FREE Returns

Or fastest delivery Thursday, March 30. Order within 16 hrs 25 mins

Only 3 left in stock (more on the way)

[{"displayPrice":"$25.00","priceAmount":25.00,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"25","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"00","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"ZeU6VFZwc9o%2B%2FAXVGrjYH26%2BoufP3WGR0sRqozUaY6xhy2tjQSy2KjB1VG48xcD3JRzGsfIP%2FJ8pQ43poimEqMB0E70GqXkBKVknXVy0upZ4gtYX%2B8tyKroJ5hNTxVzyohF9Xq5lPR%2F6AvP%2FUrA3yg%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW"},{"displayPrice":"$18.53","priceAmount":18.53,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"18","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"53","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"ZeU6VFZwc9o%2B%2FAXVGrjYH26%2BoufP3WGRoZa2A49iFo%2BFFB%2Fi3t7yLmEM1eMYFY%2BkyKoWHYb7RNqTX4cfCnESdXAX5mjPRLXdQDqi%2F8YpdtEvf5uKmvuUPVVuXon0wE%2BT7S%2BlrZH%2B0C%2BSSBqiuE4EkWfcFcTaSclPCcZR5DNjEoVRYeiZ%2FG04zsUAJ%2FQJf0cr","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED"}]

$$25.00 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Payment

Secure transaction

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

Details

Payment

Secure transaction

We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.

Read full return policy

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

FREE delivery April 4 - 10. Details

Select delivery location

Used: Good | Details

Sold by circle7books

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Have one to sell?

Sell on Amazon

Other Sellers on Amazon

Added

Not added

$18.78
+ $3.99 shipping

Sold by: SuperBookDeals--

Added

Not added

$25.05
& FREE Shipping

Sold by: Publisher Direct

Added

Not added

$27.24
& FREE Shipping

Sold by: GrandEagleRetail

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See all 3 images

Follow the Author

Michael Berryhill

The Trials of Eroy Brown: The Murder Case That Shook the Texas Prison System (Jack and Doris Smothers Series in Texas History, Life, and Culture) Paperback – October 1, 2011

by Michael Berryhill (Author)

28 ratings

Part of: Jack and Doris Smothers Series in Texas History, Life, and Culture (20 books)

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$2.99

—

Hardcover

"Please retry"

$105.99

$168.83

$105.99

Paperback

"Please retry"

$25.00

$18.59

$18.53

Kindle
$2.99 Read with Our Free App
Hardcover
$105.99

8 Used from $105.99 1 New from $168.83
Paperback
$25.00

25 Used from $18.53 20 New from $18.59

Enhance your purchase

In April 1981, two white Texas prison officials died at the hands of a black inmate at the Ellis prison farm near Huntsville. Warden Wallace Pack and farm manager Billy Moore were the highest-ranking Texas prison officials ever to die in the line of duty. The warden was drowned face down in a ditch. The farm manager was shot once in the head with the warden's gun. The man who admitted to killing them, a burglar and robber named Eroy Brown, surrendered meekly, claiming self-defense.

In any other era of Texas prison history, Brown's fate would have seemed certain: execution. But in 1980, federal judge William Wayne Justice had issued a sweeping civil rights ruling in which he found that prison officials had systematically and often brutally violated the rights of Texas inmates. In the light of that landmark prison civil rights case, Ruiz v. Estelle, Brown had a chance of being believed.

The Trials of Eroy Brown, the first book devoted to Brown's astonishing defense, is based on trial documents, exhibits, and journalistic accounts of Brown's three trials, which ended in his acquittal. Michael Berryhill presents Brown's story in his own words, set against the backdrop of the chilling plantation mentality of Texas prisons. Brown's attorneys—Craig Washington, Bill Habern, and Tim Sloan—undertook heroic strategies to defend him, even when the state refused to pay their fees. The Trials of Eroy Brown tells a landmark story of prison civil rights and the collapse of Jim Crow justice in Texas.

Part of series

Jack and Doris Smothers Series in Texas History, Life, and Culture
Print length

247 pages
Language

English
Publisher

University of Texas Press
Publication date

October 1, 2011
Dimensions

9 x 6 x 0.56 inches
ISBN-10

0292744064
ISBN-13

978-0292744066
See all details

Frequently bought together

+

Total price:

To see our price, add these items to your cart.

One of these items ships sooner than the other.

