At my school we are preparing the biggest project of the year. We are doing a mock trial of the Nazi War criminals at Nuremberg. I am defending Julius Streicher. Does anyone know what way I could do this, or give me good links to show he wasn't guilty of committing a war crime? Thanks!
2007-04-26 05:15:04 · 6 answers · asked by ME!!!! 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
He was found guilty for crimes against humanity for spreading propaganda against the Jews.
Remember that those countries that had representatives whose population freely published the same hate speech before and after the trials. Crimes against humanity started after WWII so he wasn't breaking any laws when he was actually writing all this stuff.
2007-04-26 07:44:10 · answer #1 · answered by gregory_dittman 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The problem with your "client" is that he WAS guilty. As a defense attorney you should approach this case from a different arguement.
You could consider the fact that Streicher was racist...yes...but that he was following the course of society at the time.
Quite honestly, it is because of people like Streicher than makes me happy I'm not a defense attorney!
Best wishes.
2007-04-26 05:24:20 · answer #2 · answered by KC V ™ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The evidence against Streicher was overwhelming. He was an anti-Semite all of his life.
How do you defend someone successfully whos last words were:
"Heil Hitler! This is my Purim celebration 1946. I go to God. The Bolshevists will one day hang you, too." right before he was hanged.
You might want to try to get him spared from hanging in your mock trial, but as for a true defense, there isn't one because he was guilty as charged.
2007-04-26 05:34:59 · answer #3 · answered by chuck_junior 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, I googled him (my husband is the history professor; not me), and I would have to say good luck in that task!
Hit the library and get books on the trials and on good ol Julius himself. There should be something you can use in there. Whether it be his childhood, or him being a victim of "mob mentality", I don't know. But from the info I've read, he was a Nazi before WWII, and he was one of the "founders". So I don't know if he felt pressured to join.
Again, good luck!
2007-04-26 05:30:30 · answer #4 · answered by volleyballchick (cowards block) 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think the "just following orders" defense is the only one you have to work with. After all he could not say no as is in the modern armies but was required to do what he was told to do-therefore you can lay the blame on his superior officers.
You could also try to get some survivors who are testifying to say he wasnt there or wasnt the one who ordered any of the deaths. This may help(but I doubt it).
2007-04-26 05:26:07 · answer #5 · answered by elaeblue 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
don't try the "I was following orders" thing it didn;t work for William Calley in Viet Nam and it didn"t work for the U.S. military personal that abused prisoners in Iraq. Just plead guilty as charged and move on to the next save some time.
2007-04-26 05:44:34 · answer #6 · answered by redmarc316 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try to build your defense around the fact that he was forced to do what he did (not sure if that is historically accurate though).
2007-04-26 05:27:32 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