Tue, Mar 14, 1995
American Justice profiles mob lawyers Frank Ragano and Bruce Cutler. Ragano became deeply involved in defending mob figures Santo Trafficante Jr. and Jimmy Hoffa, while at the same time going up against Bobby and John F. Kennedy who were cracking down on the mob. Cutler became John Gotti's go to lawyer and was able to get Gotti off numerous times, earning Gotti the nickname "The Teflon Don".
Tue, Mar 28, 1995
Profiles of participants in the Federal Witness Protection Program include a one-time "gangster in training" in New York's Gambino mob family who testified against his uncle. Also: the case of mobster Salvatore ("Sammy the Bull") Gravano, who "flipped" on John Gotti and whose testimony was instrumental in Gotti's conviction.
Wed, May 25, 2005
Notorious cases of bad medicine, including a physician and a nurse who were convicted of murdering patients, and a cosmetic surgeon who was, host Bill Kurtis says, "one of the most sued doctors in U.S. history." Also examined: malpractice-suit cap laws; the Georgia Medical Board's "tough approach to bad medicine."
American Justice profiles the life of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas from Virginia. Lucas, who killed his mother in 1960 was released from prison in 1970 and went on a killing spree as a drifter. During this time he met up with Ottis Toole and together they killed at lest 6 people, but possibly many more. Though Lucas himself was only convicted of 11 murders he would later confess to over 150 killings from across the country. In some cases it made it difficult for investigators to find the real killer because Lucas could seemingly provide intimate details of the killings. Investigators would also name Ottis Toole as the killer of 6 year old Adam Walsh. Adam Walsh was the son of John Walsh, the creator and host of America's Most Wanted.
Tue, May 23, 1995
A review of cameras in courtrooms, from the 1925 Scopes "monkey" trial through the O.J. Simpson case. Also included: 1935's Lindbergh kidnapping trial; the William Kennedy Smith date-rape trial; and Theodore Bundy's 1979 Florida murder trial. Interviewed: Court TV founder Steven Brill; Constitutional expert Floyd Abrams.
Tue, Jul 4, 1995
An examination of allegations of cruel and unusual punishment in the U.S., including a case in which an Alcatraz inmate charged that, in 1941, his harsh treatment at the prison drove him mad; and another involving an Illinois prisoner who claimed that guards broke his back during a 1988 beating.
Tue, Oct 10, 1995
A study of assassins probes the cases of Sirhan Sirhan, who killed Sen. Robert Kennedy in 1968; Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, who attempted to shoot President Ford in 1975; and James Earl Ray, who claims he's innocent of the 1968 murder of Martin Luther King Jr. Included: comments from prosecutors, defense attorneys and political scientists.
Tue, Nov 7, 1995
An examination of notorious U.S. bombing incidents, including the case of Michael Stevens, who sent six bombs to members of the same family in 1993. Also: George Metesky, New York City's "Mad Bomber" of the 1940s and 50s and Robert Chambliss, convicted of an Alabama church bombing in 1963.
Fri, Dec 22, 1995
This 2 hour special examines the successful defense strategy in the 1994 O. J. Simpson murder trial: a police conspiracy based on racism. It includes footage from televised events, interviews with lawyers and investigators, and the trial. Mistakes in handling evidence have produced changes in CSI procedures everywhere.