James F. Neal
Encyclopedia
James Foster Neal was an American trial lawyer who prosecuted labor leader Jimmy Hoffa
as well as top officials of the Nixon Administration.
Neal was born on September 7, 1929, in Oak Grove, Tennessee
, and grew up on a small tobacco and strawberry farm. Neal attended Sumner County High School in Portland, Tennessee
, and played running back on the football team. He graduated from high school in the class of 1946. He attended the University of Wyoming
on a football
scholarship and was a running back on its 1950 undefeated team. After graduating from college, Neal served for two years in the United States Marine Corps
. He graduated first in his law school class at Vanderbilt University Law School
in 1957 and also earned a master's degree in tax law from Georgetown University
in 1960. Neal then joined a Washington, DC law firm.
Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy
selected Neal in 1961 to lead a Justice Department investigation of Jimmy Hoffa, who was President of the Teamsters Union and a powerful political figure. After Hoffa's first trial on corruption charges ended in a hung jury
, Neal led a second prosecution for jury tampering
, which resulted in Hoffa's only federal conviction. According to the Washington Post, Neal took pride in saying "Jimmy Hoffa once called me the most vicious prosecutor who ever lived." Hoffa's prison sentence was later commuted by Richard Nixon
. After the Hoffa prosecution, Neal was appointed the United States Attorney
for the federal courts in Nashville, Tennessee.
In 1973, special prosecutor
Archibald Cox
recruited Neal to investigate the Watergate scandal
. Neal negotiated a guilty plea from former White House Counsel John Dean
and then represented the prosecution in a criminal trial where Attorney General John Mitchell
and Presidential aides John D. Ehrlichman and H.R. Haldeman were convicted of conspiracy
, perjury
and obstruction of justice
. On January 1, 1975, the jury
found all three guilty.
In 1966, Neal became a Nashville, Tennessee-based trial attorney who litigated prominent cases around the country. He won an acquittal of Elvis Presley
's doctor, George Nichopoulos, who had been tried for improperly dispensing drugs that contributed to the singer's death in 1977. In 1980, Neal won an acquittal for Ford Motor Company
when the company was charged with reckless homicide due to the faulty design of its Pinto
model car, convincing jurors that the company was not negligent despite the safety problems experienced with the Pinto. In 1985, Neal successfully defended Governor Edwin Edwards
of Louisiana
in a trial for racketeering.
In the 1980s, Neal returned to federal service as a special investigator of the Abscam
and Iran-Contra scandals.
In 1985, Fortune magazine named Neal one of the United State's top trial lawyers. Neal defended film director John Landis
in a manslaughter
trial resulting from the death of actor Vic Morrow
and two children during the 1982 filming of Twilight Zone: The Movie
. Neal represented Exxon Corporation after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill
in Alaska.
In addition to trial litigation, Neal did legal work for a number of Nashville-based country-western entertainers. One of his clients, Johnny Cash
, cast him as a lawyer in the 1983 made-for-television movie "Murder in Coweta County
". Neal also played himself in "Watergate", a 1994 television mini-series.
due to esophageal cancer
. He was married three times; he was survived by Dianne Ferrell Neal, to whom he had been married for 20 years.
Jimmy Hoffa
James Riddle "Jimmy" Hoffa was an American labor union leader....
as well as top officials of the Nixon Administration.
Neal was born on September 7, 1929, in Oak Grove, Tennessee
Oak Grove, Tennessee
Oak Grove is a census-designated place in Washington County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 4,072 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area...
, and grew up on a small tobacco and strawberry farm. Neal attended Sumner County High School in Portland, Tennessee
Portland, Tennessee
Portland is a city in Sumner and Robertson counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, and is also a part of the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area The population was 10,986 according to 2007 estimates by the US census bureau.-History:...
, and played running back on the football team. He graduated from high school in the class of 1946. He attended the University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountains. It is known as UW to people close to the university...
on a football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
scholarship and was a running back on its 1950 undefeated team. After graduating from college, Neal served for two years in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. He graduated first in his law school class at Vanderbilt University Law School
Vanderbilt University Law School
Vanderbilt University Law School is a graduate school of Vanderbilt University. Established in 1874, it is one of the oldest law schools in the southern United States. Vanderbilt Law has consistently ranked among the top 20 law schools in the nation, and is currently ranked 16th in the 2012...
in 1957 and also earned a master's degree in tax law from Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
in 1960. Neal then joined a Washington, DC law firm.
Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
selected Neal in 1961 to lead a Justice Department investigation of Jimmy Hoffa, who was President of the Teamsters Union and a powerful political figure. After Hoffa's first trial on corruption charges ended in a hung jury
Hung jury
A hung jury or deadlocked jury is a jury that cannot, by the required voting threshold, agree upon a verdict after an extended period of deliberation and is unable to change its votes due to severe differences of opinion.- England and Wales :...
, Neal led a second prosecution for jury tampering
Jury tampering
Jury tampering is the crime of unduly attempting to influence the composition and/or decisions of a jury during the course of a trial.The means by which this crime could be perpetrated can include attempting to discredit potential jurors to ensure they will not be selected for duty. Once selected,...
