Jim Turner: Selma and the Liuzzo Murder Trials

Jessie Boudreau, ​jessie_boudreau@yahoo.com

March 7th, 2018
For Immediate Release
The First Conviction of the KKK
COLUMBIA, Mo. -

On Wednesday, March 6th at 6:30 p.m., University of Missouri Alum Jim Turner spoke

at the Reynolds Journalism Institute about his prosecution of Klu Klux Klan members in the case

of Viola Liuzzo in Selma, Alabama in 1965. About one hundred students, faculty, and

community members gathered at the journalism school to listen to Jim’s experience with civil

rights. With him, he brought his son, Jim Turner Junior and his published book “Selma and the

Liuzzo Murder Trials.” Today was a special day for Jim Turner to speak, being the 53rd

anniversary of Bloody Sunday, the first Selma March. University of Missouri Professor Berkley

Hudson had nothing but kind words to say about Jim, stating he “is a living embodiment of the

United States 20th century history.”

Jim Turner grew up in Colorado and was a strong member of his high school debate

team, eventually qualifying in a national competition. From there he went on to receive a degree

from the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, ultimately emphasizing in Radio

Broadcast. He continued on to the Marines where he travelled to South Korea and North Korea,

before returning to his home state of Colorado. He then went on to receive a law degree from the

University of Colorado in 1957. Starting in the Tax Division, Jim found it “utterly boring.”

Little did Jim know soon his life would become quite interesting, soon to speak in front

of the United States Supreme Court four times. The Civil Rights Act of 1957 created the U.S.
Department of the Civil Rights Division, where Jim would start his career and become an

important leader under Attorney General John Dohr. On March 26th, 1965, Jim was handed his

first assignment- The Selma to Montgomery March and the Luizzo case.

According to Jim’s book Selma and the Liuzzo Murder Trials, “ ​within hours klan terror

struck, claiming the life of one of the marchers, Viola Liuzzo, a Detroit mother of five. Turner

offers an insider’s view of the three trials that took place over the following nine months—which

finally resulted in the conviction of the killers.” Jim Turner discusses the court, the case files,

FBI documents, and evidence of the murder of a white women killed in the car of a black man, in

his twelve chapter book. Jim stated “While writing the book, I did not follow the general

journalism rule to capitalize the word ‘Klan’ unless it was the beginning of a sentence. I don’t

believe that word should be capitalized.” The judge appointed to this case, Judge Frank M.

Johnson, was “a special jurist whose words sprang with life.” Judge Johnson issued orders for

the Selma to Montgomery March to take place.

Many questions were asked to Jim Turner and his son following his speech, one

mentioning why the case was so important. Jim responded, “This was the first time the jury has

convicted the KKK.” Whenever someone asks Jim Turner his biggest cases of his 30 plus years

of law, Jim “always starts with this case as the most important one.”