Richard 'Racehorse' Haynes(1927-2017)
- Actor
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.
