Richard 'Racehorse' Haynes

Legendary colorful and flamboyant Texas criminal defense attorney Richard "Racehorse" Haynes was born on April 3, 1927 in Houston, Texas. The son of a San Antonio, Texas plasterer, Haynes worked the summers in the oil fields prior to winning a scholarship to the University of Houston. He twice served in the armed forces: He was decorated for heroics at Iwa Jima while serving a stint in the Marine Corps during World War II and was also an Army paratrooper during the Korean War. Following graduation from the Bates College of Law in 1956, Haynes set up his own private practice. A protégé of equally well-regarded defense attorney Percy Foreman, Richard was once referred to as one of the top six criminal lawyers in America by "Time" magazine. Among the people he represented in famous court cases are Houston plastic surgeon John Hill, who was accused of allegedly killing his socialite wife; entertainer Morganna Roberts (a.k.a "The Kissing Bandit"), and wealthy Texas oil heir Thomas Cullen Davis, who he defended in Davis' notorious murder trial in 1977. Richard and his wife, Naomi Haynes, were the parents of four children. Haynes resided in Trinity, Texas and still continued to practice law well into his 80s. He died at age 90 on April 28, 2017.