Famous Trials

The Case Profile of the OJ Simpson Trial

The Case Profile of the OJ Simpson TrialWhat was the OJ Simpson Trial?

The OJ Simpson Trial was a criminal trial that occurred in 1994; both the hearing – as well as the deliberation of the OJ Simpson Trial lasted for upwards of 8 months. The OJ Simpson Trial is not only considered to be amongst the most prolific, but also the longest within the history of the United States. The OJ Simpson Trial involved murder suspect and former professional football player Orenthal James “OJ” Simpson, who was accused of fatally stabbing both his former wife, as well as her male friend:

On June 13th, 1994, both victims were found outside of Simpson’s former wife’s home in Brentwood, California; the bodies were discovered at approximately midnight

Prior to his arrest, OJ Simpson led the California Highway Patrol on a vehicular pursuit and chase on a California highway; law enforcement gave chase to Simpson until he had agree to surrender in front of his home

The OJ Simpson Trial was televised; as a result, the case circumstances received a multitude of public and media attention

The Case Profile of OJ Simpson Trial

The following is a case profile of both the crimes of OJ Simpson, as well as OJ Simpson Trial:

Date of Birth: OJ Simpson was born on July 9th, 1947 in San Francisco, California

Residence: At the time of the murders, OJ Simpson lived in Los Angeles, California

Date of the Crime: June 13th, 1994

Charges: 1st Degree Murder; classified murder committed in a premeditated, purposeful, illegal, and deliberate fashion

Legal Classification: Due to the fact that OJ Simpson was acquitted of his criminal charges, the victims’ families brought Civil charges against Simpson:

Criminal Law; this legal field is defined as the analysis, regulation, and oversight of crimes committed against what is perceived to the ‘General Public’; in contrast to Civil Law, in which crimes are considered to be non-violent and specific to their targeted victim, Criminal cases typically include criminal activity presumed to compromise the safety of the public and public authority

Date of the OJ Simpson Trial: January 29th, 1995 to October 3rd, 1995

Legal Venue:  The California Superior Court:

The defense team was comprised of attorneys F. Lee Bailey, Robert Shapiro, Alan Dershowitz, and Robert Kardashian, Gerald Uelmen, E.G. Marshall, Carl E. Douglas, and Johnnie Cochran

The prosecution team was comprised of attorneys Marcia Clark, Christopher Darden, Gil Garcetti, Hank Goldberg, and William Hodgman

Victims:  OJ Simpson was accused of the murder of 2 individuals:

Nicole Brown Simpson (35); former wife of OJ Simpson

Ronald Goldman (25); friend of Nicole Brown Simpson

Verdict of the OJ Simpson Trial: OJ Simpson was found to be innocent on all criminal charges of the murders of Ronald Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson; many individuals believe that the prosecution mishandled the case details, which were presumed to be latent with evidence implicating Simpson – however, subsequent to his Civil trial, OJ Simpson was found guilty and forced to pay monetary restitution to the families

Plessy v. Ferguson

Plessy v. FergusonWhat is Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)?

Plessy v. Ferguson was a court case that took place within the State of Louisiana with regard to the investigation and analysis of racial discrimination suffered by African Americans; this racial discrimination was considered to be prominent within the Southern States. Homer Plessy, who was considered to be 7/8th’s of Caucasian descent, boarded a railroad car operated by the State of Louisiana; due to applicable legislation enacted with regard to races permitted on individual railroad cars, Plessy was requested to vacate what was considered to be a ‘Whites Only’ car – upon his refusal, he was subsequently arrested:

(1890) The State of Louisiana passes the Louisiana Railway Car Act; a law requiring the distinction and operation of separate railway cars for both African Americans and Caucasians

The Case Profile of Plessy v. Ferguson

The following is a case profile of the legal trial eponymously titled ‘Plessy v. Ferguson’:

Date of the Trial: 1896

Legal Classification: Civil Law; Civil Law is a legal field in that typically addresses nonviolent circumstances and events that are perceived as presumable wrongs suffered – Civil Law  cases this judicial review within Civil Law is typically reliant upon legal statutes in lieu of past court cases, decisions, or preexisting findings

