The Loeb-Leopold case - The Clarence Darrow Collection

The Loeb-Leopold Case
negro, was sentenced July 31 for a crime of murder
on a plea of guilty.
I submit, if we can take the flower of American
manhood, take the boys at 18 years of age and send
them to their death in the front line trenches of
France in defense of our laws, we have an equal
right to take men 19 years of age and take their
lives for violating those laws that these boys gave
up their lives to defend. Ah, many a boy 18 years
of age lies beneath the poppies in Flanders fields
who died to defend the laws of this country.
We might direct your Honor's attention to what
is going on over this land right at this time while
this case is on trial. Alexander Bujec, 19, must die
in the electric chair October 17, for the murder of
his 13-year-old cousin in Akron, Ohio. He was
sentenced August 20.
Mr. Darrow has referred in the case to hanging.
Mr. Darrow is a student of criminology; he has
written a book on it and he says the criminal age,
the time when crimes are committed, is between the
ages of 17 and 24. And your Honor and I know
that the average criminal age is 22. If we are
going to punish crime and by the punishment stop
it, and the criminal age is between 17 and 24, how
can we punish it if the age is a defense?
Mr. Darrow criticised Mr. Marshall for his
quotations from Blackstone, and seemed to be under
the impression that we were trying to try this case
under the ancient British law. We are trying this
307