Percy Foreman

Percy Eugene Foreman (June 21, 1902 – August 25, 1988) was a criminal defense attorney from Houston, Texas largely known for representing many famous clients.

Foreman was born near Bold Springs, Texas on June 21, 1902.^[1] Foreman moved to Livingston, Texas, when he was six years old.^[2] He was the son of Ransom Parson Hill Foreman and William Pinckney (Rogers) Foreman, a former sheriff of Polk County, Texas.^[3]

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.^[5]

Foreman was a respected master of tactics. He lost only 53 of 1500 death penalty cases and only one case resulted in execution (Steve Mitchell, electrocuted in Texas in 1951).^[6]^[7]

Foreman's clients included General Edwin Walker,^[8] James Earl Ray,^[9]^[10]^[11] Charles Harrelson,^[12] Candy Mossler,^[13] and various organized crime kingpins.

Jack Ruby requested that Foreman represent him after he shot Lee Harvey Oswald.^[14]

Famed defense attorneys Richard Haynes^[15] and Dick DeGuerin^[16] both worked with Foreman early in their careers and credit him as a mentor.

In 1966, Foreman received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.^[17]

He went on to become one of the best known trial lawyers in Texas, with the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association creating the Percy Foreman Lawyer of the Year Award in 1984.^[18]

Foreman was married twice. Foreman had a son, William, with his first wife and a daughter, Marguerite, with his second wife.^[3]^[14]

His sister Carrin Foreman was superintendent of the Sugar Land Independent School District from 1924 to 1930.^[19]

Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege, and Justice (episode: The Candy Scandal)
Judd, for the Defense (television series with main character reportedly based on Percy Foreman)

[1]
Compare Michael Dorman, King of the Courtroom: Percy Foreman for the Defense, p. 35 (Dell Publishing, New York 1969) (hereinafter "Dorman"), which indicates "Bold Springs," to the Texas State Historical Association, which reports "Cold Springs". The Handbook of Texas Online, Texas State Historical Association, at . Bold Springs is in Polk County, while Cold Springs is in Cherokee County.
[2]
East Texas Historical Association.
[3]
J., KLEINER, DIANA (2010-06-12). "FOREMAN, PERCY EUGENE". tshaonline.org. Retrieved 2018-10-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
[4]
The Handbook of Texas Online, Texas State Historical Association, at
[5]
State Bar of Texas, record for Percy Foreman, at .
[6]
"There Is No Better Than Me" - TIME
[7]
"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-05-17. Retrieved 2008-06-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
[8]
Dorman, p. 107.
[9]
Dorman, p. 280.
[10]
KPRC-TV (1968). "Percy Foreman on James Earl Ray (1968)". Texas Archive of the Moving Image. Retrieved 2018-10-25.
[11]
"James Earl Ray: The Man Who Killed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr". Archived from the original on 2006-10-18.
[12]
Texas Ranger Dispatch Magazine at "TEXAS RANGER DISPATCH Magazine". Archived from the original on 2008-06-24. Retrieved 2008-06-24..
[13]
Dorman, p. 150.
[14]
Percy Foreman, Texas Lawyer, 86; Defended the Assassin of Dr. King, By James Baron, 1988-08-26, The New York Times
[15]
"Counsel For The Defense - Dallas Observer". DallasObserver.com. 2003-10-02. Retrieved 2015-10-29.
[16]
"Houston brothers shine in legal spotlight - Houston Chronicle". Chron.com. 2008-02-11.
[17]
"Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". www.achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement.
[18]
Association, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers. "Percy Foreman Lawyer of the Year Award". www.tcdla.com. Retrieved 2018-10-26.
[19]
City of Sugar Land. Sugar Land. Arcadia Publishing, 2010. ISBN 0738578800, 9780738578804. p. 55.

[1] [1]
Compare Michael Dorman, King of the Courtroom: Percy Foreman for the Defense, p. 35 (Dell Publishing, New York 1969) (hereinafter "Dorman"), which indicates "Bold Springs," to the Texas State Historical Association, which reports "Cold Springs". The Handbook of Texas Online, Texas State Historical Association, at . Bold Springs is in Polk County, while Cold Springs is in Cherokee County.

[2] [2]
East Texas Historical Association.

[:0-3] [3]
J., KLEINER, DIANA (2010-06-12). "FOREMAN, PERCY EUGENE". tshaonline.org. Retrieved 2018-10-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[4] [4]
The Handbook of Texas Online, Texas State Historical Association, at

[5] [5]
State Bar of Texas, record for Percy Foreman, at .

[6] [6]
"There Is No Better Than Me" - TIME

[7] [7]
"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-05-17. Retrieved 2008-06-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[8] [8]
Dorman, p. 107.

[9] [9]
Dorman, p. 280.

[10] [10]
KPRC-TV (1968). "Percy Foreman on James Earl Ray (1968)". Texas Archive of the Moving Image. Retrieved 2018-10-25.

[11] [11]
"James Earl Ray: The Man Who Killed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr". Archived from the original on 2006-10-18.

[12] [12]
Texas Ranger Dispatch Magazine at "TEXAS RANGER DISPATCH Magazine". Archived from the original on 2008-06-24. Retrieved 2008-06-24..

[13] [13]
Dorman, p. 150.

[:1-14] [14]
Percy Foreman, Texas Lawyer, 86; Defended the Assassin of Dr. King, By James Baron, 1988-08-26, The New York Times

[15] [15]
"Counsel For The Defense - Dallas Observer". DallasObserver.com. 2003-10-02. Retrieved 2015-10-29.

[16] [16]
"Houston brothers shine in legal spotlight - Houston Chronicle". Chron.com. 2008-02-11.

[17] [17]
"Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". www.achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement.

[18] [18]
Association, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers. "Percy Foreman Lawyer of the Year Award". www.tcdla.com. Retrieved 2018-10-26.

[19] [19]
City of Sugar Land. Sugar Land. Arcadia Publishing, 2010. ISBN 0738578800, 9780738578804. p. 55.

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Percy Foreman

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