Essays and Research Papers on Historic Trials

A well-argued 5 page look at how the O.J. Simpson criminal trial may have had harmful implications for the American legal system. The writer feels that this historic case was decided more on emotion than on fact.. that is was adversely affected by the media.. and that it will likely have a lasting impact on ...

A 5 page analysis of the Kutler's book, Privilege and Creative Destruction: The Charles River Bridge Case. The writer demonstrates that this landmark case of the early nineteenth century has relevance for current day society. No additional sources cited.

12 pages in length. The infamous 'Monkey Trial,' so named for the trial of the century in which legal defense lawyer Clarence Darrow squared off with William Jennings Bryan. These two well-known attorneys were arguing the case in which John Thomas Scopes, represented by Darrow, was on trial for violating Tennessee law by ...

A 3 page paper which discusses various aspects of two particular court cases and the Chief Justices of the Supreme Court which presented the court's opinion. The court cases are Worcester v. Georgia (1832) and Wisconsin v. Mitchell (1993). The judges discussed are, respectively, John Marshall and William H Rehnquist. Both of the cases presented dealt with issues of ...

5 pages in length. The infamous Scopes Trial, sometimes known as the "Monkey Trial," so named for the trial of the century in which legal defense lawyer Clarence Darrow squared off with William Jennings Bryan, is the subject of a book by Edward J. Larson. In his book, Summer for the Gods, Larson ...

6 pages in length. Perhaps one of the most horrific and certainly most newsworthy of crimes is that of mothers who kill their children. That a mother could take the life of those she gave life to is an unthinkable act, one that nobody can truly understand. This paper focuses on the ...

This 5 page report discusses the issues surrounding the recent lawsuit filed against the Microsoft Corporation by the U.S. Department of Justice. What issues were at hand? Why did the government believe it had a legitimate case? The question uppermost in the concerns regarding the case focused more on the fact that Microsoft violated the terms of a ...

A 25 page paper. The state of New York is an Equitable Distribution state. This is different than a community property state in which all marital property is simply divided in half between the two divorcing partners. Equitable distribution means that marital property, which includes assets and debts, is to be divided in an equitable ...

A 3 page paper which discusses the case of Please v Ferguson, based on the book "Please v Ferguson: A Brief History with Documents," edited by Brook Thomas. This book helps to further enlighten the reader about the case, as well as about history in general during the time of the court case. No additional sources cited.

This 8 page paper considers the coverage of the trial of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter and the subsequent news stories that have outlined his life. This paper suggests that different perspectives can be viewed in the reports in the mainstream press and in African-American press outlets. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

(5 pp) It is doubtful that the reasons behind the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 can tidily be bundled up in one relative cause. However one influence, that has only recently been suggested is" ergot poisoning," a fungal mutation present on rye grain during certain climatic and land conditions. This paper will ...

(6 pp). Everything changes. The legal system in the United States is not immune to change, particularly in the area of race relations, citizenship and its attending rights. Four historic legal cases reflect the attitudes of the courts: Dred Scott v Sandford (1857), Plessy v Ferguson (1895), Brown v Board of ...

(6pp) For centuries women have been thought of "property," but time and situations have been leading to slow but sure progression towards women's independence. In this we shall begin by examining Muller v Oregon, 1908; events leading into the progressive era; and the influence of muckrakers on women and current society.

This 6 page paper delves into the history of the insanity defense and also evaluates when it is used. Several well-known cases are referenced. Bibliography lists 10 sources.

A 5 page paper which discusses three important court cases which deal with religion in public schools. The cases discussed are Everson v. Board of Education (1947), Engel v. Vitale (1962), and Pickering v. Board of Education (1968). Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 17 page paper which considers the different interpretations of the structure and functions of the judiciary which have been developed over the years in Western culture, including the doctrine of natural law, legal positivism and the relationship between legislation and moral values. Bibliography lists 11 sources

This is a 5 page paper discussing the murder and investigation of the James Byrd Jr. case in Jasper, Texas. Three white men were sentenced to death (Bill King and Lawrence Brewer) and life imprisonment (Shawn Berry) for the hate crime of beating and dragging James Byrd, a black man, behind their truck until he ...

This 5 page paper looks at the infamous case which prompted the procedure of the reading of rights whenever a suspect is arrested. Challenges to the precedent are also discussed. Bibliography lists 9 sources.

This 5 page paper provides an overview of the case. Facts are discussed and the significance of the decision is also explored. Implications are clearly outlined. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This 13 page paper considers the way in which the Law Lords made their decision on the extradition proceeding brought by Spain against General Augusto Pinochet. The paper looks at the pertinent issues and the decisions that were made in this case which lead to the decision that Pinochet should be extradited. The bibliography sites ...

This is a 5 page review of Howard Jones’ “Mutiny on the Amistad”. Howard Jones’ 1987 book “Mutiny on the Amistad: The Saga of a Slave Revolt and its Impact on American Abolition, Law, and Diplomacy” tells of a true story which took place in 1839 and enhanced the cause of the abolitionists in the ...

This 5 page paper considers the case of Muller v Oregon and this case that sought to prevent women from working for more than ten hours a day impacted on women’s rights and the different views of equality that that may have existed at the time. The bibliography cites 1 source.

This 3 page report discusses the historic Supreme Court case of the early 19th century (1803) which has, for the past two centuries, served as a definitive component of American law. Marbury versus Madison was the case that decided that it was possible, appropriate, even necessary for the Supreme Court to have the ability to declare a particular ...

This is a 5 page paper discussing the O.J. Simpson case. Throughout history there have been many judicial cases in which people believed that a miscarriage of justice has taken place. In some cases, it could be that someone was found guilty when in fact it was believed that he or she was innocent. Or, ...

This 4 page paper disputes the notion that the pair did not get a fair trial or that politics or anti-Semitism played a role in the verdict. New evidence of their guilt is duly noted. Bibliography lists 6 sources.