Sheppard V. Maxwell Case Analysis
After being accused of bludgeoning his pregnant wife to death, Dr. Samuel Sheppard complained that the press prevented him from having a fair trial. The case then was transferred to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States, and has 9 justices. It takes audiences with cases that involve the constitution, federal laws, treaties, or foreign ambassadors. The case Sheppard v. Maxwell was called to the Supreme Court because of an issue with the Constitution in a lower court. November 1, 1965, Sheppard called into question the validity of the verdict due to the interference of the media. He claimed that the his right to a fair and unbiased trial, the Sixth Amendment, had been violated. The lower court judge,
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Amendment I, article ). If the press causes the jury to be prejudiced, that can create an unfair trial, which violates the 6th Amendment. The Sheppard v. Maxwell case challenged the freedom of the press Marilyn Sheppard was murdered in her bedroom, on the usually joyous July 4th. This shook the small town of Bay Village, Ohio. Dr. Samuel Sheppard, her husband, was immediately suspected. In front of hundreds of reporters, photographers, and curious townspeople, Sheppard was questioned about the murder. His attorney was thrown out of the hearing for passionately protesting the conditions of the proceedings. Dr. Sheppard was indicted for the murder based on the results of the hearing. He was arrested and charged on July 30. Almost instantly, the case became front page news. The trial was disrupted by all of the reporters and photographers crammed into the room. In fact, reporters were seated so close to Sheppard and his lawyer that they could not speak without the press hearing as well. From both sides of the case, the officers and attorneys leaked information to the reporters. This ended up being very harmful to Sheppard, because the jury had access to the information of the reporters. Twice, Sheppard’s attorneys filed motions for a change of location, given the atmosphere, but both attempts were
Amendment I, article ). If the press causes the jury to be prejudiced, that can create an unfair trial, which violates the 6th Amendment. The Sheppard v. Maxwell case challenged the freedom of the press Marilyn Sheppard was murdered in her bedroom, on the usually joyous July 4th. This shook the small town of Bay Village, Ohio. Dr. Samuel Sheppard, her husband, was immediately suspected. In front of hundreds of reporters, photographers, and curious townspeople, Sheppard was questioned about the murder. His attorney was thrown out of the hearing for passionately protesting the conditions of the proceedings. Dr. Sheppard was indicted for the murder based on the results of the hearing. He was arrested and charged on July 30. Almost instantly, the case became front page news. The trial was disrupted by all of the reporters and photographers crammed into the room. In fact, reporters were seated so close to Sheppard and his lawyer that they could not speak without the press hearing as well. From both sides of the case, the officers and attorneys leaked information to the reporters. This ended up being very harmful to Sheppard, because the jury had access to the information of the reporters. Twice, Sheppard’s attorneys filed motions for a change of location, given the atmosphere, but both attempts were