Confessions of a Hayseed DA

by Robert R. Meehan, Kathleen Meehan Do (Editor)

In the 1960s, the small county of Rockland, north of New York City, went through a period of rapid expansion. Although beneficial, this explosive growth also led to the unwelcome encroachment of crime like the county had never seen before. Enter Robert Meehan, a young, idealistic defense attorney who hatched an impossible scheme to become the first Democrat elected District Attorney of Rockland County in more than half a century. In this compelling page-turner, Meehan takes us through his journey from naive do-gooder to seasoned prosecutor, investigating and solving heinous crimes and surviving an attempt on his life that upended his family's world. This manuscript, completed in 1978, was discovered by Meehan's daughter years after his passing. She has edited the text, researched cases cited by her father, and interviewed some of the key players whose names appear within these pages.

280 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2022

Reviews

[Janet Fender · Rating 5 out of 5]

A page turner, especially if you're a Boomer and love true crime stories. Rockland County, NY, DA Robert Meehan wrote this book about his time as DA in the late 60's - early 70's, but had planned to edit it with the help of his famous Broadway writer brother. Years after both brothers had died, the manuscript was uncovered, and daughter Kathy Do, a writer herself, edited it and got it published. Each tale could be a short story, and every one is fascinating. Meehan is a self-effacing kind of guy and gives lots of credit to friends and adversaries alike. It's kind of a Law and Order read, in that we get the background on the crime, the criminal and the trial.

[Cinzia Cera · Rating 5 out of 5]

A phenomenal book about the life of the District Attorney of Rockland County in the mid sixties. Robert Meehan's hand written memoir was brought to light after decades when his daughter found the manuscript. The stories are narrated with great empathy, sense of humor, and humility. At times, the characters seem to come out of a movie, but all the stories are true. A great read!

[edward ewing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Auto biography edited by daughters after his death. Big cases that came thru his office, during his time in office. I feel it was well written, given that I grew up in that area during that time.

[Lucille (Ceil) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, first person account of a NY County District Attorney in the 1960s and 70s. I enjoyed seeing how police departments and legal law enforcement communities work together solving crimes.

[Holly Planells · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the privilege and honor to read early versions of this book and make some editing recommendations. It is a new classic about crime fighting in the 1970s, part memoir, political tale and much more! Read it one shot and loved it and bought several copies for others to enjoy!

Merged review:

This book is perfect for anyone who loves law and order stories because it takes you behind the scenes of true cases and trials. It also shares the author’s honest doubts about the work he does each day as a district attorney in upstate NY. He also teaches the reader about what goes into making sure justice is served for all. It needs to be a TV mini-series to make its wonderful characters come to life again.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up in Suffern/Rockland in the 1960s and 70s and so this posthumous memoir of Robert Meehan's time as, "Rockland's Fightin' DA" really transported me back to a time and place many of us wish still existed. My parents and other adults around me admired and respected Meehan and now I know why. Beyond hometown nostalgia, The Hayseed DA an important book, one that I hope finds a wider audience because 40-some odd years after it was written, it serves as a reminder of what we should expect and deserve from political leaders: integrity, honesty and a willingness to own up to mistakes and do better.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating book, filled with compelling stories and interesting characters.