Ronald Collins — Tragedy on Trial- with Jason Downs

Watch author Ronald Collins' book talk and reading at Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington, D.C.

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Tragedy on Trial reveals as never before the entire and shocking story of the 1955 trial of Emmett Till's murderers. Based on extensive research, and accompanied by photos of the trial and a "For the Record" Introduction by Lonnie G. Bunch, III (Secretary of the Smithsonian), the brisk narrative brings the story alive, revealing all its manipulations of justice, including:

the sheriff who from beginning to end put the fix in for the defendants;

the ethically conflicted county attorney who selected the jurors;

the successful scheme to never charge the guilty defendants with kidnapping;

the defense lawyers who corruptly built their case on racism of the cruelest kind;

the White woman who falsely accused Emmett Till, inflaming an already bigoted all-White male jury;

the Black witnesses for the defense who were rounded up and secretly jailed in distant jurisdictions;

the defense's medical "experts" who were not experts; and

the defense's closing arguments (never recorded but now reconstructed) directed to "every Anglo-Saxon" member of the jury.

Ronald Collins offers an original and in-depth account that highlights the fearless efforts of Mamie Till and the courageous friends and family who testified. Collins also uncovers the truth behind the widely read 1956 Look magazine story, correcting falsehoods that persist to this day.

Ronald Collins was the Harold S. Shefelman Scholar at the University of Washington School Law (retired) and is the editor of First Amendment News.

Collins is in conversation with Jason Downs, one of the lead lawyers who secured a $6.4 million settlement with the family of Freddie Gray, the 25-year-old man whose death in April from spinal injuries he suffered while in police custody sparked protests and rioting. As co-chair of both the State Attorneys General practice group and the Environmental Social Governance (ESG) group at a national law firm, Jason serves as lead counsel for clients facing enforcement action. He also provides strategic advice on parallel civil and criminal investigations and civil rights audits. Previously, as chief deputy AG, Jason managed all legal matters brought on behalf of, or against, the District of Columbia and oversaw enforcement actions involving local and multistate anticompetitive, unfair and deceptive trade practices. Prior to that, he served as general counsel at the Office of the Attorney General. He also spent seven years at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, serving as lead counsel on 26 felony jury trials against federal prosecutors. Jason serves as trial advocacy workshop faculty at Harvard Law School and is an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland School of Law.

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Founded by Carla Cohen and Barbara Meade in 1984, Politics and Prose Bookstore is Washington, D.C.'s premier independent bookstore and cultural hub, a gathering place for people interested in reading and discussing books. Politics and Prose offers superior service, unusual book choices, and a haven for book lovers in the store and online.