Take Me Out to the Courthouse · Players in the Dock
Under the Grandstand
People v. Durocher (1946)
Charge: Assault on a heckling fan (manager and a ballpark special policeman tried together)Court: New York state court, Brooklyn (Kings County)Docket: Players in the Dock
Could the prosecution prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the manager and the officer assaulted the fan?
The facts
A fan had heckled a big-league club from the grandstand for weeks. During one game, the club's fiery manager had a ballpark special policeman bring the fan beneath the stands. The three met in a passageway, and the fan came away with a broken jaw. Prosecutors charged the manager and the officer with assault, and the fan claimed brass knuckles were used. At trial, a well-known regular fan testified that the heckler had been using foul language toward her and other spectators.
You have the facts the court had. Guilty or not guilty? Call it in the game with your friends, then see what the court actually decided. Wrong call, you drink.
Citation: People v. Durocher, New York state criminal trial in Brooklyn; jury verdict April 25, 1946
Read more at en.wikipedia.org. The source reveals the outcome.