On the summer of 1924, Clarence Darrow took a case that changed Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb from the gallows. The case just did not save the lives of Leopold of Loeb; it was also one of the trials of the century. For lawyer Darrow, this trial was just not an ordinary trial it was a vital declaration against death penalty which was in the end taken into account. Clarence Darrow’s closing argument took 12 hours long, but it was worth it because the combination of the literary devices he used saved his clients from an execution.
Everything started with the passionate idea of irreproachable crime of two college students Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb. They had a pretty comfortable life, Nathan Leopold was studying law at the University of Chicago and Richard Loeb was one of the youngest graduates of University of the Michigan, they were both the son of incredibly wealthy families however Loeb’s obsession with proving the ability of committing an irreproachable crime took the life of an innocent teenager boy called Bobby Franks. On May 21 1924, Bobby was walking to home obliviously of what is going to happen to him in seconds. Leopold and Loeb kidnapped Bobby and killed him mercilessly with a chisel. The families of Loeb and Leopold hired the lawyer Clarence Darrow for representing the two boys. Clarence Darrow first made Leopold and Loeb change their pleas to guilty about the charges of murder and kidnapping. Darrow used psychiatric evidence to back up his
Güler 2 argument, but his 12 hour long closing argument, which consisted the harmony of rhetorical strategies and elements of arguments fascinated the courtroom and spared the lives of Leopold and Loeb.
The first rhetorical appeal included in Clarence Darrow’s plea of mercy...
... middle of paper ...
...action. Darrow’s words were remembered as one of the most eloquent attacks on the death penalty (Linder, Douglas. “THE LEOPOLD AND LOEB TRIAL: A BRIEF ACCOUNT”, Law2.umkc.edu/). Darrow did not view the case as just a murder, he had a wide perspective and he explained the reasons behind the murder in depth. Darrow’s words are still venerated today because his brilliant closing argument saved his clients from the gallows ( Kersten, Andrew E., “Clarence Darrow, American Iconoclast”, Us.macmillan.com ). His emotional and touching pleas for mercy were engraved on people’s mind.
In conclusion, Attorney Clarence Darrow was successful at the trial and convinced the judge for sparing his clients’ lives. Darrow’s 12 hour long closing argument which was a
Güler 5 harmony of literary devices saved the lives of Leopold and Loeb, and once again hate was overcome with love.
Steve Bogira, a prizewinning writer, spent a year observing Chicago's Cook County Criminal Courthouse. The author focuses on two main issues, the death penalty and innocent defendants who are getting convicted by the pressure of plea bargains, which will be the focus of this review. The book tells many different stories that are told by defendants, prosecutors, a judge, clerks, and jurors; all the people who are being affected and contributing to the miscarriage of justice in today’s courtrooms.
The Browns were successful in utilizing the long term effects of the trial without showing bias in “The Hanging of Ephraim Wheeler,” and even though they failed to provide a direct evaluation of the event, the book was still very successful. It is very obvious that a lot of research was put into this book. The research was well organized and properly utilized. The story like nature of this book made it easier to follow, but also factored into the failure to provide a true evaluation of the trial. Despite its faults “The Hanging of Ephraim Wheeler” was truly a good
President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed the United States Congress following the unexpected attack by Japan on Pearl Harbor the previous day. As a result, Roosevelt asked the Congress to declare war on Japan. In his speech to Congress, President Roosevelt stated that the previous day, which was December 7th, 1941, was a date that they will live in notoriety. President Roosevelt said that the United States of America was abruptly and intentionally attacked by naval and air forces of the Japanese emperor.
“How the Death Penalty Saves Lives” According to DPIC (Death penalty information center), there are one thousand –four hundred thirty- eight executions in the United States since 1976. Currently, there are Two thousand –nine hundred –five inmates on death row, and the average length of time on death row is about fifteen years in the United States. The Capital punishment, which appears on the surface to the fitting conclusion to the life of a murder, in fact, a complicated issue that produces no clear resolution.; However, the article states it’s justice. In the article “How the Death Penalty Saves Lives” an author David B. Muhlhausen illustrates a story of Earl Ringo , Jr, brutal murder’s execution on September ,10,
In the essay “Death and Justice”, Ed Koch, the former mayor of New York City, presents an argument defending the use of capital punishment in heinous murder cases. In advancing his viewpoint on the subject matter, Koch addresses the arguments made by those who oppose the death penalty. This novel approach to making an argument not only engages the reader more in the piece, but also immediately illustrates his balanced understanding of both sides of the argument. Rather than simply presenting a biased or one-sided argument regarding his opinion, Koch explores a full range of issues surrounding the incendiary issue and displays both balance and erudition in expression his opinion on the issue of capital punishment.
