Trial of the century explained

Trial of the century is an idiomatic phrase used to describe certain well-known court cases, especially of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. It is often used popularly as a rhetorical device to attach importance to a trial and as such is not an objective observation. As attorney F. Lee Bailey and The Washington Post observed in 1999:

In 1907, Harry K. Thaw was tried for the murder of Stanford White. Irvin S. Cobb, a contemporary reporter, explained why the trial fascinated the country so much:

List of cases

There are countless trials that have been labeled "the trial of the century" by the press; it is beyond the scope of this article to list them here. However, some legal scholars have labeled a few trials as "trials of the century". These cases are useful in this context for listing some of the most important trials, which include:

19th century

• Impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson (1868)^[1]
• Trial of Charles J. Guiteau for the assassination of United States president James A. Garfield (1881)^{[2] [3]}
• Trial of Lizzie Borden for the double murder of her father and stepmother (1893)^{[4] [5]}
• Trial of Alfred Dreyfus for treason (Dreyfus Affair) (1894–1899)^[6]

20th century

• Trial of Leon Czolgosz for the assassination of United States president William McKinley (1901)^[7]
• Trial of Harry Thaw for the murder of Stanford White (1906)^[7]
• Trial of Bill Haywood for murder (1907)^[7]
• Sacco and Vanzetti murder trial (1920–1927)^[8]
• Trial of Roscoe Arbuckle for the rape and murder of Virginia Rappe (1921)^[9]
• Leopold and Loeb murder trial (1924)^[10]
• Scopes Monkey Trial (1925)^[11]
• Hall–Mills murder case (1926)^[12]
• Scottsboro Boys trials (1931–1937)^[13]
• Lindbergh kidnapping trial (1935)^{[14] [15]}
• Nuremberg trials (1945–1946)^{[16] [17]}
• Victor Kravchenko versus Les Lettres Françaises (1949)^[18]
• Hiss–Chambers (Hiss Case, Hiss Affair) (1948–1950)^{[19] [20]}
• Julius and Ethel Rosenberg espionage trial (1951)^[21]
• Sam Sheppard trials (1954–1966)^[22]
• Adolf Eichmann trial (1961)^[17]
• Charles Manson and Manson "family" for the Tate–LaBianca murders (1970)^[23]
• Trial of Jeremy Thorpe for conspiring to murder Norman Josiffe (Thorpe affair) (1979)^[24]
• Ted Bundy Chi Omega Trial (1979)^[25]
• Claus von Bülow trials (1982–1985)^[26]
• Trial of Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu (1989)^[17]
• Trial of Lyle and Erik Menéndez (1990)
• Trial of Imelda Romualdez Marcos (1990)^[27]
• Rodney King beating trials (1992–1993)^[28]
• Trial of Mayor Antonio Sanchez for the rape and murder of Eileen Sarmenta and Allan Gomez (1993–1995)^[29]
• Trial of Hubert Webb for the Vizconde massacre case (1995–2000)^[30]
• O. J. Simpson murder case trial (1995)^[11]
• Trial of Yolanda Saldívar (1995)^[11]
• Impeachment trial of Bill Clinton (1999)^[31]
• Bush v. Gore case that ended the recount in Florida (2000)^{[32] [33]}

21st century

• Trial of Joseph Estrada (2001–2007)^[34]
• Trial of Slobodan Milošević (2002–2005)^[17]
• Trial of Saddam Hussein (2004–2006)^[35]
• Trial of Amanda Knox (2009)^{[36] [37]}
• Trial of Casey Anthony for the death of Caylee Anthony (2011)^[38]
• People v. Murray (2011)^[39]
• Trial of George Zimmerman (2013)^{[40] [41]}
• Trial of Bo Xilai (2013)^[42]
• Trial of Oscar Pistorius (2014)^{[43] [44]}
• Trial of Joaquín Guzmán Loera ("El Chapo") (2018–2019)^[45]
• Trial of Catalonia independence leaders (2019)^{[46] [47]}
• Trial of Benjamin Netanyahu (2020-present)^[48]
• Impeachment trials of Donald Trump (2020, 2021)^{[49] [50]}
• Trial of Derek Chauvin (2021)^[51]
• Depp v. Heard (2022)^{[52] [53]}
• Trial of Ferdy Sambo for the murder of Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat (2022–2023)^[54]
• Trial of Alex Murdaugh (2023)^{[55] [56]}

See also

• Cause célèbre
• Crime of the century
• Lists of landmark court decisions
• Media circus
• Trial by media

External links

• MSNBC survey on the topic from 2000
• "(The Last) Trial of the Century!" by Peter Carlson via The Washington Post, January 4, 1999; Page C01
• 20 "Trials of the Century" in the 20th century

