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· 6/6/1966

Sheppard v. Maxwell

Citations

  • 384 U.S. 333
  • 86 S. Ct. 1507
  • 16 L. Ed. 2d 600
  • 1966 U.S. LEXIS 1413
  • 1 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 1220
  • 6 Ohio Misc. 231
  • 35 Ohio Op. 2d 431

About this case

Sheppard v. Maxwell

Sheppard v. Maxwell, 384 U.S. 333 (1966), was a United States Supreme Court case that examined a defendant's right to a fair trial as required by the Sixth Amendment and the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment . In particular, the Court sought to determine whether or not Sam Sheppard , the defendant, was denied fair trial for the second-degree murder of his wife, of which he was convicted, because of the trial judge's failure to protect him sufficiently "from the massive, pervasive, and prejudicial publicity that attended his prosecution".

English Wikisource has original text related to this article:

**Sheppard v. Maxwell **

Contents

Background

(https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheppard_v._Maxwell&action=edit&section=1 "Edit section: Background")

After suffering a trial court conviction of second-degree murder for the bludgeoning death of his pregnant wife, Sheppard challenged the verdict as the product of an unfair trial. Sheppard, who maintained his innocence of the crime, alleged that the trial judge failed to protect him "from the massive, widespread and prejudicial publicity that attended his prosecution". An Ohio federal district court ruled in his favor but the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reversed that decision. Sheppard petitioned the Supreme Court to hear the case by writ of certiorari , and the Supreme Court granted the petition.

Decision

(https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheppard_v._Maxwell&action=edit&section=2 "Edit section: Decision")

Justice Tom C. Clark delivered the opinion of the Court. He wrote:

This federal habeas corpus application involves the question whether Sheppard was deprived of a fair trial in his state conviction for the second-degree murder of his wife because of the trial judge's failure to protect Sheppard sufficiently from the massive, pervasive and prejudicial publicity that attended his persecution. ... We have concluded that Sheppard did not receive a fair trial consistent with the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and, therefore, reverse the judgement.[1]

See also

(https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheppard_v._Maxwell&action=edit&section=3 "Edit section: See also")

References

(https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheppard_v._Maxwell&action=edit&section=4 "Edit section: References")

  1. ↑ Bender, John (2016). Cases and Questions for Mass Media Law. University of Nebraska. p. 279.

Bibliography

(https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheppard_v._Maxwell&action=edit&section=5 "Edit section: Bibliography")

  • The Wrong Man: The Final Verdict on the Dr. Sam Sheppard Murder Case (Random House, 2001) ISBN 978-0679457190

External links

(https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheppard_v._Maxwell&action=edit&section=6 "Edit section: External links")

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sheppard_v._Maxwell&oldid=1351966609 "

Editorial context from Wikipedia (CC-BY-SA 4.0).

How courts have described this case

Verbatim parenthetical descriptions written by other courts when citing this decision. Ranked by citation-network relevance.

  • recognizing that judges may restrict access to courtrooms
  • reversing denial of habeas relief when trial judge failed to protect defendant from inherently prejudicial publicity
  • finding carnival atmosphere created by the press infringed defendant’s right to a fair trial
  • court may proscribe extrajudicial statements by lawyers, parties, witnesses, and court officials to protect the defendant’s right to a fair trial
  • “[T]he court should have made some effort to control . . . gossip to the press by police officers.”
  • “Due process requires that the accused receive a trial by an impartial jury free from outside influences”; the jury’s verdict must be based on “evidence received in open court, not from outside sources”

Source: CourtListener parenthetical corpus (CC0).

Judges: Clark, Black

Read full opinion on CourtListener

Sourced from CourtListener / Free Law Project (CC0).

This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.