Blakeney served as the American Associate Counsel for defendants Shigenori Togo and Yoshijiro Umezu. Born in 1909, Blakeney practiced law in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma prior to the outbreak of World War II, . While defending the Japanese accused against charges of mass murder in relation to the bombing of Pearl Harbor and other locales, he argued to the court that "killing in war is not murder." News reports covered Blakeney's arguments that "the allied were attempting to impose responsibility for deaths of thousands of persons on men 'innocent of any specific connection therewith.'" As the trial progressed, Blakeney continued his work on the defense team even after a number of defense counsel resigned. He argued that the court should bear in mind the acts of other nations and how the international community would deal with them because otherwise, a double standard could be created where the Japanese were punished but others were allowed to go free.
Upon the conclusion of the tribunal, Blakeney, along with defense attorney George Furness, filed an appeal with the Supreme Court of the United States on behalf of the convicted Japanese officials. They argued that the IMTFE's ruling could not be upheld because General MacArthur, in providing the authority for the constituting of the tribunal, acted unconstitutionally. The appeal was denied. Blakeney later worked with Togo Fumihiko to translate and edit "The Cause of Japan," by Togo Shigenori."
