The Darrow Chronicles (Pilot)

The Darrow Chronicles follow the career of the most renowned lawyer of the 20th Century, Clarence Darrow.   Episode One (Pilot):  The State of Idaho v. Big Bill Haywood In his first trial of the century, Darrow defends a union official accused of orchestrating the assassination of a former governor of Idaho. Episodes Two and Three: The Bombing of the Los Angeles Times The most publicized murder case of all time involved the two McNamara brothers charged with bombing the Los Angeles Times Building (killing 21 people) and the attempted assassination of its larger than life publisher Harrison Gray Otis. The evidence against the brothers was gathered by flamboyant defense lawyer Earl Rogers, the model for Perry Mason, and private detective William Burns, renowned as the Sherlock Holmes of the United States.   Episodes Four and Five: People of Los Angeles v. Clarence Darrow After the McNamara case ended, Darrow was personally charged twice with jury tampering.  He represented himself, alongside Earl Rogers. Episode Six: The Communist Trial Darrow assumed the defense of twenty Communist party members charged with conspiracy to overthrow the government - not by any violent acts, but merely because of the beliefs they espoused. Episode Seven: Leopold and Loeb Two brilliant teen sons of millionaires  concocted and executed what they believed was the perfect crime, the kidnapping and murder of a 14 year old boy. Darrow shocked the nation by getting the boys to plead guilty, and concentrating his entire successful defense on the unnecessary and immoral imposition of the death penalty.   Episodes Eight and Nine: The Scopes "Monkey" Trial Darrow travelled to Tennessee to defend a public school teacher arrested for teaching evolution.   His opponent in the Scopes Monkey Trial was presidential candidate and religious zealot William Jennings Bryant. Episode Ten: The Sweet Murder Trial Darrow defended Dr. Ossian Sweet, a black man charged with killing a member of a white mob attempting to force Dr. Sweet and his family out of a white neighborhood.    Six cases, ten episodes, all highlighting controversial issues that resonate today.