Tells the story of a sensational 1791 Virginia murder case, and explores Revolutionary America's debates over justice, criminal punishment, and equality before the law.

Jessica K. Lowe teaches at the University of Virginia, School of Law.

Introduction; 1. The facts of the fight; 2. The making of a republican judge; 3. Examination: class, procedure, and local courts in Crane's Virginia; 4. The Bloody Code and the logic of legal reform; 5. Indictment: power shifts and power continuities in Virginia's courts; 6. Crane's trial and its 'imperfect' verdict; 7. 'That stigma on my character': judges, judicial review, and 'republican' interpretation of the laws; 8. Murder or manslaughter? Crane's special verdict at the general court; 9. Pardon request: mercy and Crane's 'lunatic fits'; Conclusion.