</s>to the previous attorneys. 6. Most of said evidence was given to Clerk of Court by an Order of Judge Battle dated March 13, 1969. A copy of this Order is appointed as Exhibit D to this motion. Therefore, it is prayed that this Honorable Court will order its Clerk to produce to the attorneys for defendant, and allow them to inspect and/or duplicate all items listed in Exhibit- bit D to This motion; And, it it is prayerful further that this Honorable Court will order the Attorney for the State to produce the attorneys for defendant, or allow them to Inspect and/OR duplicate, books, papers, documents and tangible objects obtained from or belonging to the defendant or obtained from others which are in possession of, or under the control of the attorney for the state or any law enforcement officer, including, but not limited to the following, to wit: 1. Any firearm or other weapon belonging to defendant or allegedly used in committing the crime charged. 2. Any and all objects found in any automobile allegedly owned or operated by defendant. 3. Records or documents pertaining to any hotel, motel, rooming house or other purported place of residence, temporary or permanent, of defendant or others. 4. All photographs purportedly showing defendant or others sought in connection with the crime herein charged. Page 2 2022 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The document details legal proceedings related to James Earl Ray’s conviction for the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., focusing on post-conviction relief motions and evidentiary hearings under Tennessee law. Ray filed multiple motions under Section 2555, alleging constitutional violations including denial of effective counsel, coerced testimony, and involuntary guilty plea. The U.S. Supreme Court case *Sanders v. United States* (372 U.S. 402) guided the analysis, emphasizing that courts must grant evidentiary hearings for claims involving factual disputes, even if prior motions were denied. Ray’s arguments included allegations of withheld exculpatory evidence, witness tampering, and judicial misconduct during his trial. The document references FBI requests to produce bullet fragments from Dr. King’s body and bullets found near the crime scene, as well as legal debates over whether a guilty plea’s voluntariness could be revisited post-conviction.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Convicted of assassinating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., filed motions for post-conviction relief.  
- **Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.**: Victim of the assassination, whose body and bullet fragments were central to the investigation.  
- **Charles Quitman Stevens**: Alleged chief eyewitness who did not identify Ray as the perpetrator.  
- **Mrs. Grace Stevens**: Key witness for Ray, allegedly wrongfully incarcerated in a mental hospital.  
- **Judge Paquin** and **Judge Faquin**: Tennessee judges involved in ruling on motions for new trials and post-conviction relief.  

Key Locations  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Site of the assassination and trial.  
- **State Penitentiary at Petros, Tennessee**: Where Ray was incarcerated.  
- **Tennessee courts**: Including the Criminal Court of Shelby County and appellate jurisdictions.  

Key Events  
- **Post-conviction motions**: Ray sought evidentiary hearings to challenge his conviction, citing constitutional violations and new evidence.  
- **FBI bullet analysis request**: Ray requested FBI spectrographic analysis of bullets and fragments from Dr. King’s body and the crime scene.  
- **Legal arguments on voluntariness of plea**: Contention that Ray’s guilty plea was involuntary due to withheld evidence and judicial misconduct.  
- **Supreme Court guidance**: *Sanders v. United States* established criteria for granting hearings on successive post-conviction claims, emphasizing fairness and access to justice.  

Key Organizations  
- **U.S. Supreme Court**: Provided legal framework for evaluating post-conviction motions.  
- **Tennessee Post Conviction Procedure Act**: Governed the process for challenging convictions after sentencing.  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Involved in forensic analysis of evidence related to the assassination.  
- **Tennessee Department of Justice**: Represented state interests in legal proceedings.

MLK Declassified Files

44-me-1987_hs1-852611265_89-03-part_3_of_4.pdf

Document Summary

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