Judgment at Gallatin: The Trial of Frank James

Those who will recall the Simpson trial as the legal extravaganza of its century might be surprised by striking parallels between it and the late-nineteenth century trial of the infamous Frank James. In 1882 James surrendered to authorities voluntarily and was tried for murder the following year in Gallatin, Missouri. Petrone's analysis of primary and secondary sources tells the story of a charismatic prominent figure, who assembles his century's legal dream team and in the face of overwhelming incriminating evidence, wins acquittal from a sympathetic jury. "The trial of Frank James has never before been explored in detail, although his acquittal has long screamed for explanation."--Bill O'Neal "Scholars as well as 'buffs' have always neglected the trial of Frank James. Thus Judgment at Gallatin fills in a major gap in our knowledge of the James brothers."--Richard Maxwell Brown