Jerry Mitchell

During our trip to Jackson we visited Jerry Mitchell, a reporter for the Clarion Ledger. One of the first things that we learned about Jerry Mitchell was that he is a master at Wii tennis. This fact alone would have made me like Mr. Mitchell, but when he started talking about his work as a reporter my liking for him grew exponentially. Mr. Mitchell talked to us about the work he did reopening the Medgar Evers murder trial and his experience interviewing the man who was eventually convicted of the murder. It was amazing listening to the things that he's experienced while investigating cases like this one, including death threats and hate mail which he often receives from racists who condemn his work. When Mitchell talked about his conversation with Beckwith (Evers' killer) in Beckwith's own home it made me think about the failures of the justice system today and in the past and how little has changed. Mr. Mitchell said that when he talked to Beckwith, Beckwith wasn't even frightened by the idea of going to jail for Evers' murder. He had no doubt that he would remain free, and thus his interview with Mitchell seemed inconsequential.

Although Mr. Mitchell's investigation did eventually end up landing Beckwith in jail, the fact remains that Beckwith's security in his own safety came from the inequalities which he knew existed in the our legal system. He had been acquitted once, and he believed that he would be again, because in his mind little had changed in the world. He still held the same views as he had 40 years before and the same injustices that existed then and still existed today and would continue to work in his favor. Although Beckwith was wrong when it came to his own trial, I think his sense of security was not completely unfounded. Talking to Tucker Carrington about the Innocence Project and also Father Lincoln Dall during our trip to Jackson, we have learned more about the systemic injustices which still work against poor people and minorities. The same disregard present in the first investigation of Evers' murder is still present in the cases of hundreds of "criminals" who have overworked lawyers or have been awaiting trial for years
behind bars. Truth is, there's still a general lack of concern when it comes to legal matters involving minorities and poor people. Even in the Evers case the change in Evers' status overtime has meaning. At the time of his death, Medgars Evers was just another civil rights worker who was murdered. It wasn't until years later, after his death, that he became a national leader( not just a black leader). His prestige at the time of the second investigation of his murder had to have influenced the decision to reopen the case and eventually re-try Beckwith. But what about the people who aren't famous and whose cases have yet to be properly investigated?


My point is that the legal system in our country is highly biased still today. We may not have as many sheriffs pocketing information or as much intimidation of witnesses as there was in the 50s, but we still have a les affaires attitude when it comes to matters involving certain communities in the nation. The fact that Jerry Mitchell, a reporter (not a lawyer) is responsible for the re-opening of Evers' case speaks volumes of the "justice" system today. I guess this is just a reiteration of the flaws in the system.