United States Reports Case Number: 163 U.S. 537

Date of the Delivery of the Verdict: May 18th, 1896

Legal Venue: The Supreme Court of the United States

Judicial Officer Responsible for Ruling: Justice Henry Billings Brown

Involved Parties: The following are the parties named with regard to their involvement in the Plessy v. Ferguson case:

Homer Plessy – named as the plaintiff – accused Louisiana State Legislature as violating the terms of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, which expressed the requirement for equality amongst all citizens of the United States; he perceived his removal from the rail road car to be in direct violation of equal rights

John Howard Ferguson – named as the defendant – was an attorney and legislative representative operating in Louisiana; he was responsible for the passing of the Louisiana Railway Car Act

Verdict Delivered: 7 out of the 8 Supreme Court Justices ruled in favor of the defendant, John Howard Ferguson; John Marshall Harlan was the only Justice to present an opposing ruling

Associated Legislation with regard to Plessy v. Ferguson: The following statutory regulations were employed with regard to the Plessy v. Ferguson trial:

The 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution abolished slavery, declaring forced servitude and disenfranchisement to be illegal

The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution required that citizens of the United States be entitled to equal rights

Subsequent Cases Associated with Plessy v. Ferguson: The following legal cases and trials made mention and reference to the findings undertaken in Plessy v. Ferguson:

The ideology of  ‘Separate but Equal’ was made famous as a result of this case; the findings stated that the Louisiana Railway Car Act did not deny the African American population of Louisiana equal rights – in contrast, this ruling alleged that the rights were mandated on an equal basis within required segregation

Who is Colin Ferguson?

Who is Colin Ferguson?Who is Colin Ferguson?

Colin Ferguson is a convicted mass murderer responsible for the murder and injury of commuters on the Long Island Railroad (LIRR), which took place in a single killing spree on December 7th, 1993. On the day of the murders, Colin Ferguson purchased a train ticket at New York’s Pennsylvania Station and boarded a commuter train; at approximately 5:30 pm on that day, he was reported as walking down the aisles of the train car and executing passengers at random – after he had killed 6 passengers and injured 19 others, he was subdued by 3 of his fellow passengers.

Colin Ferguson Profile

The following outlines the crimes of Colin Ferguson

Date of Birth: Colin Ferguson was born on January 14th, 1958

Residence: Flatbush, Brooklyn in the State of New York

Year of First Killing: Colin Ferguson’s only reported killings took place on a single day on December 7th, 1993

Year of Apprehension: Subsequent to being subdued by other passengers on the train, Colin Ferguson was apprehended the same day as the shootings took place

Notable Details and Personal Information: The following personal details have been considered to be contributory to the behavior and criminal actions undertaken by Colin Ferguson; in addition, these case details were made mention within Colin Ferguson’s criminal trial:

Both parents of Colin Ferguson had died within a short time of each other; as a result, Colin Ferguson was reported as being unable to obtain a sufficient work visa – this was said to have frustrated Colin Ferguson with regard to his lack of gainful employment

The defense team offering representation to Colin Ferguson stated that he had acted out of ‘Black Rage’ – a term adopted by the defense in order to associate racial motivation to Colin Ferguson’s killings

Locations of the Murders: A train passing through Garden City, which is a village on Long Island, in the State of New York

Victims:  Colin Ferguson was charged for the murder of 6 individuals and the injuring of 19 from gun shot wounds

Status as a Serial Killer: Colin Ferguson is not classified as a serial killer, but instead, he is classified as a mass murderer; this is due to the fact that he murdered upwards of 4 people in a finite period of time – a serial killer is defined as a n individual responsible for killing 3 or more people in a month’s time prior to killing again

Nature of Victims: The 6 victims of Colin Ferguson’s murder spree were commuters on the Long Island Rail Road car named as: Amy Federici, James Gorycki, Mi Kyung Kim, Maria Magtoto, Dennis McCarthy, and Richard Nettleton – all of Colin Ferguson’s victims were listed as being Long Island residents.

