perfidy

Calpundit asks a very good question.

Every time there's a big trial the media names it the "Trial of the Century." But it occurred to me the other day that now that the 20th century is over, we should be able to decide which trial really was the Trial of the Century (American version). Leopold and Loeb? Sacco and Vanzetti? The Lindbergh baby kidnapping? Julius and Ethel Rosenberg? The Chicago 7? Patty Hearst? OJ?

A reader also mentions the Scopes trial, which would probably get my vote, and I would have to add in more: the Debs trial; Nuremberg (though a military tribunal); Roe v. Wade. 

The problem with choosing just one trial of the century is that all the standouts are so iconic, and for different reasons. Anti-communism. Xenophobia/Anti-immigrant sentiment. Racism. Anti-Semitism (repeatedly). Class. Culture. Morality. The damn anarchists. If nothing else, an interesting mind exercise which illustrates what you believe to be the single dominant theme in 20th century US-weighted history.