I just read a fascinating thesis examining the media circus that followed the 1954 arrest and prosecution of Dr. Sam Sheppard for his pregnant wife’s murder, a mess that ultimately wound up at the U.S. Supreme Court and, 12 years after conviction, resulted in a reversal and remand on the basis that he had been denied a fair trial by the publicity. After a new trial, Sheppard was acquitted. There are eerie parallels to the electronic frenzy that follows what seems to be our daily shooting, bombing or assault, whether by cops or perpetrators.
Sheppard was a Cleveland osteopath, and for some reason, his arrest and prosecution caught the fancy of the media, including the newly ubiquitous television news. Everyone, including the trial judge, seems to have been swept up in the celebrity of the thing. At one point the judge actually gave an interview to society and gossip columnist Dorothy Kilgallen, where he shared his opinion that Sheppard was guilty and that the case was “open and shut.” Sheppard was represented at SCOTUS and in the retrial by a young F. Lee Bailey, fresh out of B.U. Law, who rode the fame of the case on to other high-profile matters such as the My Lai Massacre and O.J. Simpson trials.
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law are third party online distributors of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications. LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law customers are able to access and use ALM's content, including content from the National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, Legaltech News, The New York Law Journal, and Corporate Counsel, as well as other sources of legal information.
For questions call 1-877-256-2472 or contact us at [email protected]
