James E. Winfield

James Winfield
Born
James Eros Winfield Sr.

March 20, 1944
Port Gibson, Mississippi, U.S.
DiedJune 5, 2000(2000-06-05) (aged 56)
Rolling Fork, Mississippi, U.S.
Burial placeGreenlawn Gardens Cemetery, Vicksburg, Mississippi, U.S.
EducationMorris Brown College (BA),
University of Mississippi School of Law (JD)
SpouseLinda H. Evans
Children3

James Eros Winfield Sr. (March 20, 1944 – June 5, 2000) was an American civil rights lawyer, politician, and city prosecutor in Vicksburg, Mississippi.[1][2][3] He was the first Black city prosecutor in Vicksburg.

Early life and education

James Eros Winfield Sr. was born on March 20, 1944, in Port Gibson, Mississippi.[4] His parents were Gertrude Moran (née Green) and Elias Winfield.[4][5] At the age of 6 his family moved to Vicksburg, Mississippi.[6] He graduated in 1963 from Rosa A. Temple High School.[7][8]

Winfield attended the Morris Brown College (B.A. 1967) in Atlanta, Georgia; and the University of Mississippi School of Law (J.D. 1972) in Oxford, Mississippi.[7][5]

During the Vietnam War, Winfield was drafted in to the United States Army in 1969.[7][5]

He married Linda H. Evans, and together they had three sons.[7][9][10] His son Paul E. Winfield served as mayor of Vicksburg (2009–2013), and was convicted in 2015 of bribery in a federal court.[11][12][13][14]

Career

After graduating with his J.D. degree, Winfield opened a law practice with R. Jess Brown.[5] He was a member of the state bar in Mississippi since 1972, and was admitted to practice law in all state courts.[5][9][15]

In 1975, Winfield ran for a post in the House of Representatives for Warren and Claiborne Counties.[16][6]

Winfield was the first African American city prosecutor in Vicksburg when he was appointed to the role in July 1977.[8][17] His clients included Vicksburg-Warren School District, the Woodville School District, and the Sharkey County Board of Supervisors.[12][18]

In October 1980, Winfield announced candidacy for district attorney in Claiborne, Issaquena, Sharkey and Warren Counties.[17]

He had co-founded the Winfield and Moran Law Firm in Vicksburg in 1988, and worked alongside his brother.[18]

Winfield was a former president of the National Alumni Association and the Board of Trustees of Morris Brown College, his alma mater.[7][18] He was a member of the NAACP, the Phi Beta Sigma, the Tyner–Ford Post No. 213 of the American Legion, the D.W. Simmons Brotherhood Relief Club, the Mississippi Trial Lawyer Association, and Lamar Order of the University of Mississippi School of Law.[7]

Death and legacy

He died at age 56 in a car accident on June 5, 2000, in Rolling Fork, Mississippi.[7][18]

A monument at Washington Street Park in Vicksburg is dedicated to him and four other civic leaders.[8]

References

  1. ^ "Judge Questions Attorney's Role". Enterprise-Journal. September 8, 1978. p. 14. Retrieved September 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ McBride, Earnest (February 22, 2022). "Vicksburg boycott of 1972 broke back of segregation, hardly remembered today". Jackson Advocate. Retrieved September 14, 2025.
  3. ^ Musgrove, Ronnie (June 7, 2000). "A Proclamation by Governor Ronnie Musgrove" (PDF). Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH).
  4. ^ a b Gale Cengage Learning (July 2002). Who's Who Among African Americans. Gale Research International, Limited. p. 1423. ISBN 978-0-7876-5729-1.
  5. ^ a b c d e "James Winfield Opens Law Office At 1720 Clay St". The Vicksburg Post. May 19, 1974. p. 10. Retrieved September 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b "Winfield Seeks Post In House of Representatives". The Vicksburg Post. May 25, 1975. p. 21. Retrieved September 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g "James E. Winfield Sr". The Clarion-Ledger (Obituary). June 8, 2000. p. 12. Retrieved September 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b c Long, Alex (August 16, 2019). "City dedicates Washington Street Park to Vicksburg trailblazers". Vicksburg Daily News. Archived from the original on July 8, 2025.
  9. ^ a b "Winfield To Be Guest Speaker". The Vicksburg Post. December 12, 1978. p. 2. Retrieved September 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Springhill Baptist". The Vicksburg Post. July 30, 1983. p. 10. Retrieved September 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Mississippi House Concurrent Resolution 62, Regular Session: Bill Title: Honorable Paul E. Winfield; commend upon being elected the 44th Mayor of the City of Vicksburg". April 23, 2010. Retrieved September 14, 2025 – via LegiScan.
  12. ^ a b Chanprasith, Manivanh (July 27, 2009). "Wife, mother worked from ground zero". The Vicksburg Post. Archived from the original on September 14, 2025.
  13. ^ "Southern District of Mississippi: Former Vickburg Mayor Sentenced To Prison For Bribery". United States Department of Justice. January 7, 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2025.
  14. ^ Surratt, John (June 13, 2015). "He's out: Former Vicksburg mayor released from Federal prison". The Vicksburg Post. Archived from the original on September 14, 2025.
  15. ^ Who's Who in American Law. Vol. 2. Marquis Who's Who. 1977. p. 983. ISBN 978-0-8379-3502-7.
  16. ^ "James E. Winfield Is For The People". The Vicksburg Post. July 27, 1975. p. 14. Retrieved September 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ a b "James Winfield Seeks District Attorney Post". The Vicksburg Post. October 15, 1980. p. 5. Retrieved September 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ a b c d "James Eros Winfield Sr". The Vicksburg Post (Obituary). June 7, 2000. p. 9. Retrieved September 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
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