Course Description

Instructor: Jeff Milsteen

We all remember the names — Sacco & Vanzetti, Leopold & Loeb, Leo Frank, Julius & Ethel Rosenberg, the Scopes Monkey Trial, the Chicago Seven, the Manson family and more — but how much do we really know about some of the most famous criminal trials of the twentieth century? This class will explore the history of jury trials in America in the context of many of the so-called “trials of the century,� spectacles that captured the public’s attention and shaped the future, for better or worse, of our criminal justice system. The evolving role and influence of the media in covering these trials will also be examined.