One of the most prominent advocates of a conspiracy in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Jim Garrison had a 12-year-run as a flamboyant District Attorney of New Orleans before settling in on the Louisiana State Court of Appeals as a judge. But Garrison's career was defined by the Kennedy assassination. He brought the only prosecution in relation to the assassination, and he achieved worldwide prominence with the release of the popular movie, JFK: The Untold Story in 1991, based on his book, On the Trail of the Assassins. Garrison was born in Iowa in 1921. He served in the Army in the World War II, and afterwards worked for the FBI before becoming a lawyer in private practice in Louisiana.

In 1962, Garrison ran for district attorney of New Orleans on a reform ticket, winning in a surprise upset. He was credited as being one of the first politicians...