Trial of Charles B Huntington For Forgery, Principal Defence...
An Important Defense of the Insanity Plea [Trial]. Huntington, Charles B. [b. 1821], Defendant. Trial of Charles B. Huntington For Forgery. Principal Defence: Insanity. Prepared for Publication by the Defendant's Counsel, From Full Stenographic Notes Taken by Messrs. Roberts & Warburton, Law Reporters. New York: John S. Voorhies, 1857. xii, 480 pp. Octavo (9" x 5-3/4"). Original cloth with decorative blind stamping, gilt title to spine. Negligible light rubbing to boards, moderate rubbing to extremities, small chip to head of spine, corners bumped, upper corners worn, early owner bookplate (John Curwen, M.D.) to front pastedown. Moderate toning to interior, light foxing in a few places. $350. * Only edition. An important defense of the plea of insanity, appealing to public and professional opinion alike against the ruling of the trial judge which disallowed "moral insanity" as a defense, and against the ensuing guilty verdict of the jury. This extensive trial record was published by the defense counsel both to vindicate the concept of "moral insanity" as a legal defense and to respond to the vilification heaped upon both counsel and expert witnesses by various members of the legal and medical community. "Huntington, a broker on Wall Street, was convicted of forging a promissory note ... He was sentenced to 4 years and 10 months in prison" (Cohen). A valuable source for the wealth of expert testimony and for the 73-page speech to the jury delivered by the defense counsel James T. Brady. Cohen, Bibliography of Early American Law 12253.
Price: $350.00
Book number 74572