Top 10 Most Famous Trials of the Last Century
#10: The Trial of the Chicago Seven
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During the 1968 Democratic National Convention, thousands of demonstrators gathered to protest America’s involvement in the Vietnam War. These protests soon escalated into riots, resulting in the indictment of eight suspected ringleaders on federal charges, including conspiracy. The ensuing trial devolved into a debacle, with criticism directed at presiding judge Julius Hoffman, for his perceived bias against the defendants. In one notable instance, Hoffman ordered Black Panthers co-founder Bobby Seale to be bound and gagged after he accused the judge of racism. This action resulted in a mistrial for Seale, leaving the “Chicago Seven” defendants who were all acquitted of the conspiracy charge. The raucous courtroom proceedings later became the basis for the Oscar-nominated film “The Trial of the Chicago 7”.
#9: The Leopold & Loeb Trial
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Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, two wealthy and brilliant students, became obsessed with committing the “perfect crime”. In 1924, they brought their obsession to life by kidnapping and murdering Bobby Franks, their teenage neighbor. They may have gotten away with it, if not for Leopold’s glasses being found near the victim’s body. To defend their sons, Leopold and Loeb’s parents hired the best criminal attorney money could buy - Clarence Darrow. Instead of a jury trial, Darrow opted to plead guilty, hoping to sway a judge into sparing his clients’ lives. His revered eight-hour speech argued that Leopold and Loeb were driven by forces beyond their control. Darrow’s compelling defense managed to convince the judge to impose a life sentence instead of the death penalty.
#8: The Casey Anthony Murder Trial
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The 2011 trial of Casey Anthony for the murder of her toddler Caylee received such immense media attention that it was named the “social media trial of the century”. Due to the extensive coverage, the jury had to be sequestered to prevent external influences. The case first came to public attention in 2008 when Caylee went missing and Anthony was indicted on first-degree murder charges. After the toddler’s remains were found in December 2008, prosecutors decided to seek the death penalty. They argued that Anthony intentionally killed Caylee, while the defense claimed the child accidentally drowned in the family pool. Following a sensational trial, Anthony was found not guilty of the murder charges - a verdict that left many stunned.
#7: The Lindbergh Kidnapping Trial
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In the late 1920s, Charles Lindbergh achieved national hero status by becoming the first solo pilot to fly nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean. So when his firstborn child, Charles Jr., was kidnapped from his crib in March 1932, it quickly became front-page news. The infant’s body was found two months later after a $50,000 ransom had been paid. Following an intense investigation, authorities arrested Bruno Richard Hauptmann, a German immigrant, for the crime. The subsequent trial unfolded in Flemington, New Jersey, attracting a swarm of reporters who occupied every available hotel room in the town. Although the evidence against Hauptmann was largely circumstantial, he was convicted and sentenced to death. Hauptmann maintained his innocence, however, until his execution on April 3rd 1936.
#6: The Julius & Ethel Rosenberg Espionage Trial
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In 1951, amid heightened Cold War tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, an American couple, stood trial for espionage. Julius, formerly an engineer with the U.S. Army, was discharged after his ties to the Communist Party were discovered. In 1942, he began spying for the Soviet Union, and eventually brought in Ethel’s brother, David Greenglass, who was involved with the Manhattan Project. During their trial, Greenglass implicated Ethel in the espionage and testified that he had given Julius confidential information. The Rosenbergs’ steadfast denial of the allegations, coupled with the specter of nuclear espionage fueled the sensational media coverage. In the end, they were both convicted and executed on June 19th 1953.
#5: President Bill Clinton’s Impeachment Hearings
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The words “I did not have sexual relations with that woman” are forever enshrined in the minds of many Americans. They were famously uttered in January 1998 by then-President Bill Clinton, after allegations of an extramarital affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky came to light. Clinton later faced charges of perjury and obstruction of justice, resulting in his impeachment by the House of Representatives. In January 1999, a highly publicized impeachment trial began in the Senate. The televised hearings and grand jury testimonies exposed intimate details about a president’s personal life in such an unprecedented way. Despite this, the prosecution fell short of securing even a simple majority on either charge, allowing Clinton to complete his term in office.
#4: The Manson Family Murder Trial
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In August 1969, cult leader Charles Manson orchestrated a series of murders that gained international attention. The victims included pregnant actress Sharon Tate and four of her house guests, as well as supermarket executive Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary. The case swiftly became a media sensation, a factor Manson attempted to use to his advantage. During the trial, the leader and his followers carved Xs into their foreheads, and blatantly tried to intimidate witnesses to prevent them from testifying. In one striking incident, Manson attempted to provoke a mistrial by displaying a newspaper with the headline “Manson Guilty, Nixon Declares” to the jury. Despite their bizarre antics, the jury unanimously convicted all four defendants on the charges brought against them.
#3: Lizzie Borden’s Murder Trial
The 1893 murder trial of Lizzie Borden was one of the first legal cases ever referred to as the “trial of the century.” Borden was accused of killing her father and stepmother in their Fall River, Massachusetts home. Her conflicting testimonies and apparent calmness during the investigation led many to believe she was the perpetrator. The violent nature of the crime, as well as the fact that they were allegedly committed by a seemingly ordinary family member, gripped the public and split opinions about Borden’s innocence. After deliberating for just about an hour and a half, a jury found her not guilty. Nevertheless, Borden remained ostracized by her community and lived largely in isolation until her death in 1927.
#2: The Murder Trial of O. J. Simpson
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It all started with a low-speed car chase that was watched by nearly 100 million people. That kicked off the case against O. J. Simpson, a renowned actor and former football star, accused of murdering his ex-wife Nicole and her friend Ronald Goldman. The ensuing trial, which was televised live, is now regarded as the “most publicized criminal trial in human history”. Prosecutors presented compelling evidence, including DNA, hair and clothing fibers allegedly linking Simpson to the crime scene. The defense, famously known as the “Dream Team,” cast doubt on the credibility of the evidence, claiming that it had been planted by corrupt cops. Simpson’s trial became a cultural phenomenon, drawing millions of viewers worldwide, and ultimately ending in a polarizing ‘not guilty’ verdict.
#1: The Nuremberg Trials
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The Nuremberg trials were a series of military tribunals that prosecuted several high–ranking officials of the Third Reich following World War II. The trials were conducted by the International Military Tribunal, which comprised judges from the U.S., UK, France, and the Soviet Union. The former Nazi leaders were charged with conspiracy, war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes against peace. Ultimately, 12 defendants were sentenced to death, seven were issued varying prison terms, and three were acquitted. Other Nazi officials, such as SS Lieutenant Colonel Adolf Eichmann, also faced publicized trials in subsequent years (xref). Despite an initial mixed reception, the Nuremberg proceedings exposed the true extent of Nazi atrocities and laid the groundwork for international criminal law.
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