Defending the Dillinger Gang

Jessie Levy and Bess Robbins in the Courtroom

D.M. Testa (Autor)

Buch | Softcover

226 Seiten

2020
McFarland & Co Inc (Verlag)
978-1-4766-8209-9 (ISBN)

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When a corrupt prosecutor was determined to send as many of the John Dillinger gang to death row as he could, female attorneys Jessie Levy and Bess Robbins rose to the challenge. The discovery of interviews, personal correspondence, and court transcripts forms the basis for this book, which traces the careers of Jessie Levy and Bess Robbins.

In the early 1930s women practicing criminal law were often held in the same low regard as the clients they served. When a corrupt prosecutor was determined to send as many of the notorious John Dillinger gang to death row as possible, female attorneys Jessie Levy and Bess Robbins rose to the challenge. They skillfully represented six of the gang members, a number far greater than any of their male counterparts. And yet, their story of deals gone bad, wrongful convictions and success against the odds has all but vanished from history. The recent discovery of interviews, personal correspondence, and court transcripts--a treasure trove untouched for over 80 years--forms the basis for this book, which traces the careers of Jessie Levy, Bess Robbins and the John Dillinger gang in detail for the first time.

D.M. Testa has researched several Prohibition era true crime books. She lives in Leroy, New York.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Preface

January 1977

Part One: The Feminine Drive

1. Miss Jessie

2. The Rain Baby

3. Silent Margaret

4. Bragging Rights

5. The Outside Man

6. Basest of Crimes

7. All Big Fellows

Part Two: Of the Highest Caliber

8. Worst Kind of Luck

9. Disreputable Characters

10. Good News in Hard Times

11. Mr. Davies Takes a Tour

12. Battle of Wills

13. Answering the Charges

14. Pushing Back

15. Court of Public Opinion

16. The Trouble with Hilton

17. All the Tricks

Part Three: Nerve Enough

18. The Quarry Murders

19. Chain of Evidence

20. Target Practice

21. Train Her in the Law

22. An Abuse of Discretion

23. Racing the Clock

24. The Heater Boys

25. Best She Could Do

Afterword

Chapter Notes

Bibliography

Index

Erscheinungsdatum	01.09.2020
Zusatzinfo	46 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Verlagsort	Jefferson, NC
Sprache	englisch
Maße	152 x 229 mm
Gewicht	299 g
Themenwelt	Literatur ► Biografien / Erfahrungsberichte
	Geisteswissenschaften ► Geschichte ► Regional- / Ländergeschichte
	Geschichte ► Teilgebiete der Geschichte ► Militärgeschichte
	Recht / Steuern ► Rechtsgeschichte
ISBN-10	1-4766-8209-7 / 1476682097
ISBN-13	978-1-4766-8209-9 / 9781476682099
Zustand	Neuware