In 1972, the Furman v. Georgia case temporarily caused capital punishment in the United States to cease until distinct guidelines about the crimes that required the death penalty were written. Until states revised their laws, capital punishment was ruled cruel and unusual punishment. Before Furman, there were no clearly defined laws about what constituted capital punishment, so the process to sentence a capital criminal was much faster and easier. By adding an appeal system, most states permitted capital punishment once again, but the prisoner’s time spent on death row drastically increased. Adding an appeal system did not make killing a human being any less cruel and unusual; in fact, ordering a person to live in fear, uncertainty, and agony for an even longer period of time is crueler than quickly ending the
Patrick Henry's Famous Speech Give me liberty or give me death. These famous words were uttered by Patrick Henry on March 23, 1775, as a conclusion to his speech delivered to the Virginia House of Burgesses. Within his speech, he uses the three rhetorical appeals (ethos, logos, and pathos) to convey a feeling of urgency toward the changes occurring in policy within the Americas implemented by the British government. He cleverly uses these appeals to disrupt the paradigm that Great Britain is going to let the American people have any liberty. The purpose of this speech is to gain support for a freedom movement from the British government.
Atticus’s closing statement was very effective even though he did not win his case. Now the people of Maycomb know that the Ewells cannot be trusted because they are now known as liars. The Ewells even though they won the case everybody in the courtroom knew by
The death penalty, a subject that is often the cause of major controversy, has become an integral part of the southern justice system in recent years. The supporters and opponents of this issue have heatedly debated each other about whether or not the death penalty should be allowed. They back their arguments with moral, logical, and ethical appeals, as seen in the essays by Ed Koch and David Bruck. Although both authors are on opposite sides of the issue, they use the same ideas to back up their argument, while ignoring others that they don’t have evidence for. Koch and Bruck’s use of moral, logical, and ethical persuasion enhance both of their arguments and place a certain importance on the issue of the death penalty, making the readers come to the realization that it is more than just life and death, or right and wrong; there are so many implications that make the issue much more 3-dimensional. In dealing with politics and controversial issues such as capital punishment.
In “The Death Penalty” (1985), David Bruck argues that the death penalty is injustice and that it is fury rather than justice that compels others to “demand that murderers be punished” by death. Bruck relies on varies cases of death row inmates to persuade the readers against capital punishment. His purpose is to persuade readers against the death penalty in order for them to realize that it is inhuman, irrational, and that “neither justice nor self-preservation demands that we kill men whom we have already imprisoned.” Bruck does not employ an array of devices but he does employ some such as juxtaposition, rhetorical questions, and appeals to strengthen his argument. He establishes an informal relationship with his audience of supporters of capital punishment such as Mayor Koch.
My next claim is in regards to the “old man” juror. If it were not for him voting not guilty the second time, the boy would have been found guilty. He said the reason he voted that way was because of that one juror standing up to the other 11 jurors. He felt that everyone needed to hear all of the arguments because they were dealing with a man’s life. Thanks to that man, the boy was saved.
Throughout America’s history, capital punishment, or the death penalty, has been used to punish criminals for murder and other capital crimes. In the early 20th century, numerous people would gather for public executions. The media described these events gruesome and barbaric (“Infobase Learning”). People began to wonder if the capital punishment was really constitutional.
In the speech, "Ain't I a Woman?" Sojourner Truth gives examples of how she was robbed of womanhood and the amazing gift of motherhood. As a slave in the late 1700's to early 1800's, Truth is used for manual labor. Many people would expect Truth has gained others respect due to her unyielding work as a slave, but in reality all she wants is the respect of being a mother. The time period in which this speech is given gives Sojourner Truth the opportunity to explain her relations with white men and women and testify to the unequal treatment she has received. During Truth's speech she demands men's respect by alluding to nasty comments they recite throughout her speech and addressing these misconceptions. Although times have changed and women
...ed United States. U.S. Government Accounting Office. Capital Punishment. Washington: GPO, 1994 Cheatwood, Derral and Keith Harries. The Geography of Execution: The Capital Punishment Quagmire in America. Rowman, 1996 NAACP Legal Defense Fund . Death Row. New York: Hein, 1996 "Ex-Death Row Inmate Cleared of Charges." USA Today 11 Mar. 1999: 2A "Fatal Flaws: Innocence and the Death Penalty." Amnesty International. 10 Oct. 1999 23 Oct. 1999 Gest, Ted. "House Without a Blue Print." US News and World Report 8 Jul. 1996: 41 Stevens, Michelle. "Unfairness in Life and Death." Chicago Sun-Times 7 Feb. 1999: 23A American Bar Association. The Task Ahead: Reconciling Justice with Politics. 1997 United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Uniform Crime Report. Washington: GPO, 1994 Wickham, DeWayne. "Call for a Death Penalty Moratorium." USA Today 8 Feb. 1999: 17A ILKMURPHY
“The case Against the Death Penalty.” aclu.org. American Civil Liberties Union, 2012. Web. 12 Feb. 2013