Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Sheppard v. Maxwell

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Full case name
  
Sheppard v. Maxwell

Date decided
  
1966

Dissent
  
Black

Sheppard v. Maxwell Sheppard v Maxwell Civil Rights or Civil Liberties Supreme Court

Citations
  
384 U.S. 333 (more) 86 S.Ct. 1507, 16 L.Ed.2d 600, 1 Med.L.Rptr. 1220.

Prior history
  
Appeal from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

Majority
  
Clark, joined by Goldberg, Brennan, White, Warren, Harlan, Stewart, Douglas

Similar
  
Nebraska Press Ass'n v Stuart, Chandler v Florida, Branzburg v Hayes, Williams v Florida, Witherspoon v Illinois

Sheppard v maxwell government project


Sheppard v. Maxwell, 384 U.S. 333 (1966), was a United States Supreme Court case that examined the rights of freedom of the press as outlined in the 1st Amendment when weighed against a defendant's right to a fair trial as required by the 6th Amendment and the due process clause of the 14th Amendment. In particular, the court sought to determine whether or not the defendant was denied fair trial for the second-degree murder of his wife, of which he was convicted, because of the trial judge's failure to protect Sheppard sufficiently from the massive, pervasive, and prejudicial publicity that attended his prosecution.

Contents

Sheppard v. Maxwell supremecrtcasesweeblycomuploads13761376088

Background

Sheppard v. Maxwell Sheppard v Maxwell 1966490 The Cleveland Memory Project

After suffering a trial court conviction of second-degree murder for the bludgeoning death of his pregnant wife, Sam Sheppard challenged the verdict as the product of an unfair trial. Sheppard, who maintained his innocence of the crime, alleged that the trial judge failed to protect him from the massive, widespread, and prejudicial publicity that attended his prosecution. On appeal from an Ohio district court ruling supporting his claim, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the decision. When Sheppard appealed again, the Supreme Court granted certiorari.

Decision of the Court

Sheppard v. Maxwell Sheppard v Maxwell 1966490 The Cleveland Memory Project

Justice Clark delivered the opinion of the court: This federal habeas corpus application involves the question whether Sheppard was deprived of a fair trial in his state conviction for the second-degree murder of his wife because the trial judge's failure to protect Sheppard sufficiently from the massive, pervasive and prejudicial publicity that attended his persecution... We have concluded that Sheppard did not receive a fair trial consistent with the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment and, therefore, reverse the judgement.

Sheppard v. Maxwell Sheppard v Maxwell 1966490 The Cleveland Memory Project

References

Sheppard v. Maxwell Wikipedia