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PRESENTATION/PAPER DUE ON DATE INDICATED

(Research topics are not limited to cases on this list. If you wish to research a topic not listed, just ask. Dates provided for trials are just meant to assist in your research. You may utilize primary resources related to your topic from other dates.)

Plessy v. Ferguson—April 13, 1896-May 18, 1896

Any trial mentioned in Law in America: A Short History

Al Capone trial--tax evasion; indictment June 5, 1931; verdict October 17, 1931; sentenced November 24, 1931.

Lindbergh baby kidnaping trial--January 2, 1935-February 13, 1935. Until O.J., considered the most publicized crime and trial in U.S. history.

Scottsboro Boys Trials: First trial April 4, 1931-January 1932; 2^nd trial of Haywood Patterson March 30, 1933-April 8, 1933; Four of 9 released from prison July 24, 1937. Young black men accused of raping two white women in train boxcars.

Powell v. Alabama—Supreme Court decision: right to counsel of Scottsboro defendants, November 7, 1932. Entire decision published in NY Times, November 8, 1932

Mendez v. Westminster School District —desegregation for Latinos in Southern California—1946 District Court decision; April 14, 1947 Court of Appeals decision

Shelley v. Kraemer—housing discrimination; May 3, 1948

Delgado v. Bastrop School District—desegregation for Latinos in Texas, June 15, 1948 (District Court)

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka—May 17, 1954 decision; May 31, 1955 implementation decision

Rodriguez v. San Antonio School District--ruling against equality in public school financing, March 12, 1973

Milliken v. Bradley--ruling against urban desegregation, 1974

Pasadena Board of Education v. Spangler--limiting the authority of federal courts to update desegregation plans, June 28, 1976

Freeman v. Pitts--Release from desegregation orders, March 31, 1992

Leo Frank trial: Jewish man who was lynched in the South following his questionable conviction of murder in the South—July 28, 1913-August 26, 1913

Moore v. Dempsey–1923 Supreme Court decision: a court dominated by a mob is not a court but a mob; a fair trial requires a court free from coercion. Decision overturned the murder convictions of a half-dozen black Arkansas sharecroppers. On September 30, 1919 a group of white men had attacked and fired upon an African American church, a white man was killed in this episode. Violence and shootings of African Americans continued, and on October 1 another white man was killed (most likely by other whites). A group of black sharecroppers was rounded up to stand trial for the white man’s murder. The trial lasted about 45 minutes and the guilty verdict came in less than 5 minutes later.

Mapp v. Ohio—search & seizure; decision June 19, 1961

Gideon v. Wainwright—right to counsel; hearing, January 15, 1963; decision, March 18, 1963

Miranda v. Arizona—right to remain silent; decision June 13, 1966

Furman v. Georgia—death penalty; decision June 29, 1972

Gregg v. Georgia—death penalty; decision July 2, 1976

Bakke v. University of California--affirmative action, June 28, 1978

Rodney King trial—March 4, 1992-April 29, 1992; February 3, 1993-April 17, 1993

Any trial mentioned in No Equal Justice

New York v. Sanger--Allowed doctors to advise married patients about birth control for health purposes; decision January 8, 1918.

Buck v. Bell--Upheld compulsory sterilization of women considered "unfit;" Decision May 2, 1927.

Griswold v. Connecticut--Set forth a constitutional "right to privacy" that included right to contraceptives; decision, June 7, 1965.

Roe v. Wade--Decision, January 22, 1973

Gay Rights trials – Bowers v. Hardwick (1986); Lawrence v. Texas (2003)

Matthew Shepard murder trial – 1999

Gwen Araujo murder trial – 2004

Harris v. McRae--Hyde Amendment upheld (Medicaid program will not pay for even medically necessary abortions); decision, June 30, 1980.

Webster v. Reproductive Health Services--Upheld state restrictions on abortion, though does not grant Bush administration request to overturn Roe v. Wade; decision July 3, 1989.

Madsen v. Women’s Health Center--Regulating abortion protestors at clinics; decision June 30, 1994.

Pittsburgh Press v. Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations--Eliminated sex-segregated newspaper ads; decision, June 21, 1973

Cleveland Board of Education v. LaFleur--Ending discrimination against pregnant workers; decision, January 21, 1974.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Sears, Roebuck and Company: EEOC loses in U.S. District Court, February 2, 1986

Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson – "Hostile environment" is a form of sex discrimination; decision June 19, 1986.

Harris v. Forklift--Sexual harassment suits do not have to show psychological damage; November 9, 1993

Tailhook Scandal--Sexual harassment and assault in the Navy; decision October 24, 1994.

Wal-Mart gender discrimination class action suit–2004

Lee Marvin "Palimony" suit--January 9, 1979-March 28, 1979

Baby "M"-- surrogate motherhood, January 5, 1987-March 31, 1987

New Bedford rape trial--February 23-March 21, 1984 or any trial discussed in Virgin or Vamp

Betty Broderick murder trial--"scorned wife" murders ex-husband and his girlfriend; first trial begins November 22, 1990; second trial begins, October 1991.