Show details Hide details

Choose items to buy together.

by Michael Berryhill Paperback
$25.00
Only 3 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Get it as soon as Monday, Apr 3
by James N. Leiker Paperback
$15.96
Only 5 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Get it as soon as Monday, Apr 3

James N. Leiker
2
Paperback
18 offers from $15.16

Editorial Reviews

Review

Well documented and unsentimental, Berryhill's account of this infamous 30-year-old murder case that pitted one man's innocent plea against Texas's political might provides a jarring portrait of a once-medieval state prison.

― Publishers Weekly Published On: 2011-07-04

Michael Berryhill tells Brown's side of the story with care and skill...the story contributes to the growing literature on Texas prisons and prison histories, and it resonates beyond this topic.

-- Norwood Andrews, University of Texas-Pan American ― The Journal of Southern History Published On: 2013-05-01

Review

Michael Berryhill is a very gifted storyteller, and this is a very powerful story.

-- Gary M. Lavergne, author of Before Brown: Heman Marion Sweatt, Thurgood Marshall, and the Long Road to Justice

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of Texas Press; Reprint edition (October 1, 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 247 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0292744064
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0292744066
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.19 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9 x 6 x 0.56 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,670,236 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,011 in Civil Rights Law (Books)
- #2,349 in Legal History (Books)
- #9,433 in Murder & Mayhem True Accounts

Customer Reviews:
28 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Michael Berryhill

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

In The Trials of Eroy Brown: The Murder Case That Shook the Texas Prison System, Michael Berryhill tells a landmark story of prison civil rights and the collapse of Jim Crow justice in Texas. In April 1981, two white Texas prison officials died at the hands of a black inmate at the Ellis prison farm near Huntsville. The warden was drowned face down in a ditch. The farm manager was shot once in the head with the warden's gun. The man who admitted to killing them, a burglar and robber named Eroy Brown, surrendered meekly, claiming self-defense. In any other era of Texas prison history, Brown's fate would have seemed certain: execution. But in 1980, federal judge William Wayne Justice had issued a sweeping civil rights ruling in which he found that prison officials had systematically and often brutally violated the rights of Texas inmates. In the light of that landmark case, Brown had a chance of being believed. The Trials of Eroy Brown, the first book devoted to Brown's astonishing defense, is based on trial documents, exhibits, and journalistic accounts of Brown's three trials, which ended in his acquittal. Michael Berryhill presents Brown's story in his own words, set against the backdrop of the chilling plantation mentality of Texas prisons. Recipient of the Texas Institute of Letters prize for nonfiction, Michael Berryhill has written for numerous publications, including the New York Times magazine, Harper's, The New Republic, and the Houston Chronicle. He chairs the journalism program at Texas Southern University.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5

28 global ratings

5 star		62%
4 star		18%
3 star		11%
2 star		7%
1 star		3%

How customer reviews and ratings work

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Amazon Customer

I received a product in good condition as agreed.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 16, 2023

Verified Purchase

The product was of better quality than expected and it was delivered according to the online updates.

Helpful

zendawg

Great Book About Great Lawyer and Landmark Case

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 25, 2011

Verified Purchase

Eroy Brown should have been a dead man after killing in self defense a prison warden and a top prison manager. Brown was black, with a long criminal history, when Texas was in some ways more conservative and redneck than it is now (it's still as conservative but not as blatantly redneck). Craig Washington, a young black lawyer/state legislator, led the defense in Brown's capital murder trials and proved Brown acted in self defense. The book shows how hellish Texas prisons were, and how corrupt some of the officials were, e.g., stealing tires and other equipment. They treated the black inmates like slaves, and when they got uppity, would take them to the "bottoms," the river bottoms or other isolated areas where they could beat them or even kill them. The book is well written, moves fast, and is as compelling as a first rate fictional legal or suspense thriller. I read a lot of true crime books and this one is in my top five. I'm not doing justice to it with this review. Just buy it and read it for yourself!

Helpful

A. R. Jones

Missing the most important interview

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 25, 2016

Verified Purchase

Although I enjoyed the read it is a rehashing of The Walls Came Tumbling Down. I would have given the book five stars if it would have included or had the cooperation of Brown' attorney Craig Washington. I like that true book has an index, used mostly primary sources included verbatim court testimony which legitimized the story.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

E Jean Boone

No Justice No Peace!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 17, 2014

Verified Purchase

Eroy Brown is a political prisoner now!!! Yes, he committed a crime but you have to ask why was his sentence so "enhanced" & the other two accomplices rec'vd such light sentences. A case like OJ; if the state couldn't get him for his original trials where he was acquitted of murdering TDC Warden Pack & Billy Moore, then they would make Eroy pay where they could which was the enhancement of his last crime as habitual criminal !!!

