The Devil on Trial: Witches, Anarchists,
Atheists, Communists, and Terrorists in
America's Courtrooms
by Philip Margulies & Maxine Rosaler

    THE DEVIL ON TRIAL by Philip Margulies & Maxine Rosaler
    Category:  Non-Fiction
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 6+
    Release Date:  9/8/08
    Publisher:  Houghton Mifflin
    Reviewed by:  Jaglvr
    Rating:  5 Stars


    THE DEVIL ON TRIAL takes the reader on a journey through the evolving justice system of the United States.  A
    fact-based reference; the authors use five very distinct historical trials to demonstrate the changing cultures as our
    country grew from the days of the Puritans to post-September 11, 2001.

    The first case presented is the Salem Witch Trials.  It’s appalling to learn that those accused in the early days weren’t
    offered defense counsel.  The accused were better off admitting to crimes that they were innocent of and having their
    lives spared.  Those that denied any wrongdoing were sent to the Gallows.

    In sharp contrast to the Salem Witch Trials, the trials (yes, there was more than one) of Alger Hiss demonstrate that a
    fair trial can be achieved even in the face of distorted testimony and massive media coverage.  In the age of the Cold
    War and the fear of Communist infiltration, Alger Hiss was accused of secretly spying on the State Department for
    which he was a high-level employee.  Even years after his trial, controversy surrounds his guilt or innocence.   Richard
    Nixon, prior to becoming president, was part of the investigative panel reviewing Alger Hiss.

    Another trial that was better known than others of the time is the Scopes Monkey Trial.  The ACLU (American Civil
    Liberties Union) convinced a young school teacher, John Scopes, to come forward and admit to teaching evolution in
    his classroom.  They offered to pay all his fees and support him.  As a young teacher with no family, he had little to
    lose in the deal.  The ACLU had a secret agenda, though; it was going to take on the government to prove the
    unconstitutionality of the law.  A strong Christian Fundamentalist and possible future presidential hopeful, William
    Jennings Bryan, agreed to prosecute the case.  And when Clarence Darrow volunteered his services as defense
    attorney, the stage was set for a battle of wills. At the time, Tennessee was put in the spotlight, with a legal battle
    between the Bible and evolution.  But sticking to the primary crux of the case, the presiding judge found Scopes guilty
    on the issue of teaching evolution and refused to hear the defense’s position.

    The book also covers the Chicago Haymarket Bombing as well as the more current 9/11 attack on the United
    States.   The bombing case, as with the Salem Witch Trials, astounds the reader at the lengths that were went to in
    order to prove people guilty, even without proof.  And everyone has an opinion on the 9/11 attacks.

    For anyone even remotely interested in the legal aspect of the United States, THE DEVIL ON TRIAL will not
    disappoint.  The book is filled with fascinating details of the justice system of this country.  Definitions are spelled out,
    aided by a glossary at the back of the book.  The authors do not choose sides on the cases, but point out the fall-out
    and improvements that each case brought to this country.   The content is appropriate for sixth grade and beyond.