J. Richmond Pearson

J. Richmond Pearson

J. Richmond Pearson (born c. 1930 in Birmingham; died October 22, 2014) was an attorney, circuit court judge and state senator.

Pearson was the son of William U. and Ruth J. Pearson of Birmingham. He attended Washington Elementary School and Parker Industrial High School. He served in the U.S. Army, then earned an undergraduate degree at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. He completed his law degree at Howard University in Washington D.C. before returning to Birmingham to practice law. He was admitted to the Alabama State Bar in 1958 and established an office near Kelly Ingram Park.

During the Civil Rights Movement Pearson was active in defending individuals arrested for protesting, including his fellow Morehouse alumnus Martin Luther King, Jr. He participated in federal lawsuits challenging discrimination in public accommodations and hiring.

Pearson was appointed assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama by President Lyndon Johnson. He was elected to the Alabama State Senate in 1974. While there he crafted legislation which provided Alabama A&M University and Alabama State University with independent boards of trustees. He was appointed chair of the Senate's Finance and Taxation Committee by George McMillan in 1978. In that role he helped secure funding for the substance abuse treatment program now known as Pearson Hall and for construction of the Bill Harris Arena at the Alabama State Fairgrounds.

Governor George Wallace appointed Pearson as Justice of the Tenth Judicial Circuit's Criminal Division in 1984. He retired from the bench in 1999.

Pearson was among the founders of the Miles Law School and chaired its board. He also served on the boards of Tuskegee University, Miles College and Alabama Goodwill Industries. He was appointed legal adviser to the Birmingham City Council. He was also active in service to Thirgood CME Church, the Birmingham Bar Association and Magic City Bar Association.

Pearson was inducted into Birmingham's Gallery of Distinguished Citizens in 2008 and to the Alabama Lawyers Hall of Fame in 2014. He and his wife, Juliet had two daughters, J. Richet and Julene. Pearson died in 2014 and is buried at Elmwood Cemetery.

References

• Bryant, Joseph D. (October 23, 2014) "J. Richmond Pearson, former judge, legislator and Birmingham fixture, dies." The Birmingham News
• "Judge J. Richmond Pearson" obituary (October 25, 2014) The Birmingham News