The Steven Truscott Case: Justice, Culture and Social Order

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the legal issues emerging from the Steven Truscott case of the late 1950s, a case that broke new ground in shaping and shaking popular understandings of the Canadian criminal justice system. Particular attention is focused on social and cultural factors - especially attitudes towards sexuality and media pressure contributing to a rush to convict - as contributing elements to this case. Comparisons are drawn to a similar case in the United States at this time - the Sam Sheppard trial - to illustrate how this situation is not limited to Canadian law but, in fact, reflects wider social and cultural realities. Increasing anti-institutional sentiments in both Canada and the United States have contributed to a revisiting of both cases, sentiments that both cases also played a role in shaping.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Culture and Sexuality
Tunnel Vision and the Issue of Disclosure
The Sheppard Case, Media and Authority
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"One of the major legal problems to emerge from the Truscott trial was one of disclosure or discovery. As the Daum story reveals, the culture of the 1950s - which placed much more faith in the honesty and integrity of law enforcement officials than today -allowed law enforcement officials to effectively bury evidence that may have been of assistance to the Truscott defense. Indeed, it may be argued that cases such as Truscott contributed to an evolution in criminal law in such matters: "Rules of evidence today oblige the Crown and the police to disclose all the relevant information they turn up in the course of their investigations" (Sher 299)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Hixson, Walter. Murder, Culture, and Injustice: Four Sensational Cases in American History. Akron, Ohio: University of Akron Press, 2001.
• Sher, Julian. Until You Are Dead: Steven Truscott's Long Ride Into History. Toronto: Vintage, 2002.
• The Globe and Mail. Toronto: Canada.

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