Forensic Psychology: Irwin v. Dowd (1961)

Irvin v. Dowd
Author’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
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Date
Irvin v. Dowd
United States Supreme Court
Irvin v. Dowd
366 U.S. 717 (1961)
Argued 9 November 1960 – Decided 5 June 1961
Nature of the case: Civil commitment of denial of an appeal.
Facts: Leslie Irvin was convicted of murdering six people in Evansville, Indiana, and sentenced to death for committing highly publicized murders (Irvin v. Dowd, 1961). After the apprehension of Irvin, the prosecution issued numerous press releases that indicated how the suspect committed the murders and that he had accepted it. The court granted Irvin’s attorney a change of prosecution venue only once. Before Irvin’s trial, radio and newspapers publicized the ongoing investigation and the suspect’s criminal record. That made many jurors have fixed opinions such that they believed that Irvin was guilty of murder. Irvin’s conviction was sustained by the Supreme Court and a writ of habeas corpus was denied by the Federal District Court.
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