murder case? Is there a statute of limitations on murder?
   
   
2. The key to re-opening the case becomes the transcript of the trial record. Many of the witnesses from the original trial have died and the only way to use their testimony is to read it from a certified court transcript. However, the transcript has disappeared. The procedure for using such a transcript is very specific. What is it called when testimony is read from a transcript of recorded testimony into a trial for the jury's consideration?
   
   
3. Notice the scenes where Myrlie Evers is accompanied by her children, including her daughter, Reena and her son, James. James is played by the real son of Medgar and Myrlie Evers, James Van Evers. Reena is played by Yolanda King, daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr.
   
   
4. Fun facts: During the scene where Alec Baldwin is watching a movie on a date, he is upset and storms out. What is the movie being watched? Also, you may be surprised by who directed this movie.
   

Alternate Film

• The Client (1994). John Grisham movie with Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones.

Additional comments will be provided at the end of this Segment.