Hickman Ewing

W. Hickman Ewing
Citizenship United States
Occupation Attorney

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.

Early life

Ewing attended Whitehaven High School and graduated in 1960.[2] 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 swiftboats in the Camranh Bay.[3]. After returning from Vietnam, Ewing earned his law 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.[3]

US Attorney

In 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.[4]

James Earl Ray mock trial

In 1993, Ewing was the prosecutor in a mock trial of James Earl Ray, who plead guilty to the assassination of Martin Luther King, but later claimed 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

Ewing 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.[3] White House communications director Sidney Blumenthal described Ewing as "a religious fanatic who operates on a presumption of guilt."[6]

References

  1. ↑ Listing Of Past And Current United States Attorneys | USAO-WDTN | Department of Justice.
  2. ↑ Branston, John. "Me and Bill and Hillary". Memphis Flyer.
  3. 1 2 3 Simpson, Glenn R. (July 31, 1996). "Some Say Dad's Travails Led Hickman Ewing to Law Career".
  4. ↑ Toobin, Jeffrey (30 March 1998). "Clinton's Other Pursuer". The New Yorker.
  5. ↑ Margolick, David. "At the Bar; HBO's trial of James Earl Ray may stir sensation, but will it produce revelation?".
  6. ↑ Clines, Francis X. (11 May 1998). "A Prosecutor's Fervor Gains Him Praise and Criticism". The New York Times.
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