The same Justice Department that repeatedly investigated then-Hinds County District Attorney Ed Peters could now rely on him as a star witness in a case alleging corruption.
“He seems to always land on his feet, no matter what the allegation, just like a cat,” said former Hinds County Judge James Bell, who in 1987 passed along to the FBI unsolicited information about alleged corruption involving Peters.
In 1975, a jury acquitted Peters on extortion charges and, in the time since then, he has been at the center of a number of investigations and controversies. Each time he has emerged victorious, seemingly stronger than before.
Now federal authorities could call on Peters to testify against his protege, Bobby DeLaughter, who helped them gain worldwide fame for the successful prosecution of white supremacist Byron De La Beckwith for the 1963 assassination of NAACP leader Medgar Evers. The effort was depicted in the 1996 movie Ghosts of Mississippi.
Magnolia Tribune
