Don Pumphrey Jr.
Don Pumphrey, Jr. is a Tallahassee, Florida-based criminal defense attorney, former state prosecutor, law enforcement officer, and former NFL player.[1][2]
Early life
[edit]Pumphrey was born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida in 1963. His father, Don Sr., ran a tree business. He attended Lincoln High School and graduated in 1982. He proceeded to enroll at Valdosta State University to pursue a degree in business administration, where he also played football.
Football career
[edit]After a standout career playing left tackle for Valdosta State University, Pumphrey was drafted by the Tampa Bay Bandits in the third round of the 1986 USFL draft.[3]
After the USFL suspended its 1986 season, Pumphrey tried out[4] for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1987.[5] Pumphrey started all three replacement games for the Buccaneers during the NFL Players Association strike and was released before the 1988 season.[6]
Career after football
[edit]Pumphrey returned to Tallahassee to complete his bachelor's degree at Florida State University, majoring in criminology. He graduated in 1989. He then entered the Florida Marine Patrol Academy, where he received specialized law enforcement training by the Florida Criminal Justice Standards & Training Commission.
After graduating and being sworn in as a state police officer, Pumphrey worked in both Miami-Dade and Broward County. His off-duty details involved drug enforcement and customs, as well as occasionally serving as a security guard for then-Florida Governor Lawton Chiles.
After three years service as a full-time state police officer, Pumphrey took a reserve status and clerked in a large law firm before attending the Stetson University College of Law. While at Stetson, Pumphrey excelled in trial skills and trial advocacy. Pumphrey graduated with a Juris Doctor in 1996 and accepted a position at the State Attorney's Office. During his early years as a prosecutor, Pumphrey was approached and accepted a position coaching the trial team at Stetson College of Law.
Pumphrey excelled as a prosecutor and was subsequently promoted to supervisor of a prosecutorial division, one of seven selected from an office of more than 120 attorneys at that time. Pumphrey then spent several years working for the Pinellas County State Attorney's Office.[7] He also competed in and finished the Ironman Triathlon.
Criminal defense attorney
[edit]In 1999, Pumphrey returned to his home town of Tallahassee, Florida and open his own criminal defense legal practice. Since then, he has become one of the area's leading attorneys handling both misdemeanor and felony cases.
Notable cases
[edit]In 2007, Pumphrey represented Richard Kelley Hart who was accused of murder in relation to the death of his wife.[8] Murder charges were dropped and Hart was freed later that year.
In 2009, Pumphrey made national headlines when he represented escaped inmate Charlie Free, who escaped from a Florida prison over 30 years prior and had been living a double life.[9] Free was ultimately freed based on unanimous decision from the Florida Parole Commission.[10][11]
Organizations
[edit]Pumphrey is an active member of the NORML Legal Committee,[12] the National College for DUI Defense, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the American Bar Association, the Florida Bar Association,[13] and the NFL Alumni Association.
Personal life
[edit]Pumphrey has two children and resides in Tallahassee, Florida.
References
[edit]- ^ "Don Pumphrey". NFL.com. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
- ^ "Criminal Defense and DUI Lawyers in Tallahassee | Pumphrey Law". Pumphrey Law. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
- ^ "1986 USFL Draft Pick Transactions". www.prosportstransactions.com. Archived from the original on March 28, 2018. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
- ^ "Don Pumphrey Tries Out for Tampa Bay Buccaneers". YouTube.com. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ "Don Pumphrey". NFL.com. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
- ^ "NFL Training Camp Roundup". UPI. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
- ^ "Don Pumphrey, Jr. | Pumphrey Law". Pumphrey Law. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
- ^ Robertson, Seshmi. "Husband Charged With the Murder of His Wife". Retrieved March 22, 2018.
- ^ "Free for 30 Years, Fugitive Now Faces Prison". ABC News. March 6, 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
- ^ Nesnera, Matt de. "Florida Fugitive Free After 32 Years on the Run, Part Two". Retrieved March 22, 2018.
- ^ Montanaro, Julie. ""Charlie Free" Soon to be Free Again". Retrieved March 22, 2018.
- ^ "Donald A Pumphrey Jr., Tallahassee Florida Attorney on NORML Legal Committee". lawyers.norml.org. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
- ^ "Member Profile – Donald A Pumphrey Jr. – The Florida Bar". www.floridabar.org. Retrieved March 22, 2018.