Deep Delta Justice: A Black Teen, His Lawyer, and Their Groundbreaking Battle for Civil Rights in the South

by Matthew Van Meter

The book that inspired the documentary A Crime on the Bayou

2021 Chautauqua Prize Finalist

The "arresting, astonishing history" of one lawyer and his defendant who together achieved a "civil rights milestone" (Justin Driver).

In 1966 in a small town in Louisiana, a 19-year-old black man named Gary Duncan pulled his car off the road to stop a fight. Duncan was arrested a few minutes later for the crime of putting his hand on the arm of a white child. Rather than accepting his fate, Duncan found Richard Sobol, a brilliant, 29-year-old lawyer from New York who was the only white attorney at "the most radical law firm" in New Orleans. Against them stood one of the most powerful white supremacists in the South, a man called simply "The Judge."

In this powerful work of character-driven history, journalist Matthew Van Meter vividly brings alive how a seemingly minor incident brought massive, systemic change to the criminal justice system. Using first-person interviews, in-depth research and a deep knowledge of the law, Van Meter shows how Gary Duncan's insistence on seeking justice empowered generations of defendants-disproportionately poor and black-to demand fair trials. Duncan v. Louisiana changed American law, but first it changed the lives of those who litigated it.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, True Crime, Audiobook, Crime, Race, Social Justice

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 19, 2020

Reviews

[Geoff Munsterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot begin to explain to y'all the surreal experience of reading about the integration of your own high school and hearing about the immense history of that for the first time.

This is an incredible read—for the history, for its portrayal of the sacrifices made by those who fought on the right (and wrong) side of history. I highly recommend this book.

[Maxine · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intervention on the side of the road turned into a junky, Jim Crow misdemeanor - unjust but less egrigious than hundreds of others that year all over the south and the nation. That case...changed American law.

in 1966, in Plaquemain, Louisiana, Gary Duncan, a 19-year-old black man spotted his young cousins in what looked to be a confrontation with three white boys. In his attempt to stop a possible fight, he touched one of the white teens. He had no idea that this encounter would have such a profound effect, not only on him, but the country as a whole.

Gary was arrested and convicted of Cruelty to Juveniles. Despite the Civil Rights Act of 1964, segregation was still rampant in many parts of the United States but especially in the south and Plaquemine was no exception. Gary's lawyer, a young idealistic northerner who had come to Louisiana to help black defendants, appealed the conviction on the grounds that it violated Duncan's right to a jury trial. At the time it was understood that the right to a jury trial referred only to the federal court. However, Sobel knew there was a a push to apply the Bill of Rights to the states so, despite the rather long odds against winning, Richard decided to demand a a trial by jury in Gary's case. The appeal went all the way to the Supreme Court eventually overturning the conviction. Although it eventually became clear that there were limitations to the application of Duncan v. Louisiana, it 'opened the way for changes in criminal procedure that have affected the outcome of millions of cases'.

Deep Delta Justice by Matthew Van Meter is non-fiction but, despite the subject matter, it is no dry tome, accessible only to lawyers and academics. In fact, it is as compelling and unputdownable as any novel. It is well-written and well-researched using both primary and secondary sources including interviews with Gary and his family. Although the court case is the main focus of the book, Van Meter also looks at the political climate in Plaquemine at the time including the leading political figures and the pushback against lawyers like Sobel, as well as outlining some of he major civil rights issues like voter suppression, public funding for private schools, and racial inequalities within the justice system, issues that still challenge the legal system to this day.

Thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown and Company for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

[LARRY WEISMAN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must reading

I worked at the office of Collins, Douglas & Elie as an LCDC volunteer lawyer in the summer of 1964. I was there when the Civil Rights Act passed just as we were working on a suit to desegregate Charity Hospital. Of all the work I did in a 53 year legal career, I am proudest of my time in New Orleans and Southern Mississippi. It was a life-changing experience for me and helped to shape my world view and my practice until my retirement in 2015. This book is a fine overview of the work of the civil rights legal community, the LCDC, and the intransigent bigotry against which they fought.

[Nathalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fantastic story of a 1960s-era civil rights lawyer and his client who challenged their way to the Supreme Court to win a case that changed American law. To think it happened right here in Louisiana! And so nicely framed by the chaos caused by Hurricanes Betsy and Camille, two of the most notorious-and not to mention the ultimate anti-hero, Judge Leander Perez.

Perfection!!!

[Cavak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Educational and exciting. Please don't expect the court case itself to act as the only draw.

Deep Delta Justice is really more about preserving the lives and mentality of the Midwest '60s. Somehow doing so without casting fingers (except at the obvious one, whew!). Modern updates are sometimes only noted as an afterthought. Interviews with the people involved bring life to details the court record leaves out.

Van Meter's approach lets the actions of people and the headlines that remain speak for themselves. And it's overall open to the reader giving their own impressions to events. As someone who isn't familiar with Plaquemines Parish's history, I was blown away at just how racist attitudes were during desegregation. How much "legalese" bullied without any remorse or redemption. How harmful bigotry can be when no one speaks up.

It's the ones who stand up that makes this book a treat. They do not oversell their work, they state it with simplicity and efficiency. Non violently. With their families. With the tools of their professions. In the same time period when people were upset by MLK Jr. and Kennedy's assassinations. Really, it's the build up to the Supreme Court case that drew me in more than the results. Which is fantastic since the contention is so eloquently flawed that it's a joke. The case proceedings are summations of the court records, so they may feel cut and dry at points. Still rather engaging to think of how ridiculous the explosion became.

Best of all to me is that the conclusion doesn't walk away like it's mission accomplished. There is more that could be done. For all of the focus on Duncan and Sobol, they are not made out to be the almighty rock stars that other authors may have been tempted to portrayed them. Even the ones who aren't on Duncan's side are given humanity that grounds them from being too stereotyped (besides the one exception). It's a purposeful mindfulness that I respect.

Van Meter made real lawyers and their lengthy legal processes thrilling to read. Highly recommend Deep Delta Justice to anyone who wants a civil rights historical narrative. Or who want to time travel to another age. It's definitely not a story that can be fully read on Wikipedia! Amazing work.

I received the book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.

[Danielle Jeffcoat Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author has said he wrote a book on the most important Supreme Court case you never heard of. And despite this happening in my hometown, I have to agree.

I grew up in Plaquemines Parish. My dad attended one of the academies discussed in the book, and my grandmother taught there. I heard stories of Judge Perez my whole life and his enforcement of segregation, and yet this book told them in ways that my family and friends never described. It isn’t a pretty part of our history - but one thing I did love about this book was how it painted the Parish as a place that grew from such experiences. It’s by no means perfect, and some of the Perez quotes in the book sounded terrifyingly like some of the things I still hear out of the mouths of elders from my part of the world, but I do feel the Parish tried to move forward from his dictatorship in a positive way.

But back to the book - while I enjoyed it from a familiarity perspective and enjoyed sharing snippets from it with friends and family, as someone who actively reads civil rights books and is obsessed with law and politics, this book was an all around interesting read that I think I’d have enjoyed even if I didn’t personally know many of the characters

[Sarah Gay (lifeandbookswithme) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gary Duncan stops when he sees four white boys picking on his younger relative and a friend on the side of the highway in Plaquemines parish. Knowing that racial tensions have been running high, he decides to pull over and make sure that everything is okay. When he learns that the four boys have been bothering his family member, he gently touches one of them on the elbow and asks them to leave them alone. The boy runs home and tells his family that Gary assaulted him. Gary is soon thrown into a battle for his liberty as he begins a legal battle that lasted over 3 years for a gesture that lasted a few seconds. Matthew van Meter profiles Gary and his defense lawyer, Richard Sobol, as they take on the bigotry that was rampant in Louisiana. This book also profiles the civil rights movement as a whole in the state of Louisiana as we learn about the process of desegregating schools and overcoming the obstacles to help black people vote.

