Nationality American Role Attorney | Name Paul Markham Occupation Attorney | |
Preceded by Wendell Arthur Garrity Jr. Alma mater Villanova UniversityBoston University School of Law | ||
Succeeded by Herbert F. Travers, Jr. | ||
Paul F. Markham (born c. 1931) is an American attorney who served as the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts from 1966 to 1969.
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Early life
Markham attended Georgetown Preparatory School, Villanova University, and Boston University School of Law. He was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 1958. He worked at the personal injury firm of Badger, Parrish before joining the Small Business Administration.
United States Attorney's office
In 1963 Markham was appointed by United States Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy to serve as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. When Wendell Arthur Garrity Jr. accepted a judgeship on the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts in 1966, Markham succeeded him as the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. He remained a U.S. Attorney until 1969 when he resigned to work in private practice.
Chappaquiddick incident
Markham was present on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts, on the night leading up to the death of Mary Jo Kopechne. According to the testimony of Ted Kennedy, after the accident, he, Markham, and Joseph Gargan returned to the waterway to try to rescue Kopechne. Markham testified that Kennedy was sobbing and on the verge of becoming crazed. The next day Gargan and Markham joined Kennedy at his hotel where they had a "heated conversation" over the fact that Kennedy had not reported the accident.
After Kopechne's body was discovered, Kennedy dictated a statement to Markham which was then given to the police.