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Great Trials in History

Dec 18, 2018

The prosecution of Alfred Dreyfus, a French Army officer, on charges of being a spy for Germany led to a 12 year long struggle for justice and a profound change in French society. There are both heroes and villains in this famous struggle.


Nov 29, 2018

In this episode we examine the infamous Dred Scott case, decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1857.The decision in this case exacerbated the differences between the northern and southern states and led, in an almost direct line to the rebellion of the south resulting in a civil war.


Nov 1, 2018

In this episode we examine the landmark decision in 1803 by the U.S. Supreme  which established that it had the power to declare void actions by the other branches of the government if those actions violated the Constitution. We also consider the claim that the Court is immune to politics.


Oct 11, 2018

In 399 B.C., Socrates , one of the fathers of philosophy,was convicted by a jury of his fellow Athenians and ended his life, as ordered by the judgment of the court. Who was Socrates and why did his peers condemn him to death? We will explore these questions in this episode and perhaps learn there is such a thing as too...


Aug 20, 2018

One man's fight for the right of all accused of crime to have the assistance of a lawyer in attempting to preserve their freedom. Clarence Earl Gideon , an inmate in a Florida penitentiary , battled all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court seeking his freedom.