William F. Pepper
Encyclopedia
William Francis Pepper (born August 16, 1937) is an attorney based in New York City
who is most noted for his efforts to prove the innocence of James Earl Ray
in the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Sirhan Sirhan
in the Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy.
He has been active in other government conspiracy cases including the 9/11 Truth movement
and has advocated that George W. Bush
be charged with war crimes.
, Ed.D. from the University of Massachusetts
and J.D. law degree from Boston College
. He was admitted to the bar in 1977. In addition to his United States practice he is a non-practicing barrister
in the United Kingdom
.
depicting victims of napalm
in Vietnam
. Pepper maintained later that the contact contributed to King's more adamant position against the Vietnam War
. Pepper was present at King's April 4, 1967 Riverside Church
speech in which King launched a strong campaign against the war.
Pepper thought that King's assassination was part of a government conspiracy and became James Earl Ray
's last attorney. He postulated that Ray was framed by the FBI
, the CIA
, the military
, the Memphis
police and organized crime figures from New Orleans and Memphis
. He publicized his position in books and represented James Earl Ray in a televised mock trial
in an attempt to get Ray the trial that he never had. Ray was found not guilty in the mock trial, though actually convicted of King's assassination.
Through his writing, King's son, Dexter King, took up the cause to prove Ray was innocent. Dexter met with Ray on March 27, 1997, at the Lois DeBerry Special Needs Facility, during which he said that he believed Ray was innocent.
Following Ray's death Pepper represented the King family in a wrongful death
lawsuit
, King family vs. Loyd Jowers
and "other unknown co-conspirators." During a trial that lasted four weeks Pepper produced over seventy witnesses. Jowers, testifying by deposition, stated that James Earl Ray was a scapegoat
and not involved in the assassination. Jowers testified that Memphis police officer Earl Clark fired the fatal shots. On December 8, 1999, the Memphis jury found Jowers responsible and found that the assassination plot included also "governmental agencies." The jury took less than an hour to find in favor of the King family for the requested sum of $100.
Following the trial two sisters, who worked at Jowers' restaurant recanted their support for the case with one of them saying that Jowers had fabricated the story so he could make $300,000 to tell the story.
, the President of Venezuela
, accepted invitations to address the seminar. He lives primarily in the United States.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
who is most noted for his efforts to prove the innocence of James Earl Ray
James Earl Ray
James Earl Ray was an American criminal convicted of the assassination of civil rights and anti-war activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr....
in the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Sirhan Sirhan
Sirhan Sirhan
Sirhan Bishara Sirhan is a Jordanian citizen who was convicted for the assassination of United States Senator Robert F. Kennedy. He is serving a life sentence at Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga, California.Sirhan was a Christian Arab born in Jerusalem who strongly opposed Israel...
in the Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy.
He has been active in other government conspiracy cases including the 9/11 Truth movement
9/11 Truth Movement
9/11 Truth movement is a collective name for loosely affiliated organizations and individuals who question the accepted account of the September 11, 2001, attacks....
and has advocated that George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
be charged with war crimes.
Early life
Pepper received a B.A. and M.A. from Columbia UniversityColumbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, Ed.D. from the University of Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts
This article relates to the statewide university system. For the flagship campus often referred to as "UMass", see University of Massachusetts Amherst...
and J.D. law degree from Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
. He was admitted to the bar in 1977. In addition to his United States practice he is a non-practicing barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Martin Luther King cases
Martin Luther King Jr. contacted Pepper after seeing a photo essay Pepper had published entitled The Children of Vietnam published in the January 1967 issue Ramparts magazineRamparts (magazine)
Ramparts was an American political and literary magazine, published from 1962 through 1975.-History:Founded by Edward M. Keating as a Catholic literary quarterly, the magazine became closely associated with the New Left after executive editor Warren Hinckle hired Robert Scheer as managing editor...
depicting victims of napalm
Napalm
Napalm is a thickening/gelling agent generally mixed with gasoline or a similar fuel for use in an incendiary device, primarily as an anti-personnel weapon...
in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. Pepper maintained later that the contact contributed to King's more adamant position against the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. Pepper was present at King's April 4, 1967 Riverside Church
Riverside Church
The Riverside Church in the City of New York is an interdenominational church in New York City, famous for its elaborate Neo-Gothic architecture—which includes the world's largest tuned carillon bell...
speech in which King launched a strong campaign against the war.
Pepper thought that King's assassination was part of a government conspiracy and became James Earl Ray
James Earl Ray
James Earl Ray was an American criminal convicted of the assassination of civil rights and anti-war activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr....
's last attorney. He postulated that Ray was framed by the FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
, the CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
, the military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
, the Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
police and organized crime figures from New Orleans and Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. He publicized his position in books and represented James Earl Ray in a televised mock trial
Mock trial
A Mock Trial is an act or imitation trial. It is similar to a moot court, but mock trials simulate lower-court trials, while moot court simulates appellate court hearings. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisting of volunteers as role players to test theories or...
in an attempt to get Ray the trial that he never had. Ray was found not guilty in the mock trial, though actually convicted of King's assassination.
Through his writing, King's son, Dexter King, took up the cause to prove Ray was innocent. Dexter met with Ray on March 27, 1997, at the Lois DeBerry Special Needs Facility, during which he said that he believed Ray was innocent.
Following Ray's death Pepper represented the King family in a wrongful death
Wrongful death claim
Wrongful death is a claim in common law jurisdictions against a person who can be held liable for a death. The claim is brought in a civil action, usually by close relatives, as enumerated by statute...
lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
, King family vs. Loyd Jowers
Loyd Jowers
Loyd Jowers was the owner of a restaurant near the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968. In December 1993, Jowers appeared on ABC's Prime Time Live and related the details of an alleged conspiracy involving the Mafia and the U.S. government to kill...
and "other unknown co-conspirators." During a trial that lasted four weeks Pepper produced over seventy witnesses. Jowers, testifying by deposition, stated that James Earl Ray was a scapegoat
Scapegoat
Scapegoating is the practice of singling out any party for unmerited negative treatment or blame. Scapegoating may be conducted by individuals against individuals , individuals against groups , groups against individuals , and groups against groups Scapegoating is the practice of singling out any...
and not involved in the assassination. Jowers testified that Memphis police officer Earl Clark fired the fatal shots. On December 8, 1999, the Memphis jury found Jowers responsible and found that the assassination plot included also "governmental agencies." The jury took less than an hour to find in favor of the King family for the requested sum of $100.
Following the trial two sisters, who worked at Jowers' restaurant recanted their support for the case with one of them saying that Jowers had fabricated the story so he could make $300,000 to tell the story.
Other cases
Pepper is involved in Human Rights Law. He has written opinions on the German Border Guards case and more recently an opinion on the application of international law in the Spanish prosecution of individuals relating to war crimes committed post 9/11. For a time he convened the International Human Rights Seminar at Oxford University, during which time individuals such as Hugo ChavezHugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
, the President of Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, accepted invitations to address the seminar. He lives primarily in the United States.