Notes and References

1. Web site: About "Famous Trials" . 2024-02-21 . www.famous-trials.com.
2. Web site: Zimmerman . Martin . 1990-10-29 . TV REVIEW : 'Insanity' Recalls Garfield Assassination Trial . 2024-02-15 . Los Angeles Times . en-US.
3. Web site: Collection: Charles Guiteau Collection Georgetown University Archival Resources . 2024-02-15 . findingaids.library.georgetown.edu.
4. Web site: Why 19th-Century Axe Murderer Lizzie Borden Was Found Not Guilty.
5. Web site: Research Guides: Arrest and Trial of Lizzie Borden: Topics in Chronicling America: Introduction.
6. Trial of the Century. The New Yorker. 21 September 2009. 15 Feb 2020.
7. F. Uelmen . Gerald . July 2001 . Who Is the Lawyer of the Century? . International Society of Barristers Quarterly . Ann Arbor, Michigan . International Society of Barristers . 36 . 3 . 413, 435–437 . 0020-8752 . August 13, 2015.
8. Book: Davis, John . Sacco and Vanzetti: Rebel Lives . 2004 . Within a year it was going to become the 'trial of the century.' . 1. Ocean Press . 1-876175-85-0.
9. Web site: Fatty Arbuckle and the Death of Virginia Rappe . Denise . Noe . crimelibrary.com . 13 July 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20150210000102/http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/classics/fatty_arbuckle/3.html. February 10, 2015.
10. DOUGLAS O. LINDER. "THE LEOPOLD AND LOEB TRIAL: A BRIEF ACCOUNT", Law Faculty, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 1997. "..the Leopold and Loeb trial has the elements to justify its billing as the first "trial of the century."
11. Web site: Doug Linder . Trial of the Century? . Law.umkc.edu . 1999-01-28 . 2017-03-15 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100308144315/http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/century.html . 2010-03-08 .
12. Harold Schechter, "The Hall-Mills Murder Trial, 1926" Yale Review, Yale University
13. Web site: Scottsboro: An American Tragedy Transcript. PBS. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170128221113/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/scottsboro/filmmore/pt.html. January 28, 2017. January 28, 2017.
14. Web site: Doug Linder . An Account of the Trial of Richard Hauptmann . Law.umkc.edu . 2017-03-15 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090709013003/http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/Hauptmann/AccountHauptmann.html . 2009-07-09 .
15. Book: Crimes and Trials of the Century [2 volumes]]. ABC-CLIO. 2007-10-30. 9781573569736. en. Frankie Y. Bailey. Ph.D. Steven Chermak. Ph.D. 167.
16. News: Joseph . Kanon . Joseph Kanon . The Real Trial of the Century . . June 9, 2002 . 2008-06-13.
17. Web site: Saddam on Trial: Understanding and Debating the Iraqi High Tribunal 229 . 2006 . November 13, 2012 . . Michael P. Scharf . Gregory S. McNeal . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20051026094813/http://law.case.edu/saddamtrial/entry.asp?entry_id=14 . October 26, 2005 .
18. News: Spiegel. Irving. 1966-02-26. Kravchenko Kills Himself Here; He Chose Freedom From Soviet; Kravchenko Kills Himself Here; He Chose Freedom From Soviet. en-US. The New York Times. 2021-09-04. 0362-4331.
19. Book: Alan M.. Dershowitz. America on Trial: Inside the Legal Battles That Transformed Our Nation. Grand Central Publishing. 2004. 3 April 2017. 9780759511033.
20. Book: Crimes Of The Century: From Leopold and Loeb to Menendez Brothers. Gilbert . Geis . Leigh B. . Bienen. Northeastern University Press. 128. 2016. 29 March 2017. 9781555538682 .
21. News: Radosh . Ronald . Klehr . Harvey . Haynes . John Earl . Hornblum . Allen M. . Usdin . Steven . The New York Times Gets Greenglass Wrong . October 5, 2016 . Weekly Standard . October 17, 2014.
22. News: Sheppard Tragedy Goes On and On. Beatrice Daily Sun. February 18, 1963. 2. October 15, 2015.
23. . Review of HELTER SKELTER: THE TRUE STORY OF THE MANSON MURDERS, by V. Bugliosi & C. Gentry . 61 . 8 . August 1975 . 25727282 . John C. . Spence . 928–929 . The case of Charles Manson and his 'family' may be the 'trial of the century'..
24. Web site: Jeremy Thorpe scandal: attempted murder case to reopen. Doward. Jamie. June 2, 2018. The Guardian.
25. Hagood, Dick (February 10, 1980). "Bundy Jury: Death" Florida Times Union archive . Retrieved August 30, 2011.
26. News: Claus von Bülow Dies at 92; Society Figure in High-Profile Case. Nemy. Enid. The New York Times. 30 May 2019. 30 May 2019.
27. Bareng . Eriza Ong . Steeling the Butterfly: The Imperial Constructions of Imelda Marcos 1966-1990 . 2018 . University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa . Doctor.