Punishment and Conviction: On February 17th, 1995, Colin Ferguson was convicted of the murder of 6 individuals, as well as the attempted murder of 19 other individuals; prior to his trial, he was held in incarceration without bail or bond. Colin Ferguson is currently serving his 315 and ½ year sentence at the Attica Correctional Facility in the State of New York; he is considered to be serving a natural life sentence, which presumes that he will live out the duration of his natural life incarcerated,

Who is David Berkowitz?

Who is David Berkowitz?Who is David Berkowitz?

David Berkowitz is a serial killer who undertook his murderous spree within the State of New York; he is commonly known in accordance to his moniker ‘Son of Sam’, which he had given to himself as a result of his assumed possession by a demonic spirit named ‘Sam’ – David Berkowitz claimed that his possessing demon instructed to him to commit murders through the use of a neighborhood dog as a mouthpiece for such instruction. David Berkowitz’s murderous spree took place between July of 1976 and August of 1977; he was convicted of the murder of 6 individuals and the attempted murder of 2 other individuals.

David Berkowitz Profile

The following outlines the crimes of David Berkowitz

Date of Birth: David Berkowitz was born on June 1st, 1952 in Brooklyn, New York

Residence: 25 Pine Street; this apartment was located in Yonkers, New York

Year of First Killing: David Berkowitz’s first victim was a female named Donna Lauria on July 29th, 1976; Lauria was in a parked car at the time of her murder

Year of Apprehension: After several reports submitted by Yonkers residents, David Berkowitz was arrested on August 10th, 1977; as the time of his arrest, he had a .44 Caliber Bulldog handgun on his person – this weapon matched the ballistic reports submitted with regard to the investigation of Berkowitz’s other murders

Notable Details and Personal Information: The following personal details have been considered to be contributory to the behavior and criminal actions undertaken by David Berkowitz; in addition, these case details were made mention within David Berkowitz’s criminal trial:

David Berkowitz had continually sent correspondence letters to local newspapers and law enforcement agencies in which he demanded that the letters be printed; within the text of his letters, he undertook ranting about his demonic possession and nature of his murders

Subsequent to his arrest and conviction, a legal statute known as the ‘Son of Sam Law’ was enacted that prohibited criminals from profiting from their crimes. Prior to this law being passed, criminals were permitted to be paid for exclusive interviews, in addition to render profit from the sale of their possessions to collectors

Locations of the Murders: David Berkowitz’s murderous spree spanned many of the 5 Boroughs of New York City, including Manhattan, the Bronx, and Brooklyn

Victims:  David Berkowitz was charged for the murder of 6 individuals, as well as the attempted murder of 8 individuals

Status as a Serial Killer: David Berkowitz is classified as a serial killer due to the fact that David Berkowitz was convicted of the murder of 3 or more individuals within the duration of a single month; subsequent to these murders, David Berkowitz undertook a break or a ‘rest’ for varying durations of time prior to continuing to murder

Nature of Victims: With regard to the 6 victims murdered by David Berkowitz, 5 of them were females named as Donna Lauria, Christine Freund, Virginia Voskerichian, Valentina Suriani, Stacy Moskowitz; 1 of Berkowitz’s victims was a male named Alexander Esau –  all of his victims were seated in parked cars prior to their respective murders

Punishment and Conviction: On June 12th, 1978, David Berkowitz was sentenced to 365 years in prison without the possibility of parole; he is currently serving his life sentence in the Attica Correctional Facility in the State of New York

Who is Dennis Rader?

Who is Dennis Rader?Who is Dennis Rader?

Dennis Rader is a convicted serial killer who is also known by his moniker ‘The BTK Killer’, which is an anagram symbolizing ‘Bind, Torture, and Kill’; this nature of killing was considered to be one that Dennis Rader employed in each of his 10 killings, which took place between the years 1974 and 1991 in the State of Kansas. Dennis Rader was known for his method of binding and subduing his victims with rope or pantyhose prior to strangling them; apart from only 1 of his murders, Dennis Rader strangled or caused the suffocation of all of his victims.

Dennis Rader Profile

The following outlines the crimes of Dennis Rader

Date of Birth: Dennis Rader was born on March 9th, 1945 in Pittsburgh, Kansas

Residence: During the time of his killing spree, Dennis Rader was presumed to reside in Wichita, Kansas

Year of First Killing: Dennis Rader’s first killing took place on January 15th, 1974; his victim was named Joseph Otero – a 38 year old male resident of Wichita, Kansas. Otero was reported to have been suffocated by Dennis Rader through the use of a plastic bag.