There is great detail in this book about not only the legal cases but Richard and Gary’s lives. The civil rights movement is explained thoroughly and you can tell that the author researched this work meticulously. The writing was heavy with legal terms at times which sometimes made it a bit difficult to follow. I really enjoyed the full scope that van Meter provided about the civil rights battle as a whole during the late 1960s in Louisiana as well as the update at the end about all of the people involved in the case. This gave me intense insight into some of the injustices black people were facing less than sixty years ago. As horrific as the treatment of Gary Duncan was, I feel like I learned a lot from this book and it’s an important read to gain perspective.

[Jen K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched look at life in a good ole boy strong hold parish in southern Lousiana during desegregation in the 1960's. During the high tension of the local government's focus to save the children from desegregated schools, Gary Duncan, only 19 at the time, pulls his car over to check on his 2 younger cousins who look outnumbered by 4 white boys on the side of the street. Gary touches one of the white boys which leads to extreme charges of battery and potentially long jail terms. With the help of Richard Sobol, a northern lawyer working with Lawyers Constitutional Defense Committee to defend civil rights, the case went as far as the Supreme Court and helped to further define what is meant by a fair trial.

The book was well researched and gave a clear picture of life in Louisiana in 1966. It meandered a bit between the actual case and side contextual tangents but interesting account of civil rights history.

[Madi Wall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genuinely one of the most interesting books i have ever read!! Goes deep into backstory and gives a full explanation of the case Duncan v Luisiana, it’s related cases, and it’s impact on both the law and US civil rights. I 10000% recommend it!!!

[Ava Butzu · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1966 in the small town of Plaquemines Parish, LA, on the bone-straight main road of Highway 23, two school-age black boys were walking home from their already fraught day at their recently desegregated school when they were waylaid by four white boys who were jonesing for a fight. Just as the encounter was heating up, 19-year-old Gary Duncan, cousin of one of the black boys, was driving down the road and spied the impending melee. Sensing trouble, he intervened and de-escalated the encounter. Touching one of the white boys on the shoulder, Gary said "You'd best run along home now." The boy retorted, "My people can put you in jail for that."

And that is exactly what they tried to do - for four straight years.

"Deep Delta Justice" is the story of Gary Duncan and his Civil Rights lawyer, Richard Sobol, a northerner who found his calling fighting the dirtiest of battles in the most corrupt pockets of Louisiana. This was the time of rebuilding after the historic devastation of Hurricane Betsy, which the locals refer to as a "dirty storm" because of the destruction and detritus it left in its wake. And in a metaphorical sense, this is exactly what those seeking racial equality and justice were fighting against. But in these parts of Louisiana, the storm had a name that preceded his destruction under the guise of making Louisiana great again: Leander Perez.

Perez was the notorious fatcat bigwig who unofficially ruled the roost in Plaquemines and surrounding parts. With crooked schemes and blustery assaults, he flattened his opponents. With flashy patronage, bullying, and truth-bending, he strong-armed local and state policy and bought white loyalty. Perez kept segregation alive well after the ruling of Brown vs. the Board of Education.

So when Gary Duncan, Richard Sobol, and Leander Perez's paths crossed, it would seem this part of Louisiana was about to witness the perfect storm.

"Deep Delta Justice" is the story of good prevailing over evil an in an uphill battle. It is an important lesson in the corruption and destruction of not just white supremacy in the 1960s, but of the pervasiveness of these issues with the swell of white nationalism in the era of Trump. Reading Van Meter's carefully researched stories of the compromised legal system, obstacles to voters' rights, and inequities in education is like holding up a mirror to Trump's campaign to make America great again.

The author, Matthew Van Meter, is a crusader in his own right - a man whose work quietly but powerfully echoes the words of Dr. Martin Luther King: "the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." This book bends that arc just a bit more to the side of the good guys. Admittedly, Van Meter is one of my dearest friends, so from my front-row seat, I was able to witness the research and writing of this book. It is narrative non-fiction at its finest. With characters you will fall in love with and love to hate, with important lessons in history and law, and with truly artful writing, "Deep Delta Justice" should be at the top of your list of must-read books.

[Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess there's some good and some bad in Deep Delta Justice, a story of a young black man in Louisiana who faced arrest and jail for "assault" for touching the arm of a white high-schooler.  The idea that this case was prosecuted at all, and led to a conviction on the charge is indicative of how racial injustices made life hard on blacks in the south fifty years ago.  The more positive part of the book is that a persevering young lawyer was able to take the case up to the Supreme Court to get the unjust conviction reversed and change the way minority defendants were treated in southern (and northern) courtrooms.  

The story begins during a period of significant racial tensions - the time when forced school integration in the south began.  Minor school-yard taunting of blacks by whites spilled over to a verbal confrontation between a small group of whites and a couple of black students.  When Gary Duncan, the 19 year-old uncle of one of the black boys drove by and saw potential trouble brewing, he pulled over to tell his nephew and friend to get into his car in order to prevent further escalation.  In the process, he touched the arm of one of the white boys, who then told Mr. Duncan that he was going to sue him for assault.  And that's exactly what the boy's family did.  

So Mr. Duncan was arrested for abuse of a minor.  The fact that a prosecutor would bring the case to court, and that the judge would find Mr. Duncan guilty as charged is indicative of the racial injustices not uncommon in courtrooms in the deep south fifty years ago.  
 
Luckily for Mr. Duncan, he was able to obtain the services of a competent young lawyer to represent him.  The lawyer asked for a jury trial, but the white judge in the case denied the request, and found Mr. Duncan guilty as charged.  Mr. Duncan was facing jail time and the loss of his job as a result of his conviction over such a minor issue, and his lawyer appealed the case all the way up to the Supreme Court.  

In Duncan v Louisiana, the Court determined that under the 14th and the 6th Amendments, criminal defendants were guaranteed a trial by jury, even when State Laws did not include this provision.  This didn't necessarily ensure that a black defendant wouldn't be found guilty by a jury of his peers, but had far reaching implications, and did help protect minorities from unjust treatment by biased prosecutors and judges.

[Peacejanz · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a coincidence that I was reading this book when a bunch of thugs broke into the US capital and damaged so much, including the reputation of the US. Of course, we have been a racist country for a long time and the Trump Doctrine preached racism so I should not be surprised. However, I must say that I was astonished at the delay of justice in the case explained in this book. In 1966, a young 19 year-old black man stopped his car when he saw two black boys, seventh graders, both relatives of his. They were being accosted by four white boys. He just wanted to get his relatives out of this situation. Later, one of the white boys, the child of a racist leader in the community, said that the black man had hit him. This book is about the amazing effort that a powerful white man in the community made to prevent integration in the local schools and it just happened that the 19 year old got caught up in the lies. His mother contacted attorneys who were helping black people in the segregated South. One of them was an outstanding young lawyer who had come south to defend black people who were falsely accused. The case of the black 19 year-old took two years to resolve and went all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States. I know that black folks are mistreated in the justice system but this was an extreme story. The book has pages and pages of footnotes where the author documented everything he wrote. This is such a sad book about the way racists in my country are allowed to harm others. A wonderful book. Well written. Believable. Sad.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

