HONOLULU, HI – July 26, 1901 – In a shocking turn of events, W. D. Hamilton walked free from the Oahu Penitentiary yesterday, his conviction for manslaughter overturned by Judge Gear on a writ of habeas corpus. The 1898 trial, presided over by Judge Stanley, had seemed like a foregone conclusion, with a jury delivering a verdict of 9-3 for conviction. But beneath the surface, a constitutional travesty had occurred. The Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to a unanimous verdict, and in Hamilton’s case, that sacred principle was flagrantly disregarded.
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Key Facts
- State: HI
- Category: Violent Crime
- Era: Historical
- Source: Library of Congress — Chronicling America ↗
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