Court Case Work

“If mah boy wuz in jail, ah would take a beef tongue an’ ah would smoke it”. A New Orleans mother told Hyatt exactly what she would do for her son, and she was one of dozens. Court case work fills a long section of Hyatt’s fourth volume.

His informants faced the law often: bootlegging, speeding, fights, and murder. When the courtroom was stacked against them, they went to the root doctor before they went to the judge.

What it is

Court case work aims to soften the judge, silence the witnesses, confuse the prosecution and get the case dismissed, delayed or won. The informants called it working on the judge, helping a person in jail, or beating a case.

The targets are named outright: judge, district attorney, lawyers, sheriff, the arresting officer and every witness who will testify against the accused.

What Hyatt’s informants said

Some of the work happened in the courtroom itself, under the judge’s nose.

• Chewing a root. A Fayetteville father got his son a root and told him to cut it, put a piece in his shoe, and “put it in his mouth when he git up there befo’ de judge an’ chew dat root” (Hyatt 2275 · Fayetteville, N. Car. · informant 1422).
• Chewing a buckeye. In Waycross you carried an old buckeye in your pocket, and once you “get to de co’t, why yo’ take it an’ chew it” (Hyatt 8996 · Waycross, Ga. · informant 1067).
• Sprinkling powder. A Memphis informant pounded buckeye, red pepper and John the Conqueror root into a powder and sprinkled it in the courtroom (Hyatt 8997 · Memphis, Tenn. · informant 1543).
• Eyeing the judge. Wear the left hind foot of a rabbit next to your heart and “set an’ eye de judge de whole time he is talkin’ an’ he couldn’t convict chew” (Hyatt 2231 · Fayetteville, N. Car. · informant 1390).

The beef tongue

The most famous court rite in Hyatt is the beef tongue, and New Orleans and Algiers gave it to him over and over. The tongue stands for the tongues that will speak against you.

• Names of the judge and district attorney sewn into a tongue with nine needles and smoked in the chimney for nine days (Hyatt 8959 · New Orleans, La. · informant 1558).
• The judge’s name scratched on a frozen tongue, the tongue buried, and the client’s house turned upside down, mattress, chairs and tables, while the case is heard (Hyatt 8961 · New Orleans, La. · informant 816).
• Every name written nine times backwards, the tongue stuck with nine new needles, nine pins and nine tacks, packed in sawdust, sewn with black thread, frozen and then thawed before court (Hyatt 8975 · Algiers, La. · informant 1597a).
• One worker, taught by a Doctor Henry Laemson, held that an alligator tongue was better still (Hyatt 8963 · New Orleans, La. · informant 879).

Other court work

• A dead spider wrapped in a brand-new handkerchief and carried to court, so the judge will hardly fine you (Hyatt 2309 · Brunswick, Ga. · informant 1198).
• A string dipped in Hearts Perfume and tied round the waist for nine mornings to win a big case (Hyatt 2047 · Waycross, Ga. · informant 1116).
• Sweeping yourself down with a broom for nine mornings to get out of jail (Hyatt 8995 · New Orleans, La. · informant 831).
• Psalms: the 56th read going into court (Hyatt 8986 · Norfolk, Va. · informant 486); the 32nd read for nine mornings for a light fine (Hyatt 8992 · Fayetteville, N. Car. · informant 1398).
• Graveyard dirt sprinkled where the judge sits (Hyatt 9039 · Brunswick, Ga. · informant 1197).

In their own words

“yo’ write everyone of ’em name in de co’thouse down nine times backwards.”

(Hyatt 8975 · Algiers, La. · informant 1597a)

“Lawd, have mercy on mah soul.”

(Hyatt 8989 · Fayetteville, N. Car. · informant 1416)

“Dat makes yo’ win de case – it nevah he’s called.”

(Hyatt 2930 · Algiers, La. · informant 1590)

How it’s worked today

Court case work remains one of the most requested jobs in rootwork. The beef tongue rite is still worked in New Orleans and beyond, with the names of the judge, prosecutor and witnesses sewn inside with pins and needles.

Workers still chew Little John (galangal) root in court and spit the juice discreetly, still dress candles with the judge’s name, and still read the Psalms before a hearing. Court case oils and powders, built on the roots named in Hyatt, are standard stock in conjure shops.

Learn the work

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Source: Harry Middleton Hyatt, Hoodoo – Conjuration – Witchcraft – Rootwork, 5 vols., 1970-1978. Numbers refer to Hyatt’s own item numbers; the town and informant number follow. Written by Hoodoo Witch in our own words, with short quotations from Hyatt’s informants for reference.