28. News: After the riots; A Juror Describes the Ordeal of Deliberations . The New York Times . May 6, 1992 . March 4, 2011.
29. Web site: 'A plot hatched in hell': Timeline of the Gomez-Sarmenta murder case . . August 22, 2019 . August 22, 2019.
30. Web site: The Vizconde Case - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos . 2013-09-23 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130926215342/http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/sim/sim/view/20081109-171119/The-Vizconde-Case/ . 2013-09-26 .
31. Web site: Carlson. Peter. 4 January 1999. Washingtonpost.com Special Report: Clinton Accused. www.washingtonpost.com. 9 April 2018.
32. Web site: Daugherty . Greg . Teddy Roosevelt Got Sued for Libel. He Said He 'Enjoyed' the Trial . 2022-11-05 . HISTORY . 15 May 2019 . en.
33. News: Dole . Bob . 2000-11-27 . Opinion It Is Time for Gore to Concede . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-11-05 . 0362-4331.
34. https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/12/world/asia/12filip.html?ref=world New York Times, Philippines Ex-President Convicted
35. Web site: People's Daily Online – Saddam Hussein to face "trial of the century" . English.people.com.cn . 2017-03-15.
36. Web site: Romano . Aja . 2016-10-01 . Netflix's Amanda Knox documentary traces how a murder case became a cultural witch hunt . 2024-03-12 . Vox . en.
37. Web site: Sant . Peter Van . 2009-06-19 . A Case Of Blood And Lust Captivates Italy - CBS News . 2024-03-12 . www.cbsnews.com . en-US.
38. How the Casey Anthony Murder Case Became the Social-Media Trial of the Century. John. Cloud. 16 June 2011. Time. 15 March 2017.
39. News: Clark . Marcia . 2010-02-09 . The Race Card and the Jackson Doctor . 2024-03-12 . The Daily Beast . en.
40. Web site: Alcindor . Yamiche . Fla. town on edge as Trayvon Martin case goes to court . 2024-02-12 . USA TODAY . en-US.
41. Web site: Ferguson . Andrew Guthrie . 2013-07-12 . The Zimmerman Trial and the Meaning of Verdicts . 2024-02-12 . The Atlantic . en.
42. News: Bo Xilai trial analysis: How and why Chinese politician veered off script. Hilary Whiteman. CNN. August 23, 2013. August 23, 2013.
43. News: Smith . David . 2014-03-03 . Oscar Pistorius: a runaway interpreter, then the trial of the century begins . 2024-02-04 . The Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077.
44. Web site: Thompson . Nick . 2014-03-01 . Oscar Pistorius: South Africa gears up for its 'trial of the century' . 2024-02-04 . CNN . en.
45. Web site: El Chapo and Mexico's Drug War Spectacle . Guadalupe . Correa-Cabrera . Laura . Weiss . March 4, 2019 . . August 5, 2023 . Some commentators and several media outlets have called this spectacle the “trial of the century” since it revealed...
46. Web site: AP Explains: Catalans appear at 'trial of century' in Spain. 13 February 2019. Associated Press. 13 February 2019.
47. Web site: Protests and tight security as Catalan separatists face hefty jail terms in Spain's 'trial of the century'. 12 February 2019. 13 February 2019. The Independent.
48. Web site: 2020-05-21 . The trial of the century begins as Netanyahu heads to court . 2024-06-06 . The Jerusalem Post JPost.com . en.
49. Web site: Zanona . Melanie . Dems unload their Ukraine arsenal — with an eye on primetime . 2022-03-30 . POLITICO . 23 January 2020 . en.
50. News: The Editorial Board . 2021-01-25 . Opinion Trying Mr. Trump, Private Citizen . en-US . Wall Street Journal . 2022-03-30 . 0099-9660.
51. Web site: George Floyd: Chauvin case is 'trial of century'. 29 March 2021. BBC News. 2 December 2021.
52. Web site: Gainor . Dan . 2022-06-02 . Depp-Heard battle becomes social media trial of the century . 2024-02-07 . Fox News . en-US.
53. Web site: Collman . Ashley . Johnny Depp's trial against Amber Heard became the biggest news event in the country because it's the perfect storm of America's obsession with celebrity . 2024-02-07 . Business Insider . en-US.
54. Web site: Indonesia's "Trial of the Century" ends in death sentence. Al Jazeera. Llewellyn. Aisyah. 14 February 2023.
55. News: Former U.S. Attorney Pete Strom gives insight into Murdaugh double murder trial . January 27, 2023 . . Columbia, South Carolina . “The trial of the century in South Carolina”: That's what former U.S. Attorney Pete Strom called the double murder trial of Alex Murdaugh . August 5, 2023.
56. Web site: Managing and Covering the Murdaugh Case and Other "Trials of the Century" . February 2023 . Eric P. . Robinson . South Carolina Press Association . August 5, 2023.