Francis J. Heney

Francis Heney
11th Attorney General of the Arizona Territory
In office 1893–1895
Preceded by	John Herndon
Succeeded by	Thomas Satterwhite
Personal details
Born	Francis Joseph Heney (1859-03-17)March 17, 1859 Lima, New York, U.S.
Died	October 31, 1937(1937-10-31) (aged 78) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Political party	Republican (before 1912) Progressive (1912–1920)
Spouse(s)	Rebecca Wentworth McMullin; Edna I. Van Winkle
Education	University of California, Berkeley (BA)
Occupation	Attorney, District Attorney, Arizona Attorney General, U.S. District Attorney for the District of Oregon
Known for	Killing of John C. Handy in self-defense; prosecution of politicians in the Oregon Land Fraud scandal and the San Francisco graft trials

Francis Joseph Heney (March 17, 1859 – October 31, 1937) was an American lawyer, judge, and politician. Heney is known for killing an opposing plaintiff in self-defense and for being shot in the head by a prospective juror during the San Francisco graft trials. In 1891, while an attorney in Tucson, Arizona Territory, he defended the abused wife of John C. Handy. Handy attacked Heney, who shot and killed Handy. Heney later served as Attorney General of the Arizona Territory between 1893 and 1895. He was the chief prosecutor of the Oregon Land Fraud scandal from 1904 to 1910 and served as US District Attorney for the District of Oregon, from January 9 to December 3, 1905. He prosecuted corrupt San Francisco politicians, from 1906 to 1908.

In 1906, Heney prosecuted San Francisco Mayor Eugene Schmitz and political boss Abe Ruef, for bribery. Heney revealed that a prospective juror was ineligible because he was an ex-convict. The man deeply resented Heney's action and while court was in recess, walked into the courtroom and shot the attorney in the jaw. Heney survived the wound, and the trial went on. He ran for the US Senate from California on the Progressive Party ticket in 1914.

Heney co-wrote the California Alien Land Law of 1913.