Leo Frank Case
What happened? Summarize the event!
The Leo Frank case refers to the murder investigation and trial of Leo Frank, a Jewish factory manager in Atlanta, Georgia in 1913. Frank was accused of the murder of a 13-year-old factory worker named Mary Phagan.
Phagan's body was found in the basement of the factory where Frank worked, and he became the prime suspect due to conflicting witness testimonies and evidence. Frank was arrested and stood trial, during which the prosecution presented circumstantial evidence against him.
Frank's defense team argued that he was innocent and that the evidence was weak and inconsistent. However, due to the social and political climate of the time, fueled by anti-Semitism and prejudice, Frank was found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging.
After the trial, Frank's case gained national attention, with many prominent figures advocating for his release or a new trial. The case was ultimately appealed to the Georgia Supreme Court and later to the U.S. Supreme Court, but both appeals were denied.
As public sentiment grew divided over the case, with some believing in Frank's innocence and others convinced of his guilt, Georgia Governor John M. Slaton commuted Frank's death sentence to life imprisonment in 1915.
However, Frank's commutation enraged some members of the community, leading to a mob kidnapping Frank from prison and lynching him in 1915. The Leo Frank case is often cited as an example of a miscarriage of justice and anti-Semitism in the American legal system.