The black teen in 19-year-old Gary Duncan, who in 1966, interrupted the beginnings of a fight involving 4 white boys and his Black cousin and a friend by touching one of the white boys. He was charged, eventually, with simple battery and convicted without a jury trial, even though the punishment for the crime was 2 years behind bars. The lawyer was Richard S0bol, a Jewish attorney from New York who worked for a Washington law firm but had a heart for civil rights issues and took a job in New Orleans with an organization called the Lawyers Constitutional Defense Committee, which connected him to a firm of three Black attorneys deeply involved in racial issues. The setting is Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, domain of one Leander Perez, on of the most virulent segregationists and corrupt political bosses in the South at the time. There's lots of additional detail regarding the setting and the context in the book, but the focus is on two major pieces of litigation: Duncan v. Louisiana, which applied the right to trial by jury in "serious matters" (i.e. things that aren't misdemeanors) to the states (hard to believe that didn't happen earlier!) and Sobol v. Perez, which prohibited the State of Louisiana from incarcerating out-of-state attorneys for practicing law without a license when they were dealing with civil rights issues. The research and documentation is extensive, but the story is neither dull nor academic. An interesting look at a very particular piece of late 1960s/early 1970s history.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Good book and content, but was a bit disorganized and hard to follow at times. I sometimes had a hard time keeping track of what year it was, what lawsuit was going on, and how everything fit together on a linear timeline. The main focus was on a young, white civil rights lawyer from Washington DC that moved to New Orleans in the 1960s to do civil rights legal work and ended up taking on the case of a young black man that was accused of hitting a white boy while breaking up a fight (when in reality he merely touched the boy's elbow). The facts of the case weren't really the focus, but the procedural details are what made the case important enough to be heard by the US Supreme Court (over the issue of a right to a jury trial). Also written about were other civil rights-related lawsuits, desegregation issues (in schools and in the workplace), and a super racist judge/politician/crook from southern Louisiana who was just not having it with equal rights for blacks. It was not surprising, but definitely sickening, to read about the lengths that many of the white southerners went to in order to preserve white supremacy in the 1960s. Sadly, a lot of the same stories seem to be repeating today.

[Biljana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deep Delta Justice was a fascinating read about civil rights law and the South in the 1960s. It begins with the case of Gary Duncan, who stops at the side of the road to intervene in an interaction between his young cousin and some white children, which leads to racially-motivated charges and a case that eventually goes to the Supreme Court. Note that Gary Duncan and his case are not the key focus in this book, however. Instead, we are treated to a history of various counties in Louisiana, key (white supremacist) political leaders who unfortunately had a huge impact at that time in their efforts to stop desegregation, and the civil rights lawyers who fought against these injustices. Van Meter is able to create an interesting and educational account of the time by drawing on historical records and personal accounts from some of the people whose stories are told. A very worthwhile, fascinating, and educational read.

Thanks to the author, Brown Little and Company, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an e-galley.

[Luis Cuesta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. Matthew Van Meter writes about a1966 racial confrontation and its aftermath and how civil rights advocates fights against an unreliable, sometimes racist criminal justice system. This history revisits the prosecution of Gary Duncan, a nineteen-year-old African-American, on a charge of battery, after he touched a white boy’s arm while intervening in a fight.The case was driven by a local politician, “the most notorious racist in the state”; with the help of a Columbia-educated civil-rights lawyer, it went all the way to the Supreme Court, which exonerated Duncan. In the book Van Meter argues that the case was an exemplar of a “criminal procedure revolution” that brought federal standards to state courts. It is a deeply researched and vividly written chronicle that can appeal to readers interested in the civil rights movement.

[Tyler Bosma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting! Glad to learn about this family, and this case, which went to the Supreme Court. Kind of like Just Mercy, but with a bit broader context setting, both about legal issues and about what was up in Louisiana at that time. There was also more focus on the lawyers working for civil rights at that time, too, which was interesting, but took some focus from the most affected parties (though Soble was targeted for retaliation, too). The examples of different voting tests and other ways Perez kept folks of color from exercising their vote, etc., were another sickening and compelling topic covered. The guy was determined and creative in his attempts to keep folks down.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

A serious look at racial politics in Louisiana in the '60s. I think Meter has captured a bit of American history that it would be well we not forget. The overt segregationist actors in this story should be held up for the scorn they deserve. On the other hand, there are other actors in the drama that Meter has not named, and which thus are allowed to remain hidden in the murk of history. How many "good people" are in this category and who did not have the courage to stand up to the wrong that they surely must have known was being perpetrated. This narrative is a step in the right direction.

[Andrea Eisem · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing story about faith, fortitude, defiance and resilience. It is also personal to me, Richard Sobol was a dear friend. I had never heard the whole story about his win at the Supreme Court but knew I was in the presence of someone extraordinary. It is a painful telling of a horrendous time in the US, the story of Gary Duncan is woven into the story of the time and place...excellently told, although horrifying in it’s frank depiction of the extent to which racists in power were able to maintain their stranglehold on the community. I listened to the audible version and the narrator was wonderful. It is a history lesson for today.

