Crime. We have a fascination with crime. The whys, the hows, the consequences of lawbreaking intrigue many of us who would never dare perpetrate a felony, but sure would love to read about it. If you are intrigued by crime, especially locally, have I got a book for you.
There is a new volume from Redhawk Publications that offers an insightful and entertaining look at some cases from the 25th Judicial District. The work takes us “behind closed doors in North Carolina’s courtrooms” to get a revealing look at how the justice system works. But really, you will learn so much more in the pages of “Prosector Boy: The Autobiography of Attorney Jason Parker” than just how those cases were adjudicated.
Jason begins the memoir by taking us through his upbringing, as an African American kid in a mostly white small town. In fact, an early chapter is entitled, “Nowhere Else but Taylorsville,” that details what it was like to grow up there. Along the way, he makes numerous brilliant references to the culture of the era, giving the reader a feel for what it was like in those days, the attitudes and the changes taking place.
From there, we follow the future Assistant District Attorney to Raleigh and NC State University, a school he jokingly, (I think he was joking) calls “Moo U.” Despite his claims of not taking his academic career too seriously, he was an honor student, ranking 17th in his class of 167. Though he graduated with a degree in political science, the law was not his initial route. It took a while for that path to make itself known and during that time he spent a few days at K-Mart. You have to read the book for that to make sense.
However, once it did, he deftly takes us through the process of law school, passing the bar and becoming a “legal eagle.” He then uses the cases with which he was involved to offer a better understanding of how the system really works. Jason’s return to western North Carolina as the first black lawyer in the area offers an understanding of the racism he experienced, “overt and systematic.” Spending some time as a defense attorney before becoming a representative of the people, Jason prosecuted a number of sensational cases. The book then goes in-depth, offering revelations about how verdicts got reached.
Along the way, we see his growth as a compelling storyteller, inside the courtroom and for our benefit as a reader, years after, as he reflects on a number of cases. He calls these his “war stories” and he tells them well. Some of those cases you may remember if you kept up with what went on in and around Catawba County in the last quarter century, but even if you didn’t, these events offer a deeper understanding of the region and its approach to “justice for all.”
There is so much to be learned from “Prosecutor Boy” beyond the details of the events Jason Parker recounts. Now retired, he takes us through the practical, as well as ideological aspects of the system. It is a journey filled with everything a great court drama embodies. Plus, it gives us the benefit of the man in action.
Photo: A great read.
