John M. Slaton

John Marshall Slaton served two non-consecutive terms as the 60th Governor of Georgia. His political career ended in 1915 after he commuted the death sentence of Atlanta factory boss Leo Frank, who had been convicted of the murder of a 13-year-old employee, Mary Phagan. Because of Slaton's law firm partnership with Frank's defense counsel, claims were made that Slaton's involvement represented a conflict of interest. Soon after Slaton's action, Frank was lynched. After Slaton's term as governor ended, he and his wife left the state for a decade. Slaton later served as president of the Georgia State Bar Association.