Draft:Trial of Daniel Sickles
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| United States v. Sickles | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Court | United States District Court for the District of Columbia |
| Full case name | United States of America v. Daniel E. Sickles |
| Decided | April 26, 1859 |
| Charge | Murder of Philip Barton Key II |
| Prosecution | Robert Ould |
| Defence | James T. Brady, Edwin Stanton, John Graham |
| Ruling | |
| Not guilty | |
The trial of Daniel Sickles was an American criminal trial, known for the defense's argument of "temporary insanity".[1][2] On 27 February 1859, Daniel Sickles, a representative from New York, after learning that Philip Barton Key, the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, was having an affair with his wife, Teresa, approached Key in Lafayette Square and shot him.[3][4][5] Sickles turned himself in and was charged with murder. Sickles' defense, which included lawyers James T. Brady and Edwin Stanton, argued that Sickles had been "temporarily insane" at the time of the murder, and therefore was not guilty.[1][2][4][6] The trial was the subject of extensive media coverage, which created its own controversies and destroyed Teresa's reputation. The jury acquitted Sickles after deliberating for little more than an hour.[1]
Incident
[edit]Murder
[edit]On 27 February 1859, Sickles approached Key while he was with Samuel F. Butterworth in Lafayette Square, where the following interaction is said to have taken place:[1][3]
Sickles: Good morning.
Key: How are you?
Sickles: You scoundrel,[a] You have dishonored my house. You must die.
Key: What for?
Sickles then produced a gun and fired at Key, the shot missing him. Key, now aware of what was happening, advanced on Sickles and grabbed him. Sickles wrestled free and fired again, wounding Key. Key staggered backward and shouted "Murder! Don't kill me!" Sickles moved closer to Key and fired two more shots at close range, killing him.[1][3]
Arrest
[edit]Following the incident, Sickles went to the home of the Attorney General, Jeremiah S. Black. When two policemen came and asked for Sickles, Sickles went willingly.[3]
Trial
[edit]The trial commenced on 4 April 1859. The prosecutor was Robert Ould; the defense consisted of lawyers James T. Brady, Edwin Stanton, and John Graham.[5][7]
The defense argued that Sickles had become "temporarily insane" at the time of the murder, because he was overwhelmed by jealousy and blind rage. They portrayed Sickles as a family man who had been disgraced, who only desired justice for his family, and portrayed Key as an adulterer who had seduced Sickles' wife.[1]
On 26 April 1859, after deliberating for little more than an hour, the jury acquitted Sickles.[1]
Public Reaction
[edit]Media Coverage
[edit]The trial had extensive media coverage, including publications of a leaked confession by Teresa, which created a separate debate amongst the public about the morality of newspapers publishing the confession. The State of California prosecuted the Daily Evening Bulletin for obscenity after it published the "disgusting" confession.[1][3]
Sickles, or the Washington Tragedy
[edit]A play depicting the murder, Sickles, or the Washington Tragedy opened in Boston within a week of the trial's conclusion. It was well received, being described by one newspaper as "a very close and correct dramatization from the facts [that] offers with it a good moral”.[1][8]
Notes
[edit]- ^ DeRose, 2019 uses "soundrel", Thomas, 2022 uses "villain"
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i Thomas, Heather (2022-09-14). "Murder in Lafayette Square | Headlines & Heroes". The Library of Congress. Retrieved 2024-10-20.
- ^ a b Mitchell, Robert (March 3, 2018). "'Temporarily insane': A congressman, a sensational killing and a new legal defense". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e DeRose, Chris (2019). Star Spangled Scandal: Sex, Murder, and the Trial that Changed America. Regnery. p. 85. ISBN 9781621578055.
- ^ a b Reid, Jordan (December 16, 2016). "The Disguise of Insanity: The Case of Daniel E. Sickles" (PDF). Letters 3510: Famous Trials. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b "Trial of the Hon. David E. Sickles for shooting Philip Barton Key ... February 27, 1859. Reported by Felix G. Fontaine". HathiTrust. Retrieved 2024-10-20.
- ^ Spiegel, Allen D.; Suskind, Peter B. (2000-04-01). "Uncontrollable Frenzy and a Unique Temporary Insanity Plea". Journal of Community Health. 25 (2): 157–179. doi:10.1023/A:1005133808459. ISSN 1573-3610.
- ^ "United States v. Sickles" (PDF). YesWeScan: The Federal Cases. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Humanities, National Endowment for the (1859-05-06). "The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, May 06, 1859, Image 1". ISSN 2157-1260. Retrieved 2024-10-20.