William Kennedy Smith rape trial--Accused, spring 1991; Trial begins, December 2; Verdict, December 11, 1991

Mike Tyson rape trial–1992

George John Dasch & the Nazi Spy Ring--July 8-August 4, 1942; Six of 8 executed August 8, 1942. (Ex Parte Quirin, 1942)

Hirabayashi v. United States—Japanese internment, June 1943; Circuit Court appeal, September 24, 1987

Nuremberg war crimes trial--October 18, 1945-August, 1945

"Tokyo" Rose D’Aquino--Treason; July 5, 1949-September 29, 1949; sentenced October 6, 1949; Pardoned January 19, 1977.

My Lai war crimes trial--November 12, 1970-March, 1971

Iran/Contra trials–Oliver North trial January 31, 1989-May 4, 1989; wins appeal July 20, 1990; North case dismissed September 16, 1991.

Bill Haywood--labor leader accused of murder; Trial begins May 9, 1907; Verdict, July 29, 1907.

Sacco & Vanzetti--Italian immigrant anarchists accused of murder, May 31, 1921-July 14, 1921

Alger Hiss--accused of spying, May 31, 1949-July 14, 1949 (first trial), November 17, 1949-January 24, 1950 (second trial)

Hollywood Ten Trials--film screen writers, directors who refused to testify before the House Un-American Activities Commission (HUAC), April 12-19, 1948 (Lawson), May 3-5, 1948 (Trumbo), June 22-29, 1950 (Biberman, Cole, Dmytryk, Lardner, Scott), June 23-29, 1950 (Bessie, Maltz, Ornitz)

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg--spying, March 6, 1951-April 6, 1951

Sirhan Sirhan murder trial--January 7, 1969-April 14, 1969; verdict April 17, 1969; sentenced May 21, 1969

Chicago 8--demonstrators at 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago, September 24, 1969-February 18, 1970

Black Panther Trials--Huey Newton; July 15, 1968-September 8, 1968

Black Panther Geronimo Pratt--1972 murder trial; June, 1997 released from prison.

Angela Davis Trial--Aid to Soledad brothers--February 28, 1972-June 4, 1972

Patty Hearst trial--kidnapped February 4, 1971; capture September 18, 1975; convicted March 20, 1976; sentenced April 12, 1976; sentence commuted, February 1, 1979.

Sara Jane Olson–2002 trial relating to Hearst events

Mumia Abu-Jamal--December 9, 1981, conviction; First execution date August 17, 1995 (stay granted August 7, 1995)

Watergate Trials–Burglary occurs June 1972; Nixon resignation 1974

Clinton Impeachment–1998

John Walker Lindh--2002

Zaccarias Moussaoui--2002-present

Judy Barry–environmental activist whose car was bombed (2002 verdict)

Guantanamo Prisoners Trials–2004

A Civil Action case--industrial water contamination. New trial ordered September 17, 1986.

Tobacco--Cipollone case settled April 21, 1988 (U.S. District Court)

Silicon breast implants--July 1994, Justice Department opens criminal investigation; September, 1994

Fen Phen diet supplement–Appeal upheld August, 2001

Enron or other corporate accounting scandals trials

Martha Stewart trial – 2003-present

Scopes Trial--July 10, 1925-July 17, 1925

Lillian Gobitis v. Minersville School District--compulsory flag saluting; Suit filed May 3, 1937; trial, February 1938; opinion issued June 1938; Supreme Court hearing, April 25, 1940; decision, June 3, 1940.

Barnette--overruled Gobitis, June 14, 1943

Susan Epperson v. Arkansas--teaching evolution; filed suit December 6, 1965; trial April 1, 1966; State Supreme Court decision, June 5, 1967; U.S. Supreme Court hearing October 16, 1968; decision, November 12, 1968.

Ishmael Jaffree v. George Wallace--school prayer; suit filed May 28, 1981; trial begins November 15, 1982; Supreme Court argument December 4, 1984.

"Howl" obscenity trial--October 1957 decision

William Burroughs obscenity trial--Arrest January 20, 1962 (Boston); Appeal decision July 7, 1966

Larry Flynt--December 3, 1984-December 8, 1984

Harry Thaw murder trial–1907 (Wealthy man murders Stanford White, a prominent architect and former boyfriend of his chorus girl wife, Evelyn Nesbitt)

Fatty Arbuckle murder trial – 1921 (Famous film comedian charged with murder of young actress at a party while engaged in violent sex)

Chicago "Black" Sox trial (fixing the World Series)--June, 1921; Verdict, August 2, 1921

Boston Strangler--Trial begins January 10, 1967

Hillside Strangler--Spring 1983 trial; verdicts October 31, 1983-November, 1983

Manson Family--trial mid-1970

Free agency for professional athletes trial– Flood v. Kuhn, 407 U.S. 258, 92 S.Ct. 2099, 32 L.Ed.2d 728 (1972); Oscar Robertson case filed 1974, decided 1979 NY Federal Court.

Bibliographies of other famous trials available online: http://www.comm.ucsb.edu/faculty/kellerma/trialkollectionns/trialmai.htm