| A Deeper Look: Case Narratives The Trials of Los Angeles Police Officers' in Connection with the Beating of Rodney King It seemed like an open-and-shut case. The George Holliday video, played on television so often that an executive at CNN called it "wallpaper," showed three Los Angeles police officers–as their supervisor watched– kicking, stomping on, and beating with metal batons a seemingly defenseless African-American named Rodney King. Polls taken shortly after the incident showed that over 90% of Los Angeles residents who saw the videotape believed that the police used excessive force in arresting King. Despite the videotape, a jury in Simi Valley concluded a year later that the evidence was not sufficient to convict the officers. Within hours of the jury's verdict, Los Angeles erupted in riots. When it was over, fifty-four people had lost their lives, over 7,000 people had been arrested, and hundreds of millions of dollars worth in property had been destroyed… [Continue][http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/lapd/lapdaccount.html] Texas v. Johnson While the Republican National Convention was taking place in Dallas in 1984, respondent Johnson participated in a political demonstration dubbed the "Republican War Chest Tour." As explained in literature distributed by the demonstrators and in speeches made by them, the purpose of this event was to protest the policies of the Reagan administration and of certain Dallas-based corporations. The demonstrators marched through the Dallas streets, chanting political slogans and stopping at several corporate locations to stage "die-ins" intended to dramatize the consequences of nuclear war. On several occasions they spray-painted the walls of buildings and overturned potted plants, but Johnson himself took no part in such activities. He did, however, accept an American flag handed to him by a fellow protestor who had taken it from a flagpole outside one of the targeted buildings… [Continue][http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/texasvjohnson.html] Furman v. Georgia Furman v. Georgia was a United States Supreme Court decision that ruled on the requirement for a degree of consistency in the application of the death penalty. Jackson v. Georgia and Branch v. Texas, pulling of brief sentences for rape, had the same result applied to them as part of a combined decision and ruling… [Continue][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furman_v._Georgia] All about the Kitty Genovese Murder During the 1960s, when there was no shortage of drama in the nation's courtrooms, one murder case stood alone in its ability to shock the country. The crime was not as gruesome as some others, since many more were just as violent, and still more that easily surpassed it. The victim was an ordinary working girl, not at all wealthy and not a member of any elite class. Her name was Catherine Genovese, the 28-year-old daughter of Italian-American parents. But to millions of people who read her story when it first appeared in New York City's press, she would forever be remembered as "Kitty" Genovese… [Continue][http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/predators/kitty_genovese/] Gunshot lands Williams in New Court Jayson Williams loved a good time. Even after his NBA career ended, the onetime star of the New Jersey Nets always traveled with enough charisma, cash and company to start a party anywhere. The 6-foot-10-inch Williams would duck into a Manhattan bar with a few pals, buy rounds of drinks for strangers and cap the evening by handing out thousands in cash to shocked fans. Or he'd host a charity fundraiser at his palatial Garden State home and hobnob with the governor, models and actors like Laurence Fishburne and Michael J. Fox. But last Valentine's Day, the party ended. After a night of heavy drinking with other retired pros, a gunshot rang out in Williams' mansion and a chauffeur lay dead. [Continue][http://www.courttv.com/trials/jaysonwilliams/background_ctv.html] United States of America v. Zacarias Moussoui From in or about 1989 until the date of the filing of this Indictment, in the Eastern District of Virginia, the Southern District of New York, and elsewhere, the defendant, Zacarias Moussoui a/k/a "Shaqil," a/k/a "Abu Khalid al Sahrawi," with other members and associates of al Qaeda and others known and unknown to the Grand Jury, unlawfully, willfully and knowingly combined, conspired, confederated and agreed to kill and maim persons within the United States, and to create a substantial risk of serious bodily injury to other persons by destroying and damaging structures, conveyances, and other real and personal property within the United States, in violation of the laws of States and the United States… [Continue][http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/moussaouiindictment.htm] Bernhard Goetz Bernhard Goetz was dubbed by the New York press as the "Subway Vigilante." He became a symbol of New Yorkers' frustrations with high crime after he shot four young men on the Seventh Avenue #2 express subway train in Manhattan in 1984… [Continue][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernhard_Goetz] The Trial of John W. Hinckley, Jr.By Doug Linder The verdict of "not guilty" for reason of insanity in the 1982 trial of John Hinckley, Jr. for his attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan stunned and outraged many Americans. An ABC News poll taken the day after the verdict showed 83% of those polled thought "justice was not done" in the Hinckley case… [Continue] [http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/hinckley/hinckleyaccount.html] Kobe Bryant Sexual Assault Case NBA star Kobe Bryant was accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old hotel concierge in Edwards, Colo. The case against Bryant was dropped by prosecutors during jury selection after the accuser refused to testify. [Continue][http://www.courttv.com/trials/bryant/index.html] BTK- Birth of a Serial Killer It's hard to say just when it happened and how long it took to reach maturity. No doubt it began as a fantasy, an angry internal cauldron of hate and frustration. Slowly, the fantasy became an obsession that demanded fulfillment. The planning and execution of this seminal event took over his conscious thought. Just once, he told himself, and then he would be free of this overwhelming need. It wouldn't be necessary to ever risk doing it again… [Continue] [http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/unsolved/btk/index_1.html] Church Arson Prevention Act President Clinton signed into law on July 3, 1996, the "Church Arson Prevention Act of 1996" (Public. L. 104-155) (the Act). In passing this legislation, the Congress made the following findings. [Continue][http://www.ncfbc.org/capa.htm] Winona Ryder Shoplifting Trial Winona Ryder, who was nominated for Oscars for "The Age of Innocence" and "Little Women," took on a real-life role as a defendant after her Dec. 12, 2001, arrest at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills. She was acquitted of burglary, but convicted of grand theft and vandalism for stealing $5,560.40 worth of designer merchandise… [Continue][http://www.courttv.com/trials/ryder/index.html] Martha Stewart Stock Scandal Domestic diva Martha Stewart and her stockbroker, Peter Bacanovic, stood trial for conspiracy, perjury and obstruction of the investigation into the sale of her stock in ImClone, a biotech firm… [Continue][http://www.courttv.com/trials/stewart/] Sanyika Shakur Sanyika Shakur was formerly known as Monster. His autobiography, Monster, detailing gang life in LA, was on many best seller lists for several months. He was also featured in the best-selling book, Do or Die. While in prison he converted to New Afrikan politics and has since written extensively on the relationship of prisons and white supremacy to the struggle for New Afrikan Independence… [Continue][http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~kastor/fallprogram/fall-shakur.html] United States of America v. John Philip Walker Lindh This application is submitted in support of a criminal complaint and an arrest warrant charging John Philip Walker Lindh, a/k/a "Suleyman al-Faris," a/k/a "Abdul Hamid," ("Walker"), a United States citizen, with: (1) engaging in a conspiracy, while outside the United States, to kill nationals of the United States outside of the United States, namely, United States nationals engaged in the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2332(b)… [Continue][http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/criminalcomplaint1.htm] |
