Famous trials

Explores the 1969 murders of actress Sharon Tate and others by members of the "Manson Family, " the subsequent investigation and trials, and the strange hold Charles Manson continues to have over people.

Profiles the 1896 Supreme Court trial that tested the constitutionality of laws in the South that enforced racial segregation in train travel, and discusses the impact of the verdict which provided a legal cover for racial discrimination throughout the United States.

Describes the murder conviction of William Henry Furman in 1969 and his appeal against the state of Georgia over the death penalty, and examines other court cases and the debate over capital punishment.

Examines key issues in the trial of seventeenth-century astronomer Galileo, accused of heresy by the Inquisition for advocating the Copernican, or sun-centered, view of the universe, and looks at the reasons why the trial remains memorable.

Provides a historical overview of the case that desegregated public education in the United States.

An overview of the noted O. J. Simpson murder trial and the events preceding it.

Chronicles the murder of fourteen-year-old Bobby Franks in 1924 by Nathan Leopold, Jr., and Richard Loeb and the trial that followed, discussing Clarence Darrow's defense of the young men, the media frenzy that ensued, and the case's legal and historical significance. Also includes a time line and an annotated further reading list.

Examines the trial of Sacco and Vanzetti, two radical political anarchists accused and convicted of murder in Boston in 1920, and describes the events surrounding the trial, as well as the political atmosphere of the day. Includes suggestions for further reading.

Focuses on the trial of the abolitionist who was hanged for treason and murder following his attempt to capture a military arsenal and arms the slaves for revolt.

Presents a biographical sketch of this fourth-century Greek philosopher before focusing on his trial and conviction and its legacy.