Opinion. “Larger than life, Britt make a mark.” The Robesonian (Lumberton, NC). May 4, 2016.
Even in the late 1970s, Joe Freeman Britt had set a reputation. After being against the death penalty at an earlier age, one case, involving two men who conspired to commit life insurance fraud and violently killed a man, changed his mind forever. Britt said that a life in Robeson County was only worth $10,000 and seven years in prison, and that was wrong.
Before Britt practiced law in Robeson County, disputes were often settled outside the law, as it was the state’s largest and poorest county. Britt helped Robeson County turn a page in history in the courtroom. Whether it was charging Velma Barfield with four murders, or a Pembroke embezzlement case, Britt stayed on the moral high ground.
The writer of this piece believes that life was not worth much for many people in Robeson County, but when Britt became District Attorney he changed that by a sheer force of personality.