Year of Apprehension: Dennis Rader was arrested on February 25th, 2005 – more than a decade after his last reported murder

Notable Details and Personal Information: The following personal details have been considered to be contributory to the behavior and criminal actions undertaken by Dennis Rader; in addition, these case details were made mention within Dennis Rader’s criminal trial:

Dennis Rader began sending correspondence to local law enforcement agencies and newspapers with regard to his murderous spree; a spree that was assumed to have become a ‘cold case’ – a cold case is a term for criminal investigations that have neither been solved nor are currently undergoing investigation

Subsequent to sending correspondence to law enforcement agency in the form of an electronic file, Dennis Rader mistakenly left an electronic document bearing his first name; this prompted a reopening of the ‘BTK Killer’ investigation

Dennis Rader was not only married, but also was a father; he served as a troop leader for his son’s Cub Scout troop

Locations of the Murders: All of Dennis Rader’s murders took place in Wichita, Kansas

Victims:  Dennis Rader was charged for the murder of 10 individuals

Status as a Serial Killer: Dennis Rader is classified as a serial killer due to the fact that Dennis Rader was convicted of the murder of 3 or more individuals within the duration of a single month; his murderous spree lasted almost 2 decades with breaks or ‘rests’ being taken in the interim

Nature of Victims: The nature of Dennis Rader’s 10 victims ranged in both gender and age; he victims were named as: Joseph Otero, Julie Otero, Joseph Otero, Jr., Josephine Otero, Kathryn Bright, Shirley Vian, Nancy Fox, Marine Hedge, Vicki Wegerle, and Dolores Davis.

Punishment and Conviction: Dennis Rader was convicted of all 10 of his murders, which resulted in 10 consecutive life sentences; he is currently serving what is considered a ‘natural life’ sentence – this means that he will presumably die will incarcerated in the El Dorado Correctional Facility in the State of Kansas.

Who is Ed Gein?

Who is Ed Gein?Who is Ed Gein?

Ed Gein was a murderer residing in Lacrosse County, Wisconsin who was convicted of murdering a single individual due to the fact of the severity and disturbing nature of his crimes; in addition to murder, Ed Gein was also convicted of kidnapping, illegally-exhuming corpses from local graveyards, necrophilia, and the defacement of human bodies. Although Ed Gein may be responsible for other murders, he was deemed to lack the mental capability required to stand trial.

Ed Gein Profile

The following outlines the crimes of Ed Gein

Date of Birth: Ed Gein was born on August 27th, 1906; he died of pulmonary and respiratory complications while incarcerated in the State of Wisconsin – his death took place on July 26th, 1984

Residence: Lacrosse County, Wisconsin

Year of First Killing: As previously mentioned, Ed Gein’s crimes typically involved the unlawful and illegal removal of corpses from surrounding gravesites in order to construct household structures from their anatomical parts; the only 2 murders to which Ed Gein confessed were that of Mary Hogan in 1954 and Bernice Worden in 1957 – he was convicted of Worden’s murder

Year of Apprehension: November 16th, 1957; subsequent to the disappearance of hardware store clerk Bernice Worden, Ed Gein was named as the last individual to see her as she worked in the store; law enforcement agents searched Ed Gein’s home and discovered not only Worden’s corpse, but a multitude of mutilated corpses

Notable Details and Personal Information: The following personal details have been considered to be contributory to the behavior and criminal actions undertaken by Ed Gein; in addition, these case details were made mention within Ed Gein’s criminal trial:

A barn belonging to Ed Gein’s family was reported as destroyed in a fire in 1944; upon investigation, Ed Gein’s brother was found dead presumably as a result of injuries suffered from the fire – subsequent to his conviction, speculation was set forth stating that Ed Gein may have killed his brother

Ed Gein lived alone on their family’s farm until her death in 1945; subsequent to her death, Ed Gein was reported as posthumously carrying on conversations with his mother, in addition to preserving her corpse within his home

