Overview

Winner of the Literary Titan Book Award After retiring from twenty-five years on the bench, former chief judge, Belvin Perry Jr., reveals a rare and disturbingly vivid first-hand perspective of the most gruesome death penalty cases in which he played a key role, including the infamous Casey Marie Anthony, who was dubbed “America’s Most Hated Mom” after her shocking acquittal. The Velvet Hammer is the gripping, true crime memoir of former Chief Judge Belvin Perry Jr., who sentenced some of Florida’s most evil and notorious murderers to death, fulfilling his oath to uphold justice. Perry provides a clear, accurate description of America’s criminal justice system and explains why the death penalty can, and should, work and how it was applied to certain capital murder cases he either prosecuted or presided over. Perry discusses his journey as an African American growing up in the segregated South, his life as a prosecutor and chief judge, and how he ended up presiding over one of the world’s most intriguing capital murder trials of the century: State of Florida v. Casey Marie Anthony. From the widow who slowly poisoned her lovers; to the lust murderer who mutilated his victim while she was still alive; to the serial killer who slayed a family of four, including his own child; as well as several other violent and frightening murders, Perry spares none of the gory details when bringing each case back to life in his debut, true crime memoir.

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Belvin Perry Jr. was the chief judge for the high-profile Casey Anthony murder trial. Perry earned a BS and MEd from Tuskegee University and holds a JD from Thurgood Marshall School of Law. Formerly a prosecutor, Perry became the first African American elected to the bench of the Ninth Judicial Circuit in Orlando, Florida without first being appointed. His efforts during his service included establishing Florida’s complex business litigation court, establishing a receiving center to assist those with mental illness and substance abuse, and protecting domestic violence victims. After achieving national prominence during the Casey Anthony trial, Perry retired in 2014. Presently, he is a personal injury attorney. Perry has been featured on several major media outlets, including the Today Show, Nancy Grace, TMZ, Dr. Oz, CNN, Inside Edition, Entertainment Tonight, The New York Post, Court TV, ABC News, CBS News, People Magazine, The Daily Mail, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and Good Morning America. Perry lives by Sir Winston Churchill’s words: “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” Amy Mitchell, Esq. is a Canadian-born, multi-award-winning author with an honors BA in English from the University of Toronto. She holds a JD from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and an LLB from the University of Windsor Faculty of Law. Mitchell practices family law and has received the Elite Lawyer award. She is also a Florida Supreme Court certified family mediator. Mitchell was born to write and has been a passionate writer from the moment she could put pencil to paper. When Mitchell taught a law class at a private high school, Belvin Perry Jr. was a guest speaker. The stars aligned for them to join forces and coauthor this debut, true crime memoir, The Velvet Hammer. Mitchell currently resides with her three daughters in central Florida.

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