[Judi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not even sure why I picked up this book, but I'm glad I did. It's so much better than I thought it would be given the title and the cover. Perhaps the publisher missed the impact Van Meter's writing has on the reader or didn't recognize the importance of the story hiding behind the ho-hum title. The story of Gary Duncan and Richard Sobol impacts how law is practiced in all 50 states. It's not just about civil rights in the racial sense, it's about the civil rights of every American no matter their color, orientation, or where they live.

After you read this book, you agree that Gary Duncan's name should be as well known as Ruby Bridges and Rosa Parks.

[Casey Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written and researched, this story of the Civil Rights movement in late ‘60s Louisiana. As tension around desecration soars Gary Duncan stops on his way home from work to break up a possible fight between his cousins and four white boys- all elementary aged this begins his journey to the Supreme Court and a precedent setting case that resonates even today. The author frames the story around two destructive hurricanes and enlivens it with tangential but important events of the times. He reminds us why the fight for racial justice continues.

[Margaret Libersat]

This is the most spellbinding nonfiction I've ever read. It's good reading as "character-driven history and essential education. Legal and historical details are rendered downright riveting contextualized by the hortific words and gestures of SE Louisiana racism and entitlement during the civil rights movement. It's the story of how the dynamics on all sides coalesced to create a court case that very simply "changed the course of justice in the South and eventually in the entire country."

[Carolyn Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating narrative about a case that went to the Supreme Court and continued to be instrumental in future civil rights cases. The documentation in this book is outstanding; the endnotes and list of sources take up 38 pages. The writing is easy to read. The only criticism I have is that, at times, the narrative seemed to jump around a bit (hence 4 stars rather than 5). Good insight into the legal climate in the South during the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

[Tiffanie Z. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, just wow! Very surreal and close-to-home literally. I live in southeast Louisiana so I’m familiar with the cities, parishes, names and hurricanes mentioned in this book. But most importantly the good legal work done to help during the civil rights movement, desegregation times. I’m embarrassed to be “white” with all the horrific things white some people said/did. We’ve come a long way but much work to be done.

[Bec]

DNF @ ~30%

This book was just much more legal heavy than I anticipated. For readers who are interested in the legal side of the Civil Rights battle in the South, this will likely be a fantastic read for you.

Thank you to Libro.FM for providing me with a review copy of this audiobook. This does not, in any way, impact my opinions of the book.

[Michael Asen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story that should be read. These are the better angels you hear about. Hard to believe that this is our country but unfortunately Louisiana still leaves with lots of these issues concerning racial injustice. Sidenote here is that the people that tried to destroy the life of Gary Duncan and Richard Sobel are still at it. The names change but not the attitudes. Important read

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the story of civil rights in the parish of Plaquemines in Louisiana under the
control Leander Perez Sr. and his family during the late 60's and how to court cases
Duncan vs Louisiana and Sobol vs Perez, help bring a end to it.
If anyone is interested this book got a good review in The Washington Post.
I won this book and the Bone Thiefs on Goodreads.

[Forest Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a history major this was right up my alley. I did not know where the ‘trial by jury’ started and didn’t realize how many places locked people up back in the 60s with the judge presiding and making the judgement. Leander Perez was someone I knew nothing about but his story is interesting as well. Overall, a good read and a solid history lesson about Jim Crow In Louisiana.

[Denise Kruse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating look at the road to justice in Plaquemines parish, Louisiana during the Civil Rights era. Perhaps not as infamous as Mississippi or Georgia, racism here was just as deep and insidious. Sometimes the writing seems to stray; however, the reader does experience the time and place as well as learning about the case, the characters, nuances and the outcome.

[Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tale of race and corruption in southeastern Louisiana. It is amazing that a case that seemed so frivolous – battery for touching? – worked its way up to the Supreme Court and had repercussions on future cases involving trial by jury. I wish I could say that I was surprised. The book is well written and flows like fiction at times.