Locations of the Murders: Lacrosse County, Wisconsin

Victims:  Ed Gein was charged for the murder of 1 individual named Bernice Worden; however, he has been linked to as many as 2 other murders – only one other to which he had confessed

Status as a Serial Killer: Ed Gein is not classified as a serial killer due to the fact that Ed Gein was not convicted of the murder of 3 or more individuals within the duration of a single month; in contrast, Ed Gein’s murders were spread apart in periods of time exceeding a single month

Nature of Victims: Ed Gein primarily participated in the illegal robbery of corpses and their subsequent mutilation and defacement; however, he was believed to have murdered individuals whom he had perceived to share a resemblance to his deceased mother

Punishment and Conviction: On November 21st, 1957, Ed Gein was found guilty for the murder of Bernice Worden that had taken place earlier that year; however, he was found to be mentally insane and unfit to not only stand trial, but retain a conviction for the murder – he was sentenced to life incarceration in the Mendota Mental Health Institute in the State of Wisconsin. He dies there on July 26th, 1984.

The Case Profile of ENRON

The Case Profile of ENRONWhat is the ENRON Corporation?

ENRON was a multinational energy corporation that was founded in Omaha, Nebraska; subsequent to a merger with a Houston-based Energy Company, ENROM moved its headquarters to Houston, Texas. The ENRON Scandal is considered to be amongst the most prolific and widely-recognized examples of financial fraud cases within the history of the United States; the crimes of ENRON involved the defrauding on investors and fellow employees of monetary losses estimated to exceed $72 billion:

Investors in the ENRON Corporation were deceived into the belief that their respective investments were rendering massive amounts of financial gain as a result of the figures illustrated by the fraudulent earnings reports – this is estimated to have contributed to a financial loss exceeding $70 billion

The executives of ENRON illegally obtained these funds in lieu of funneling them back into their rightful place in the corporation’s budget; this not only led to the bankruptcy of the ENRON corporation, but also liquefied pension funding set aside for upwards of 22,000 ENRON employees – this figure is estimated to have exceeded $2 billion

The Case Profile of the ENRON Corporation

The following is a case profile of both the crimes of certain members of the ENRON Corporation, as well as a legal classification of statutory legislation associated with the case:

Foundation of the Corporation: ENRON was founded in Omaha, Nebraska on 1985.

Location of ENRON: Houston, Texas

Date of the Crime: 1985 to 2002

Criminal Charges: Financial Fraud including Securities Fraud, Wire Fraud, Embezzlement, False Reporting, Investment Fraud, and Tax Evasion:

Securities Fraud; the production of fraudulent earnings reports reporting deceitful and fallacious figures with regard to gains rendered through investments

Embezzlement; criminal activity that involving the attainment of property, assents, monies, funding, or assets belonging to a business or commercial endeavor through illegal, unlawful, and illicit means as a result of the responsibilities latent within a specific position of administration

Money Laundering; a criminal act of deliberately concealing the nature – or source – of matters involving finance, which can include revenue, income, expenses, investments, and banking

Tax Evasion; the falsification of income and earnings in order to both conceal their earnings, as well as avoid the satisfaction of taxation due

Legal Classification: The ENRON Scandal spanned both Commercial Law and Criminal Law:

Criminal Law; a legal specialty that focuses on both the prosecution and defense of criminal activity conducted in both public, private, and electronic sectors

Financial Law; a legal specialty that focuses on legislation applicable to the activity, exchange, and the circulation of monies or currency

Date of the Trial: Subsequent to an investigation led by the Securities and Exchange Commission between 2001 and 2002, the masterminds of the ENRON scandal were charged and convicted in 2004

Notable Details and Personal Information: The following personal details have been considered to be contributory to the behavior and criminal actions undertaken by ENRON; in addition, these case details were made mention within ENRON’s criminal trial:

Ken Lay; Chief Operations Officer of ENRON (1985-2002) – sentenced to a 10 year prison term

Jeff Skilling; Chief Financial Officer of ENRON (1990-2001) – sentenced to a 24 year prison term

Munn v. Illinois

Munn v. IllinoisThe Background of Munn v. Illinois (1877)