Native Wacoan
Jean B

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 18, 2012

Verified Purchase

The book is very good and informative. The service I received from the vendor was prompt and not problems. The book is well written and detailed. I live in Huntsville but only heard a small portion about what happened on the Ellis Unit so this book has helped to better understand and get a better picture of what happened.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 3, 2015

Verified Purchase

outstanding documentary book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 4, 2020

I have personal experience in the late 70's at both Ellis and Wynne, and I can tell you this whole book is a bunch of biased garbage. There are only 3 people who knew exactly what happened on that horrible day, and since one of them killed the other two, all that is left is a self-serving account from the one who did it all. That day, neither Warden Pack or Farm Mgr Moore set out to harm anyone. The convict himself started it all in motion by acting badly since he had not gotten ANOTHER furlough yet. So when Mr. Moore called for the Warden, they both rightfully and lawfully decided to handcuff Eroy Brown. Brown either found the gun inside the warden's car, or was able to take it from Warden Pack. And even if you believe Pack pointed the gun at Brown, duly authorized law officials have the right and authority to use the tools of their trade to effect an arrest and subdue someone whom they believe it is warranted for. And a Texsas prison warden has every authority to do so, and yes, subject to review and if his actions are deemed inappropriate, then he may well face consequences. Brown got the gun and executed Moore with a shot to the head and was trying to shoot Pack. If you believe Moore was shot square in the forehead while Pack and Brown were fighting over the gun, you live in fantasy land and are likely just a thug-hugger. Pack was much older, less strong and when he realized it was going badly, he ran for his life. Yet Eroy Brown claims he had to chase Pack down and drown him in a slimey ditch in self-defense. I have news for the author and any other fools who love to hug these thugs.....an older, weaker man who is running AWAY from you does not constitute a deadly threat to your life, so self-defense is not a credible claim. If it had all happend right therre at the car, his fairy tale might be more believeable. But to claim self-defense after chasing Pack down ....ludicrous. The defense claims Eroy Brown had no other choice but to "defend" himself." There is no evidence at all, and a self-serving story out of the killer's own mouth is not evidence, that Pack and Moore were going to do anything at all to Brown. This is just a concocted story to get off. People who have never been around criminals don't understand that they do things that normal people would not themselves do. That's what makes them criminals.....they do bad things for no good reason at all. This is similar to another case where a slick-talking lawyer, and a low IQ jury, get conned with a fairy tale and the guilty party walks away.......the case of OJ Simpson. I would love to ask those jurors (all except for the one lady juror who had the brains to vote the right way), do you believe every time a criminal murders a law enforcement officer in the performance of his/her duty, and then claims self-defense, and is the only one left to tell the story....well, I guess we have to acquit him because he said he had to do it. I guess thats what they decided. What a massive travesty of justice is this case.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Amazon Music Stream millions of songs	Amazon Advertising Find, attract, and engage customers	6pm Score deals on fashion brands	AbeBooks Books, art & collectibles	ACX Audiobook Publishing Made Easy	Sell on Amazon Start a Selling Account

Amazon Business Everything For Your Business	Amazon Fresh Groceries & More Right To Your Door	AmazonGlobal Ship Orders Internationally	Home Services Experienced Pros Happiness Guarantee	Amazon Ignite Sell your original Digital Educational Resources	Amazon Web Services Scalable Cloud Computing Services

Audible Listen to Books & Original Audio Performances	Book Depository Books With Free Delivery Worldwide	Box Office Mojo Find Movie Box Office Data	ComiXology Thousands of Digital Comics	DPReview Digital Photography	Fabric Sewing, Quilting & Knitting

Goodreads Book reviews & recommendations	IMDb Movies, TV & Celebrities	IMDbPro Get Info Entertainment Professionals Need	Kindle Direct Publishing Indie Digital & Print Publishing Made Easy	Amazon Photos Unlimited Photo Storage Free With Prime	Prime Video Direct Video Distribution Made Easy

Shopbop Designer Fashion Brands	Amazon Warehouse Great Deals on Quality Used Products	Whole Foods Market America’s Healthiest Grocery Store	Woot! Deals and Shenanigans	Zappos Shoes & Clothing	Ring Smart Home Security Systems

eero WiFi Stream 4K Video in Every Room	Blink Smart Security for Every Home	Neighbors App Real-Time Crime & Safety Alerts	Amazon Subscription Boxes Top subscription boxes – right to your door	PillPack Pharmacy Simplified	Amazon Renewed Like-new products you can trust