how old is millard farmer attorney

Why did Millard Farmer want to challenge the death penalty?

From the start, he wanted to challenge the death penalty in a community known for its racial inequality. “Terrell County, they called it terrible Terrell, because the civil rights era and the civil rights days, everybody in the civil rights movement knew if you went to terrible Terrell County, it was going to be tough.” The more he looked at the case, though, the more he became convinced that the five young men in custody were actually innocent. (Click on the audio file below to hear Millard Farmer describe how he came to be involved with the case)

When did Millard Farmer meet the Dawson Five?

Millard Farmer at a meeting for supporters of the Dawson Five in the summer of 1977.

What did the state high court find about Farmer?

But the state high court found that Farmer had threatened witnesses and filed scores of frivolous motions intended “to disrupt the judicial process.”

What did Farmer do to defend the Dawson Five?

He attacked racial bias in the deeply segregated town and convinced a judge to throw out confessions made by two defendants — one who said the sheriff had put a gun to his head, the other who said he was threatened with electrocution and castration.

Who was the attorney for the Dawson Five?

When attorney Millard Farmer took the case of the “Dawson Five” in 1976, he assumed his clients were guilty of the armed robbery and murder of a 61-year-old man in Terrell County.

Did Farmer say they didn't kill this man?

But Farmer became startled as his investigation unfolded. “We realized, hey, these people didn’t kill this man,” he said in an oral history posted by the Georgia State University Library. “They’re being falsely accused.”

What was Millard Farmer's legal work?

Millard Farmer's legal work was noted for fighting the death penalty and focusing on racial bias in juries. ATLANTA — Millard Farmer, a noted anti-death penalty lawyer from Newnan whose work focused on racial disparities in the post-Civil Rights Movement era, was disbarred by the Georgia Supreme Court in an opinion released on Monday.

Who is Millard Farmer?

ATLANTA — Millard Farmer, a noted anti-death penalty lawyer from Newnan whose work focused on racial disparities in the post-Civil Rights Movement era, was disbarred by the Georgia Supreme Court in an opinion released on Monday.

What did Farmer threaten witnesses?

The Court said Farmer also threatened witnesses, including threatening to destroy the professional reputation of a psychiatrist - a former client of his - who testified at proceedings. When that psychiatrist gave unfavorable testimony for his client, he allegedly retaliated by “revealing sensitive information” she’d disclosed to him when he represented her and accusing her of being on drugs.

What court case involved Farmer representing a woman in a child custody battle with her ex-husband?

The Georgia Supreme Court highlighted that case, which involved Farmer representing a woman in a child custody battle with her ex-husband, in its opinion.

Who was the attorney who was accused of murder in the 1970s?

Farmer gained recognition as a crusading attorney in the ‘70s, most notably in a case involving five black youths known as the Dawson Five who were accused of murder in south Georgia.

Did Farmer respond to the State Bar?

The Court said Farmer did not properly respond to formal complaints from the State Bar and thereby defaulted to admission of the allegations against him in disciplinary proceedings.

What happened to Farmer when the judge refused to hold the required hearing?

When the judge refused to hold the required hearing, Farmer said he had no choice but to file repeated motions to try and force the issue. At one point, Farmer was ordered to appear before the judge at a contempt hearing. When he refused to do so, he was found in contempt, the court said.

What happened to Farmer when he refused to do so?

When he refused to do so, he was found in contempt, the court said. Farmer also threatened witnesses on at least two occasions, including threatening to destroy one witness’s professional reputation if she testified against his client, the court said.