The judicial system doesn’t make the laws, but it’s responsible for interpreting the Constitution. As a result, the law evolved to reflect these court decisions on countless occasions throughout history. This infographic highlights influential trial results and the changes implemented as a result
Convicting the Powerful
Mafia Commission Trials 1985:
Before 1985 mafia bosses were known for being very hard to put in jail. They hired very good attorneys that could, in addition to providing fantastic legal advice, argue the sentence down to a very short time in prison. By 1985, the FBI had acquired enough evidence against various bosses to indict them on many different charges. Under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act certain crimes, when coupled together at the same trial, result in much larger prison sentences. The mafia was deeply shaken by the Commission Trials and has never fully recovered. Other bosses have since been handed life sentences under the RICO Act. Former mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani, gained major recognition as a prosecutor at these trials.
Ebbers V. United States 2005:
Before The explosion of technology in the late 1990s made many high-tech companies rich beyond belief. The companies had also grown so large, and their finances so complicated, that many shady accounting practices went unnoticed. Bernard J. Ebbers, CEO of MCI WorldCom, was indicted on fraud charges after it became apparent that his company had miscounted some $11 billion. Ebbers plead extreme ignorance at his trial, stating he was unaware of how accounting work. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was heavily influenced by this trial. The act set higher standards for accounting and gave the government more authority to look into the books of publicly traded companies.
Mentally Challenged
Hinckley v. United States 1981:
In the 1950s U.S. laws made it much easier for accused criminals to argue the insanity defense. The laws used broad statements to declare the insanity defense permissible if the crime was a product of a mental illness. John Hinckley shot President Ronald Reagan in an attempt to impress actress Jodie Foster. The defense did not dispute the shooting but argued that the defendant as insane. Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity and confined to a mental hospital. The verdict prompted the Insanity Defense Reform Act of 1984, which makes arguing the defense much more difficult. Idaho, Montana, and Utah abolished the defense altogether.
Atkins v. Virginia 2002:
In 1989 the Supreme Court upheld the execution of the mentally retarded by a small margin in the case of Penry v. Lynaugh. Much of the decision was based on the absence of a national consensus on the matter. In 1996 Daryl Atkins and an associate kidnapped, robbed, and murdered a man in Yorktown, Virginia. Atkins was shown to have an IQ of 59 but was convicted and sentenced to death. On appeal the Supreme Court overturned his death sentence. The Supreme Court held that execution of those who are mentally retarded is considered cruel and unusual punishment and is therefore unconstitutional under the 8th Amendment, creating a new legal standard.
Race in Los Angeles
Rodney King Trials 1991:
There is a long history of racial disparity throughout the U.S. criminal justice system. The Los Angeles Watts Riots were sparked by similar police misconduct in 1965, when a white police officer attempted to unfairly impound a black man’s care. King was not tried for any crime related to his beating. Four police officers involved with the incident were tried for excessive use of force, with the main evidence being a video tape recorded by a bystander. A mostly white jury found the officers not guilty. The verdict sparked major riots in the Los Angeles area resulting in 53 deaths and $1 billion in damages. The video camera became known as a powerful tool against police brutality; and with the proliferation of cameras in many devices, video remains a prominent piece of trial evidence today.
People v. Simpson 1995:
With the Rodney King trial still fresh in Los Angeles’ memory the city was charged with racial tension. O.J. Simpson was a Hall of Fame running back in the NFL and maintained celebrity status after his retirement in 1979. Simpson was tried for the murders of his ex-wife and her lover. Simpson hired high profile lawyers to fight the charges. During the trial, the prosecution had Simpson try on a glove that was believed to be the killer’s. The glove didn’t fit and the defense team coined the media-driven phrase “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.” He was later acquitted. The case didn’t change any specific laws; however, it had a profound effect on society’s perception of justice. Simpson’s high-profile defense team gave the impression that money and fame may be able to buy verdicts.
Protecting Children
Scottsboro Boys 1931:
In the early 1990s the southern U.S. was a very dangerous place for blacks. Black men had been hung by informal mobs for simply looking at a white woman or disrespecting a white man. Under the law rape could be punishable by death. 9 Black boys were arrested for allegedly raping 2 white girls on a train. 8 of 9 were sentenced to death with only a 12 year old escaping the electric chair. After lengthy appeals the Supreme Court overturned all convictions on the basis that blacks were systematically excluded from southern juries. Alabama governor Bibb Graves begrudgingly ordered that blacks be allowed to sit on juries. This ruling was just a small step in the broader Civil Rights Movement that encompassed the entire first half of the 1900s.
In re Gault 1991:
Before 1967 children under 19 were afforded few rights if they were arrested and tried. Children were not given a lawyer, trials were not transcribed, there was no opportunity to confront the accuser, no requirement for notification of charges, and no need to inform kids of the right against self-incrimination. Jerry Gault, 14, was given an informal trial and sentenced to 7 years in juvenile detention for making a lewd phone call. Gault’s parents appealed his case, even though appeals were not generally permitted in juvenile trials, to the Supreme Court which found Gault’s trial unconstitutional. The Supreme Court ruled that children must be afforded the same right due process rights as adults. Specifically the right to notification of charges, the right to confront witnesses, the right against self-incrimination, and the right to counsel.
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