The case of Munn v. Illinois was one of the most prominent of the ‘Granger’ cases, which took place during the second half of the 19th century; within these cases, economic and commercial legislation associated with private commercial operations with regard to their susceptibility to the legal jurisdiction of the State government took place – Munn v. Illinois was an appellate hearing following a conviction of the Munn and Scott Firm. Munn and Scott were convicted of violating the laws set forth by the State of Illinois regulating the maximum rates that a private commercial operation would be able to charge for its services; subsequent to the initial guilty verdict, Scott and Munn appealed the decision before the Supreme Court

The Case Profile of Munn v. Illinois

The following is a case profile of the legal trial eponymously titled ‘Munn v. Illinois’:

Date of the Trial: January 14th – 18th, 1877

Legal Classification: Administrative Law; this legal field associated with events and circumstances in which the Federal Government of the United States engages its citizens, including the administration of government programs, the creation of agencies, and the establishment of a legal, regulatory federal standard

Accused Criminal Activity: The following criminal activity and charges were cited by The Scott and Munn Firm against the State of Illinois within the appeal brought forth subsequent to the initial ruling:

The Munn and Scott Firm maintained that the legislature proposed by ‘The Grange’, which was an association of farmers, was in direct violation of the 14th Amendment; this was due to the fact that private enterprise was considered to be separate from State government

United States Reports Case Number: 94 U.S. 113

Date of the Delivery of the Verdict: March 1st, 1877

Legal Venue of Munn v. Illinois: The Supreme Court of the United States

Judicial Officer Responsible for Ruling: Chief Justice Morrison Waite

Involved Parties: The following are the parties named with regard to their involvement in the Munn v. Illinois case:

The Munn and Scott Firm; Plaintiff – Munn v. Illinois

The State of Illinois; Defendant – Munn v. Illinois

Verdict Delivered: The Supreme Court found the Munn and Scott firm to be guilty of their original conviction. The Supreme Court ruled that private commercial operations presumed to exist in order to benefit the public commercial marketplace were liable to be subject to legislature serving the public interest

Associated Legislation with regard to Munn v. Illinois: The following statutory regulations were employed with regard to the Munn v. Illinois trial:

The 14th Amendment illustrates legislation that disallows the government from infringing on the right(s) to pursue ‘Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness’ with regard to any and all citizens of the United States of America – this statute is applicable to all measures of gender, race, religion, and age

Due process is defined as the government’s obligation to respect, maintain, and uphold the legal rights of its citizen in the event of an arrest; the government must retain an individual’s human rights and liberties – this includes fair, respectful, and ethical treatment devoid of undue violence and harm

Who is Gary Ridgway?

Who is Gary Ridgway?Who is Gary Ridgway?

Gary Ridgway is a serial killer who is also known by his moniker ‘The Green River Killer’; Gary Ridgway was a resident in the State of Washington, within which the Green River resides. Gary Ridgway was given his moniker as a result of the discovery of 5 corpses – considered to be victims of Ridgway’s murderous spree – in the Green River. Gary Ridgway’s killing spree is reported as lasting over a decade, taking place within the 1980s and 1990s. Primarily, Gary Ridgway was reported as strangling his victims and disposing of the bodies.

Gary Ridgway Profile

The following outlines the crimes of Gary Ridgway

Date of Birth: Gary Ridgway was born on February 18th, 1949 in Salt Lake City, Utah

Residence: During the time of his killings, Gary Ridgway resided in Kings County in the State of Washington

Year of First Killing: Gary Ridgway’s first murder is reported as involving a 16 year old female victim named Wendy Cofield; she was reported as being strangled. Although no definitive date of her murder was determined, she was reported as missing on July 8th, 1982; he body was discovered on July 15th, 1982.

Year of Apprehension: Gary Ridgway worked at the Kenworth Truck Factory in Renton, Washington; subsequent to his monitoring by law enforcement agents, he was apprehended on November 30th, 2001.

