Four convicted murderers serve a one hour sentence for a brutal murder in 1932 Hawaii, while the nation screamed for a pardon.
CourtroomCrimeHigh ConceptHistoricalLaw EnforcementNon FictionPeriodTrue StoryViolence
Time Period: 20th CenturyStory Location: USATarget Audience: Adult
Serve a one hour sentence for a brutal murder. Sweet deal, huh.
This was an actual sentence in 1932 Hawaii… for real.
The Crime- A murder in which a man was abducted, beaten, shot, and left to bleed to death in a bathtub.
The Defense Attorney- Clarence Darrow in his last trial.
The Victim- An ethnic Hawaiian set free after a jury refused to convict him of a rape of a wealthy white socialite.
The Defendants- A wealthy white socialite, her son-in-law and Navy Officer, and two Navy Seamen.
The Prosecuting Attorney- A young Prosecutor in his first criminal prosecution who secures a conviction against a legendary attorney and a nation whipped up to defend white womanhood.
The Result: A one hour sentence that neither the judge nor the jury, who convicted them, contemplated.
If you are interested, I invite you to read my script, Paradise Lynched. I am a long-time California trial attorney, now retired.