introduced psychological evidence into the legal system for the first time, reflecting an increase in interest in that field of study. These last two factors turned this trial into a media frenzy. The public stopped being conc

In the end this trial was never about the murder of Bobby Franks, it was a public proving ground for the argument over the plea of insanity. At first the media and public were almost positive that Darrow, the veteran debater, would push the plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. He flipped the stakes and had his defendants plead guilty to force one man to decide their fate. Without a jury trial the case would be much easier to argue. He then went on to use his psychological evidence to persuade the judge to forget about the death sentence and to sentence the boys to life imprisonment on the grounds of their mental state. Darrow is considered by many to be the best lawyer of all time and this case drills that argument home without any reasonable doubt.

"The Old Lion," as Darrow was called, responded to the prosecution. "We shall insist in this case, Your Honor, that, terrible as this is, terrible as any killing is, it would be without precedent if two boys of this age should be hanged by the neck until dead, and it would in no way bring back Robert Franks or add to the peace and security of this community." (Geis 19)

"For the crime of kidnapping for ransom, similar confinement for the term of ninety-nine years."

Caverly went on to summarize the possible penalties for murder and kidnapping before giving his sentence. (Geis 20)

An hour later, he concluded his statement with, "in the name of the people of the State of Illinois, in the name of the womanhood and the fatherhood, and in the name of the children of the State of Illinois, we are going to demand the death penalty for both of these cold-blooded, cruel, and vicious murderers." (http://www.law.umkc.edu)

erned with the victim and his family but were now in need of being directly involved with the case. The trial was not about the death of a completely innocent boy, it was instead a proving ground for the admittance of a new type of evidence and a new answer to the question of guilty or not guilty: "The defendant pleads insanity."

n the public outcry over the crime and the statements the boys had made, it was unlikely that the boys would fare well with any jury. Darrow realized that it was comparatively easy for a jury to sentence the boys to death because it would be a shared decision. For Caverly to sentence the boys to death was a decision that he would have to live with as solely his own. He felt that he had a decent chance with Caverly considering the boy's mental conditions and their youth. Judge Caverly, looking very serious, was beginning to understand the magnitude of his predicament. He alone would decide whether or not the boys would hang. It was not a decision he wanted to make.

On Wednesday, September 19, 1924, Judge Caverly announced his decision. He agreed that a case could not be made for the boys being insane, however he stated that "they have been shown in essential respects to be abnormal; had they been normal they would not have committed the crime." He went on to recognize that the detailed reports of the alienists would be a valuable contribution to criminology. "The testimony in this case reveals a crime of singular atrocity. It is in a sense, inexplicable; but it is not thereby rendered less inhuman or repulsive."

Some common words found in the essay are:
Bobby Franks, Judge Caverly, John Caverly's, Association Crowe, Clarence Darrow's, Clarence Darrow, Richard Loeb, Bobby Franks', October November, Leopold Loeb, cold-blooded murder, plead guilty, plea guilty, richard loeb, bobby franks, state's attorney, judge caverly, guilty reason insanity, reason insanity, guilty reason, nathan leopold, plead guilty reason, nathan leopold jr, sentence boys death,
Approximate Word count = 2849
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)