James Hairston
James Hairston, a Black man from Martinsville, was executed in the electric chair in Richmond in February 1951, one of seven Black men from Martinsville put to death that month. Family members and advocates say the men were interrogated without a lawyer, that their confessions were coerced under threat of mob violence, and that their trials were unfair. In 2021 Governor Ralph Northam granted posthumous pardons, citing due process failures and a racially biased death sentence, though the pardons did not address guilt.
Cause of death, as reported: Executed by the state. Family members and advocates say the men were interrogated without a lawyer, their confessions were coerced, and their trials were unfair; Governor Ralph Northam granted posthumous pardons in 2021 citing due process failures.
Reported by: family or their lawyers.