A Rainy Night in Georgia with J.Tom Morgan

On December 15, 2000, the newly elected sheriff of DeKalb County, Derwin Brown, was ambushed and murdered in his driveway. The case fell to J.Tom Morgan, the county’s elected district attorney, and his new book, A Rainy Night in Georgia, gives readers a first-person account of that time. What began as a baffling unsolved murder evolved into one of the most extraordinary political assassination cases in modern American history, after a shocking discovery. Decatur Book Festival is proud to have J.Tom Morgan on the stage at the former courthouse, and to host this session that is rich with DeKalb County history. 

Purchase your book from Brave + Kind and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the festival.

This event is free and open to the public. No tickets are required, and seating is first come, first served. Signing information: Signing time: 5:00 PM

Signing location: DeKalb History Center North Lawn (Ponce de Leon side)

About the Author

J.Tom Morgan is a nationally recognized trial attorney, former prosecutor, professor, and advocate for children whose career has spanned more than four decades in public service and the law. He served as the elected District Attorney of DeKalb County, Georgia, from 1992 to 2004, leading one of the state’s largest prosecutorial offices and overseeing thousands of felony cases each year. Morgan was the lead prosecutor in the landmark corruption and murder case against former DeKalb County sheriff Sidney Dorsey for the assassination of sheriff-elect Derwin Brown. Following that conviction, Morgan became the first prosecutor from the United States to receive the Special Achievement Award from the International Association of Prosecutors. Before serving as District Attorney, Morgan was the first prosecutor in Georgia—and among the first in the nation—to specialize in prosecuting crimes against children. A nationally recognized expert on criminal justice and child advocacy, he has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, 48 Hours, CNN, and Court TV, and has lectured to prosecutors and law enforcement officials across the United States and Europe. Morgan is the author of the bestselling Ignorance Is No Defense series and currently teaches criminal justice and ethics at Western Carolina University. At the Decatur Book Festival, he is launching A Rainy Night in Georgia, a Southern true crime memoir about justice, corruption, and the human cost of public service.

About the Moderator

Melita Easters is the Executive Director and Founding Chair of Georgia WIN List, a Political Action Committee established in 2000 which is dedicated to Changing the Face of Power in Georgia by electing more Democratic Women to the General Assembly or statewide office who are committed to restoring reproductive freedom and protecting economic, educational, and legal equality for all women. She is a regular panelist on Fox 5’s highly rated Sunday morning program The Georgia Gang.