A court that shaped America

by Richard Cahan

Traces the courtroom scenes from the Federal district court's first cases in the early nineteenth century through 2000. Examines great trials and the people behind them such as Al Capone, Abbie Hoffman, Joseph Smith, inventor Thomas Edison, author Mark Twain, Michael Jackson, Oprah Winfrey, and Jack Johnson among others. Shows how the court influenced and reflected American social, legal, and political mores.