Marilyn Sheppard Research Paper

In the summer of 1952, Dr. Samuel Sheppard’s Fourth of July had no celebrations, in fact the day began in tragedy. That night Dr. Sheppard claims an intruder entered his lakeside home and brutally murder his wife. Sheppard was awoken by the sounds of his wife’s screams and left his place from the couch downstairs, running to his bedroom on the second level. Once entering his room Sheppard saw a figure and then was struck on the back of the head and rendered unconscious. When he awoke on his bedroom floor he heard noises downstairs and when he went to investigate. There he saw a figure leaving through his screen door. Sheppard then followed this man to the lakeshore where he confronted the intruder and was once again knocked unconscious. When Dr. Sheppard awoke for the third time he went back into his home only to find his wife, Marilyn, laying in a pool of blood, dead . In the weeks following these events the various media outlets surrounding the Sheppard’s home, covered the investigation of the Marilyn Sheppard’s murder. However, the majority of the media that released information on the murder painted Dr. Sheppard to be the killer. They took advantage of everything Sheppard did and said and spun him into a murderous husband. For example, by him having a very expensive and good criminal defense attorney the media said that was a …show more content…
Sheppard then decided to sue the trial judge for his lack of containing the media and in turn not protecting Sheppard’s right to a fair trial by an impartial jury. This case all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States decided on the question of when is time for the trial judge to step in and protect the rights guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment ensuring a fair trial. In an eight to one decision the Supreme Court decided that Sheppard did not in fact receive a fair trial and the trial judge could have done more protect his rights guaranteed by the 5th Amendment of the United States Constitution