Percy Foreman

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Percy Eugene Foreman (June 21, 1902 – August 25, 1988) was a legendary criminal defense attorney from Houston, Texas. Foreman was born near Bold Springs, Texas,^[1] and moved to Livingston, Texas when he was six years old^[2]. He was the son of William P. ("Rogers") Foreman, a former sheriff of Polk County, Texas.^[3] Percy Foreman attended Staunton Military Academy in Virginia for one year, graduated from the University of Texas Law School in 1927^[4], and was admitted to the Texas Bar on January 17, 1928. He went on to become one of America's best known trial lawyers.

Notorious for his high fees and courtroom theatrics,^{[citation needed]} he was often ridiculed for his clothing and disorganization,^{[citation needed]} but he was a respected master of tactics. He lost only 53 of 1500 death-penalty cases and only one finally resulted in execution (Steve Mitchell, electrocuted in Texas in 1951)^[5]^[6].

Foreman's clients included Candy Mossler, James Earl Ray,^[7] who was convicted of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., [4] and Charles Harrelson,^[8] convicted murderer and the father of actor Woody Harrelson.

[edit] Notes

^ Michael Dorman, King of the Courtroom: Percy Foreman for the Defense, p. 35 (Dell Publishing, New York 1969) (hereinafter "Dorman"). The Texas State Historical Association reports that Foreman was born at "Cold Springs". The Handbook of Texas Online, Texas State Historical Association, at [1]. Bold Springs is in Polk County, while Cold Springs is in Cherokee County.
^ East Texas Historical Association.
^ Dorman, p. 40.
^ The Handbook of Texas Online, Texas State Historical Association, at [2]
^ http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,839902,00.html
^ http://users.bestweb.net/~rg/execution/TEXAS.htm
^ Dorman, p. 280.
^ Texas Ranger Dispatch Magazine at [3].