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The Historic Case Of A Prosecutor And The Suspect He Saved From The Gallows

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The Bridgeport Times front page, on May 27, 1924 (Courtesy of the Bridgeport Public Library)
The Bridgeport Times front page, on May 27, 1924 (Courtesy of Bridgeport Public Library)

In 1924 a Connecticut prosecutor saved a suspect from the gallows, in a case of justice that's taught today in law books. The movie "Boomerang" was based on the case.

Here & Now's Lisa Mullins looks back at the case, and how it resonates today in the debate of over sentencing and overzealous prosecutions.

Read The Marshall Project story, "Homer and Harold: An Extraordinary Story of Justice Done, and What Came After," here, and via Smithsonian magazine.


Hear more about the story of Homer Cummings, via WBUR:

This segment aired on December 30, 2016.

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