Anatomy of a Murder takes place in small-town in Michigan, where a murder has taken place. Lieutenant Frederick Manion (Lt. Manion) murdered Barney Quill a local bar and inn owner, after Mr. Quill raped his wife Laura Manion. Mrs. Manion contacts former state district attorney Paul Biegler to represent her husband, who is facing charges for first degree murder. Knowing nothing about the case, Mr. Biegler is convinced by his friend Parnell McCarthy to take the case. After two visits to Mr.Manion in jail and discussing things over with Mr. McCarthy, Mr. Biegler indirectly helps Lt. Manion enter a plea of not guilty due to temporary insanity. Aside from preparing Lt. Manion for this defense, Mr. Biegler has to worry about Mrs. Manion who is always wearing tight clothing and flirting with other men. Mr. Biegler advises her that for the best interest of her husband’s case, she should refrain from her flirtatious behavior and dress appropriately to court and until the case is over.
As the trial begins, there are commentary disagreements between Mr. Biegler and the prosecutors. The main fact of the case is that Mr. Quill raped Mrs. Manion, which caused her husband to react and kill him. As Lt. Manion takes the stand, he testifies that he was temporarily insane. A Doctor in the army who evaluated Lt. Manion states that he did suffer from temporary insanity and Lt. Manion had an irresistible impulse which caused him to kill Mr. Quill. Doctor Harcourt argues against this, as he testifies that based on his experience such a dissociative reaction does not happen out of the blue; Lt. Manion appearing calm afterwards provides reason that he was not insane. Several testimonies are given by several witnesses who argue for and against Lt. Mani...
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..., whose testimonies where used as direct evidence against him at trial. There were several incidents that linked Lt. Manion as suspect to the crime, provided physical evidence used to the commit the crime, and showed he had motive, opportunity and/or means to commit the crime. The testimonies of Alphonse Paquette, George Lemon, Sgt. Durgo, and Dwayne Miller can prove that Lt. Frederick Manion killed Barney Quill willfully, deliberately and with premeditation. The testimonies of George Lemon, Laura Manion, and Lt. Frederick Manion can prove that Lt. Frederick Manion is not criminally responsible for the death of Barney Quill because he was acting under an "irresistible impulse."
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Early in his career, Drummond defended two teenage child murderers and helped them escape their consequences. Due to this act, he entered Dayton surrounded by strong feelings of hatred. After his scientists were refused a spot on the stand, Drummond was enraged. Henry decided to put Matthew Harrison Brady on the stand to question him. “I call to the stand one of the world’s foremost experts on the Bible and its teachings – Matthew Harrison Brady” he insisted (Lawrence and Lee 82). After Cate’s verdict was announced, Drummond appealed it, causing it to be sent to a higher court. All these actions resemble the same activities of Clarence Darrow during the Scopes Trial. Clarence Darrow was frowned upon because of his success while taking on the teenage murderer’s situation. When he put William Jennings Bryan on stand, the crowd was shocked by his unorthodox action, but he knew exactly what he was doing. “On the seventh day of the trial, on a platform outside the Dayton, Tennessee courthouse, he called William Jennings Bryan to the stand as an expert on the Bible” (“People & Events” 1). His plan worked, allowing him to reduce the sentence to a reasonable consequence, but he was still unhappy about the verdict. He requested that the case be taken to a higher court in hopes of reversing the outcome. All in all, Henry’s actions are a near mirror image of Clarence’s.
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