The Omaha World-Herald mentioned John Stevens Berry, Sr., in a recent news article about the Caril Fugate pardon hearing. John Stevens Berry, Sr., has represented Fugate throughout her pardoning process.
Caril Fugate was only 14 years old when Charles Starkweather kidnapped her as he went on his killing spree across Nebraska and Wyoming. The State tried Fugate as an adult and found her guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced her to life in prison.
Fugate served 17 years of that life sentence until she was paroled in 1976. She moved to Michigan where she has lived a peaceful and quiet life since.
Berry claims that Fugate’s trial, which took place over 60 years ago, was full of errors. From using Starkweather as a chief witness to a juror taking a bet before the trial that Fugate would get the death penalty, the justice system at the time simply did not uphold Constitutional Rights and due process.
Berry has gathered many supporters for Fugate’s pardon including people like two of Starkweather’s victims’ granddaughter, a woman who hired Fugate as a nanny in Michigan, and a former warden from the Nebraska Women’s Prison.
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John Stevens Berry, Sr., is a well-known criminal defense attorney in the state of Nebraska and Berry Law founder. Berry has been involved in a number of high profile criminal cases, including the defense of Green Berets in the famous “Green Beret Affair” and working as defense counsel for one of the biggest drug busts in Japanese history.
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