W. Hickman Ewing Jr. is an American attorney. Ewing served as the United States Attorney for the western district of Tennessee from 1981 to 1991.[1] He later served as the special prosecutor overseeing the Whitewater investigation.
Hickman Ewing | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee | |
| In office 1981–1991 | |
| President | Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Michael Cody |
| Succeeded by | Ed Bryant |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | Vanderbilt University (BA) University of Memphis (JD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1964–1969 |
Early life
editEwing is the son of Addie Carolyn (Young) Ewing and William Hickman Ewing, Sr., a longtime high school football coach and the court clerk of Shelby County, Tennessee, who served time in the 1960s for embezzlement.[2] Ewing attended Whitehaven High School in Memphis, Tennessee, and graduated in 1960.[3] After graduation, he enrolled in Vanderbilt University and then served as an officer in the United States Navy. During the Vietnam War, Ewing was deployed on Swift Boats in Cam Ranh Bay.[4] After returning from Vietnam, Ewing earned his J.D. degree from Memphis State University law school. Ewing then worked for the US attorney's office as a clerk. Ewing was eventually promoted to a prosecutor and worked on a series of cases against public officials involved in moonshine production.[4]
US Attorney
editIn 1981, Ronald Reagan nominated Ewing to serve as the United States Attorney for the western district of Tennessee. In 1991, Ewing was removed from the position by George H. W. Bush.[2]
James Earl Ray mock trial
editIn 1993, Ewing was the prosecutor in a mock trial of James Earl Ray, who pled guilty to assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., but later claimed that he was innocent and only accepted the plea bargain to avoid the death penalty. The mock trial was televised on HBO.[5]
Whitewater special prosecutor
editEwing was the special prosecutor who oversaw the Whitewater investigation of president Bill Clinton and his former associates at the Rose Law Firm. During a deposition, Ewing was reported to have made a point of avoiding a handshake with Clinton.[4] White House communications director Sidney Blumenthal described Ewing as "a religious fanatic who operates on a presumption of guilt."[6]
References
edit- ^ "Listing Of Past And Current United States Attorneys". Department of Justice. 18 March 2015.
- ^ a b Toobin, Jeffrey (April 6, 1998). "Clinton's Other Pursuer". The New Yorker. p. 44.
- ^ Branston, John (May 11, 2001). "Me and Bill and Hillary". Memphis Flyer.
- ^ a b c Simpson, Glenn R. (July 31, 1996). "Some Say Dad's Travails Led Hickman Ewing to Law Career". Wall Street Journal.
- ^ Margolick, David (January 22, 1993). "At the Bar; HBO's trial of James Earl Ray may stir sensation, but will it produce revelation?". New York Times. p. 16.
- ^ Clines, Francis X. (May 11, 1998). "A Prosecutor's Fervor Gains Him Praise and Criticism". The New York Times. p. 12.