Notable Details and Personal Information: The following personal details have been considered to be contributory to the behavior and criminal actions undertaken by Gary Ridgway; in addition, these case details were made mention within Gary Ridgway’s criminal trial:

Gary Ridgway was reported as possessing an IQ of 82, which he claimed contributed to difficulties in his schooling; he is reported to not have graduated high school

In his confessions, Gary Ridgway claimed to have been emotionally abused by his mother; he considered his home life and upbringing as extremely destructive and volatile

Gary Ridgway is reported as confessing to more murders that any other serial killer in the history of the United States

Locations of the Murders: Gary Ridgway’s murderous spree took place in both the States of Washington and Oregon

Victims:  Gary Ridgway was charged for the murder of 48 individuals; however, he has been linked to as many as 71 murders – many of the bodies of his victims have never been found

Status as a Serial Killer: Gary Ridgway is classified as a serial killer due to the fact that Gary Ridgway was convicted of the murder of 3 or more individuals within the duration of a single month; this is conjunction to taking a break or ‘rest’ in the interim of his killings and continuing to commit murders

Nature of Victims: Gary Ridgway’s victims were female who were reported as ranging in age from 15 to 31; many of his victims were reported as impoverished runaways or prostitutes

Punishment and Conviction: On November 5th, 2003, Gary Ridgway was convicted of 48 murders; although Gary Ridgway was convicted of 48 murders, he had confessed to upwards of 71 murders. In an attempt to avoid the death penalty, the District Attorney of the State of Washington spared Gary Ridgway of the death penalty in lieu of a full confession. The terms of his punishment did not include the death penalty, but Gary Ridgway was sentenced to life incarceration without the opportunity for parole.

Facts About Murder Trials You Must Know

Facts About Murder Trials You Must KnowWhat is a Murder Trial?

Murder Trials are legal proceedings in which the alleged activity involving the murder of one individual at the hands of another individual – or individuals – undergoes judicial review. Within the realm of a murder trial, the classification of murder must present that the suspect partook in the homicide of another individual in an intentional, premeditated, and purposeful fashion; murder trials finding that the suspect acted with the intent to kill may vary with their respective classification of the murder:

First Degree Murder Trials retain the existence that the suspect acted in a purposeful manner with the intent to murder the victim in question

Second Degree Murder Trials illustrate that while the victim killed was not the intended victim undertaken by the suspect in question, the suspect did in fact attempt to commit purposeful and premeditated murder; this occurs in the event that an attempted murder results in the killing of an individual not intended to be the victim of the murder

Involuntary Murder Trials



In contrast to premeditated murder trials, events heard within a murder trial that involve the premature termination of the life of an individual victim illustrating the absent of purpose, intent, and planning will typically be given alternate classifications – in the event that such an event lacks malice, forethought, expressed intent, or planning, the charge of manslaughter or wrongful death may be substituted within a verdict delivered in a murder trial:

What is Voluntary Manslaughter



Voluntary Manslaughter is defined as the accidental termination a life another individual. However, in the absence of forethought, malice, or premeditation is absent within the respective details of the crime:

Crimes of passion, which are classified as the most common type of voluntary manslaughter, are defined as crimes that take place with violent – or criminal – intent; yet the nature of these crimes are impulsive and oftentimes retain neither planning, deliberation, nor the intent to commit murder

Self Defense, which is defined as an individual exercising actions necessary to maintain self-protection or preservation from impending harm or injury may result in the death of another individual; murder trials delivering verdicts with regard to homicide resulting from self-defense may define the act as voluntary – or involuntary – in nature

What is Involuntary Manslaughter?

Involuntary Manslaughter is defined as a type of homicide resulting in the untimely – premature – death of an individual as a result of the actions of another individual. Involuntary Manslaughter can be classified as crimes that retain neither planning, deliberation, nor the intent to commit murder:

Murder Trials delivering a verdict deeming an action as involuntary manslaughter allows for the least amount of culpability with regard to the homicide in question – an implicit result of the accidental, non-deliberate fashion of the killing

What is Wrongful Death?



Wrongful death is a legal term that classifies the event of an untimely or premature death as a result of the actions of another individual. While the classification of involuntary manslaughter is a classification within a criminal court of law undergoing a murder trial, the term ‘wrongful death’ is limited to a civil court of law:

Murder trials are specific to criminal law and criminal courts

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