Introduction
Dr. Sam Sheppard got notoriety when he was sentenced in 1954 for brutally killing his wife. The Fugitive, a 1963 TV show that most people believed was centered mainly on the Sheppard case, ignited interest in reopening the case to vindicate Sheppard. The essay examines two aspects of the notorious Sam Sheppard murder case of his pregnant wife and the history of capital punishment in the United States.
Sam Sheppard Murder Case
Specific errors made by law enforcement and judicial officials were the failure to give a change of venue or the continuance in view of the newspaper publicity before the trial. In addition, there was an inability to maintain impartial jurors due to the media publicity during the case trial. Further, the trial magistrate did not accept himself, even though there was ambiguity about his impartiality in the case (ShooterDirector, 2008a). There was also an improper introduction of lie detector test evidence and unauthenticated communications to judicial officials during their deliberations, which made them arrive at an unfair trial.
Consequently, the case found its way to the Supreme Court after Sheppard was sentenced to second-degree murder and challenged the verdict on the basis that he received an unfair trial. Sheppard asserted that the trial judge permitted prejudicial evidence to be included in the case that interfered with his Fifth Amendment rights to receive a fair trial. If during the proceedings, the publicity poses a threat to the fairness of a trial, then a new trial must be ordered (LexisNexis, 2023).
In the appeal, the High Court cited particular examples of newspaper articles that led to Sheppard’s not receiving a fair trial. The case moved to the Supreme Court to get a reasoned interpretation of the verdict (ShooterDirector, 2008b). The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Sheppard because it discovered that he was not accorded a fair trial.
Further, the case’s effect on police practices today concerning crime scene investigation and evidence preservation is that investigators must approach the crime scene as if it is the only avenue to recover and preserve the physical clues. The three-day coroner’s inquest was biased against the physician, and the press goaded the prosecutors to charge Sheppard (Gruberg, 2023). The trial judge must take steps to protect the defendant’s right to a fair trial in a sensational case. The first step is to ensure that the reporter’s obligation to furnish court proceedings’ transcripts is promptly fulfilled in interpreting the provision (Jämsä, 2022). The next step is exercising the power with restraint, and safeguards should be implemented to guard defendants’ rights throughout the criminal system.
Capital Punishment
The capital punishment history in the United States centers on the death penalty. The death penalty should be abolished because it is ultimately inhuman, cruel, and irreversible, lacks deterrent impact, continues economic and racial biases, and degrades punishment. The death penalty may be used against people with intellectual and mental disabilities, under the age of 18 years, and other countries employ it following unfair trials (WatchMojo, 2012). This is a breach of international standards and law. There are alternative ways of making people pay for their offenses.
Based on death finality, due process protections must properly be applied to the clemency process in capital punishment due to its special role in the US judicial system. American courts should be guided by trends in other advanced countries in determining whether the death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment (WatchMojo, 2012), as they have to abide by international standards and law in judicial matters.
Conclusion
In summary, Sheppard managed to challenge his sentence to imprisonment for the second-degree murder of his pregnant wife based on the fact that he did not get a fair trial. He claimed that the trial judge permitted prejudicial proof in the case. Lastly, the death penalty must be abolished because it is inhuman, cruel, and fails to deter criminals, and goes against international standards and laws.
References
Gruberg, M. (2023). Sheppard v. Maxwell. Web.
Jämsä, J. (2022). The right to a fair trial. Fair Trial Rules of Evidence, 3-21. Web.
LexisNexis. (2023). Sheppard v. Maxwell | Case brief for law school | LexisNexis. Web.
ShooterDirector. (2008a). Sam Sheppard Trial by Newspaper pt 2 [Video]. YouTube. Web.
ShooterDirector. (2008b). Sam Sheppard Trial by Newspaper PART 1 [Video]. YouTube. Web.
WatchMojo. (2012). The History of Capital Punishment in the United States [Video]. YouTube. Web.