RALEIGH – Campbell Law School will host U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth Hoyt, author of ‘‘A Legal Lynching…From Which the Legacies of Three Black Houston Lawyers Blossomed,’’ at noon on Friday, April 5, in Room 105 to talk about his book and his career.
The event is free and open to the public. Lunch will be provided to those who sign up at this link by Wednesday, April 3.
“Judge Hoyt’s remarkable career includes military reserve service, private practice city attorney, state court judge, federal court judge and adjunct professor,” explained Professor Lucas Osborn, who clerked for Judge Hoyt after law school. “He has relentlessly served communities and pursued justice. Campbell Law is fortunate to host this remarkable person, who will share about his career and his recent book.”
Judge Hoyt’s visit is hosted by the Community, Diversity, and Student Life Committee and “is made possible by the generous support of friends and alumni of Campbell Law,” said Professor Suzanna Geiser, who chairs the committee.
After his talk, Judge Hoyt plans to be available to sign books for anyone who brings a copy of his book (which must be pre-purchased at the bookseller of your choice).
The book, which was published in May 2023, is not about the major battles African Americans have fought over 400 years, but a thrilling action-packed account that takes place in the criminal justice system, according to the following Amazon review by Distinguished Professor of Law James M. Douglas of Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law.
“African Americans have suffered many losses in the criminal justice battle. This is a true story of one of those losses chronicled by Judge Kenneth Hoyt. The story is told by Judge Hoyt through the voices of the actual participants. Beginning with his in chambers meeting with former state court Judge Matthew W. Plummer, Judge Hoyt weaves a thrilling yet truthful story of a total disregard for the constitutional rights of two young undereducated African American men. This is not a recount of a system guided by mistakes, but instead a true reflection of the intentional display of systemic racism and how it destroyed the lives of two citizens of this country.
“With this discourse, Judge Matthew W. Plummer and Judge Kenneth Hoyt give the reader a clear and true view of the constitutional violations in the criminal system suffered by African Americans in this country. It is a story that many whites in America would desire not to be told. Judge Hoyt has not only created a ravishing thriller about criminal justice gone wrong, but he has also chronicled a horrendous recount of a legal constitutional abuse.”
For those interested in pre-ordering a copy of Hoyt’s book for signing, visit this link.
ABOUT CAMPBELL LAW SCHOOL
Since its founding in 1986, Campbell Law has developed lawyers who possess moral conviction, social compassion, and professional competence, and who view the law as a calling to serve others. Among its accolades, the school has been recognized by the American Bar Association (ABA) as having the nation’s top Professionalism Program and by the American Academy of Trial Lawyers for having the nation’s best Trial Advocacy Program. Campbell Law boasts more than 4,800 alumni, who make their home in nearly all 50 states and beyond. In 2024, Campbell Law is celebrating 45 years of graduating legal leaders and 15 years of being located in a state-of-the-art facility in the heart of North Carolina’s Capital City.