DEFENDANT | TRIAL YEAR | CHARGE | VERDICT | MY VIEW* | CONFIDENCE |
Bishop, et al. | 1692 | Witchcraft | Guilty | Innocent | 100% |
Andrew Johnson | 1868 | High Crime/Misd | No Conviction | Innocent** | 98% |
Lizzie Borden | 1893 | Murder | Not Guilty | Guilty | 99% |
Bill Haywood | 1907 | Murder | Not Guilty | Guilty | 96% |
Leo Frank | 1913 | Murder | Guilty | Innocent | 99% |
Nicola Sacco | 1921 | Murder | Guilty | Guilty | 99% |
B. Vanzetti | 1921 | Murder | Guilty | Guilty |
97% |
Scottsboro Boys | 1931-1937 | Rape | Guilty | Innocent | 99% |
Bruno Hauptmann | 1935 | Kidnap/Murder | Guilty | Guilty | 99% |
Alger Hiss | 1949 | Perjury | Guilty | Guilty | 99% |
Julius Rosenberg | 1951 | Conspiracy to commit espionage | Guilty | Guilty | 99% |
Ethel Rosenberg | 1951 | Conspiracy to commit espionage | Guilty | Guilty | 95% |
Sam Sheppard | 1954 & 1966 |
Murder | Guilty/Not Guilty*** | Guilty |
60% |
William Calley | 1970 | Murder | Guilty | Guilty | 99% |
Chicago 7(key 5) | 1970 | Inciting riot | Guilty | Innocent**** | 80-95% |
Leonard Peltier | 1977 | Murder | Guilty | Guilty***** | 97% |
Lindy Chamberlain |
1982 | Murder | Guilty | Innocent | 99% |
Ray Buckey |
1987-90 | Child molestation | Hung jury |
Innocent | 99% |
O. J. Simpson | 1995 | Murder | Not Guilty | Guilty | 99% |
Timothy McVeigh |
1997 | Murder & other |
Guilty | Guilty | 99% |
**Andrew Johnson undoubtedly did commit some of the actions alleged in the articles of impeachment, but I do not believe that any of his actions constituted a "high crime or misdemeanor" within the meaning of the Constitution.
*** In a second trial in 1966, Sheppard was found not guilty.
****The Chicago 7 were convicted of crossing a state line with an intent to incite a riot. My view of the defendants' guilt depends upon my understanding of the words "intent," "incite," and "riot." My confidence in the innocence of the defendants ranges from 80% (for Hoffman and Rubin) to 95% (for Dellinger). Seale, who was one of the original Chicago 8, was probably guilty. The key five defendants were rightly convicted of criminal contempt for their conduct at trial, but the 7th Circuit, appropriately I believe, chose not to require the defendants to serve any jail time.
*****I think it unlikely that Peltier fired the shots that killed the F. B. I. agents, but he was a member of a group of three AIM members who approached the agents at close range with the intent to kill. One of the three killed the agents. Regardless of which one did, Peltier would be guilty under a felony-murder theory.