The Lincoln Assassination Conspiracy Trial and Its Legacy

The eight people charged with conspiring to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln were tried by a military commission under military law. It is my contention that this was illegal, since the civilian legal system was functioning. I have described the many ways in which the defendants' rights were violated, and also the ways in which the trial testimony was either not accurate or not legally obtained. I also have compared the trial with other incidents in which the U.S. military was used in police and judicial functions, with questionable results. The book is a warning against unchecked power by the executive branch of the government.