, which resulted in Hoffa's only federal conviction. According to the Washington Post, Neal took pride in saying "Jimmy Hoffa once called me the most vicious prosecutor who ever lived." Hoffa's prison sentence was later commuted by Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
. After the Hoffa prosecution, Neal was appointed the United States Attorney
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
for the federal courts in Nashville, Tennessee.
In 1973, special prosecutor
Special prosecutor
A special prosecutor generally is a lawyer from outside the government appointed by an attorney general or, in the United States, by Congress to investigate a government official for misconduct while in office. A reasoning for such an appointment is that the governmental branch or agency may have...
Archibald Cox
Archibald Cox
Archibald Cox, Jr., was an American lawyer and law professor who served as U.S. Solicitor General under President John F. Kennedy. He became known as the first special prosecutor for the Watergate scandal. During his career, he was a pioneering expert on labor law and also an authority on...
recruited Neal to investigate the Watergate scandal
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement...
. Neal negotiated a guilty plea from former White House Counsel John Dean
John Dean
John Wesley Dean III is an American lawyer who served as White House Counsel to United States President Richard Nixon from July 1970 until April 1973. In this position, he became deeply involved in events leading up to the Watergate burglaries and the subsequent Watergate scandal cover-up...
and then represented the prosecution in a criminal trial where Attorney General John Mitchell
John Mitchell
-Politics:*John Mitchell *John Mitchel , Irish nationalist*John N. Mitchell , United States Attorney General and Watergate conspirator*John Mitchell , United States Congressman from Pennsylvania...
and Presidential aides John D. Ehrlichman and H.R. Haldeman were convicted of conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
, perjury
Perjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
and obstruction of justice
Obstruction of justice
The crime of obstruction of justice, in United States jurisdictions, refers to the crime of interfering with the work of police, investigators, regulatory agencies, prosecutors, or other officials...
. On January 1, 1975, the jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
found all three guilty.
In 1966, Neal became a Nashville, Tennessee-based trial attorney who litigated prominent cases around the country. He won an acquittal of Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
's doctor, George Nichopoulos, who had been tried for improperly dispensing drugs that contributed to the singer's death in 1977. In 1980, Neal won an acquittal for Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
when the company was charged with reckless homicide due to the faulty design of its Pinto
Ford Pinto
The Ford Pinto is a subcompact car produced by the Ford Motor Company for the model years 1971–1980. The car's name derives from the Pinto horse. Initially offered as a two-door sedan, Ford offered "Runabout" hatchback and wagon models the following year, competing in the U.S. market with the AMC...
model car, convincing jurors that the company was not negligent despite the safety problems experienced with the Pinto. In 1985, Neal successfully defended Governor Edwin Edwards
Edwin Edwards
Edwin Washington Edwards served as the Governor of Louisiana for four terms , twice as many terms as any other Louisiana chief executive has served. Edwards was also Louisiana's first Roman Catholic governor in the 20th century...
of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
in a trial for racketeering.
In the 1980s, Neal returned to federal service as a special investigator of the Abscam
Abscam
Abscam was a United States Federal Bureau of Investigation sting operation run from the FBI's Hauppauge, Long Island, office in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
and Iran-Contra scandals.
In 1985, Fortune magazine named Neal one of the United State's top trial lawyers. Neal defended film director John Landis
John Landis
John David Landis is an American film director, screenwriter, actor, and producer. He is known for his comedies, his horror films, and his music videos with singer Michael Jackson.-Early life and career:...
in a manslaughter
Manslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
trial resulting from the death of actor Vic Morrow
Vic Morrow
Victor "Vic" Morrow was an American actor whose credits include a starring role in the 1960s TV series Combat!, prominent roles in a handful of other television and cinema dramas, and numerous guest roles on television...
and two children during the 1982 filming of Twilight Zone: The Movie
Twilight Zone: The Movie
Twilight Zone: The Movie is a 1983 science fiction horror film produced by Steven Spielberg and John Landis as a theatrical version of The Twilight Zone, a 1959 and '60s TV series created by Rod Serling. Those starring in the film are: Dan Aykroyd, Albert Brooks, Vic Morrow, Scatman Crothers,...
. Neal represented Exxon Corporation after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill
Exxon Valdez oil spill
The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March 24, 1989, when the Exxon Valdez, an oil tanker bound for Long Beach, California, struck Prince William Sound's Bligh Reef and spilled of crude oil. It is considered to be one of the most devastating human-caused...
in Alaska.
In addition to trial litigation, Neal did legal work for a number of Nashville-based country-western entertainers. One of his clients, Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, cast him as a lawyer in the 1983 made-for-television movie "Murder in Coweta County
Murder in Coweta County
The murder in Coweta County was an April 1948 act of murder committed in Coweta County in the U.S. state of Georgia and involving the sheriff of neighboring Meriwether County...
". Neal also played himself in "Watergate", a 1994 television mini-series.
Personal life
Neal died at the age of 81 on October 21, 2010, in Nashville, TennesseeNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
due to esophageal cancer
Esophageal cancer
Esophageal cancer is malignancy of the esophagus. There are various subtypes, primarily squamous cell cancer and adenocarcinoma . Squamous cell cancer arises from the cells that line the upper part of the esophagus...
. He was married three times; he was survived by Dianne Ferrell Neal, to whom he had been married for 20 years.