Raymond M. Brown, a partner in the firm’s Litigation Department, will be a speaker at the seminar “The Fairness of the Lindbergh Trial – The Case that Shocked the Nation,” to be presented on Friday, November 16, 2018 from 9:00am – 1:00pm at the New Jersey Law Center.  The program is sponsored by the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, in cooperation with the American College of Trial Attorneys NJ Chapter.

Flemington, NJ, 1935. A kidnapping rocked the country and went down in international history... but did the defendant get a fair trial?

The Lindbergh trial was New Jersey’s “Trial of the Century.” In 1935, at the Hunterdon County Courthouse in Flemington, Richard Hauptman was tried, convicted, and sentenced to die in the electric chair for the death of Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr., toddler son of America’s hero, Charles, the “Eagle,” Lindbergh. Despite occurring in the era before television and Internet, the Lindbergh kidnapping trial captivated the nation and was an international media sensation.

For trial lawyers, it remains a fascinating case. Despite numerous incentives and attempts to get Hauptman to confess, he refused, knowing that he would go to the electric chair. Hauptman was convicted on circumstantial evidence and many questions remain. Was the police investigation incomplete? Did Charles Lindbergh interfere with the investigation? Was the evidence planted? Did the State engage in witness tampering? Should Hauptman have had more effective counsel?

This program will delve into the mysteries and lessons of the Lindbergh case - and what the trial can teach us about justice and our current criminal law system. The presentation will also include a look at ethical issues impacting both the prosecution and defense in this high-profile case.

Mr. Brown concentrates his practice in white collar criminal defense, international human rights issues, internal investigations and complex commercial litigation.  He has defended clients in state and federal courts and before administrative tribunals.  Mr. Brown has extensive experience as a trial lawyer and has handled a wide variety of criminal and civil matters representing individuals, corporations and government entities. He most recently represented U.S. Senator Robert Menendez as Defense Co-Counsel against criminal allegations of public corruption and bribery brought by the U.S. government, in a highly publicized trial which ended in a hung jury and subsequent mistrial.  Shortly thereafter, all charges against Senator Menendez were dismissed by the Department of Justice.

Registration details at:  https://bit.ly/2E0OPEz