American Justice

American Justice
Created by Towers Productions
Starring Bill Kurtis (host)
Country of origin United States
No. of episodes 255
Production
Running time approx. 45–50 minutes
Release
Original network A&E Network
Original release September 15, 1992 – December 10, 2005 (currently being rerun under the title Notorious on The Biography Channel)
External links
Website

American Justice is an American criminal justice television program that aired on the A&E Network, hosted by Bill Kurtis. The show features interesting or notable cases, such as the murder of Selena, Scarsdale Diet doctor murder, the Hillside Stranglers, Matthew Shepard, and the Wells Fargo heist, with the stories told by key players, such as police, lawyers, victims, and the perpetrators themselves. More than 250 episodes were produced, making it the longest-running documentary justice show on cable.

The series' final new episode aired on December 10, 2005. However, old episodes are being rerun on A&E's sister, network, The Biography Channel, under the title Notorious, with no changes to the episodes except for new credit sequences and commercial bumpers. Past episodes are also available on DVD. Past episodes are also currently available on antenna TV's Escape channel.

Episodes

1–7

# Title Episode Summary
1 Dahmer: Mystery of the Serial Killer The case of Jeffrey Dahmer, who was convicted of murdering and dismembering 15 young boys.
2 Vigilante Justice Bernard Goetz New York City Subway shootings, and a case of a man who killed his son's alleged molester.
3 Mob Rats Looks at Joseph Valachi, the first Mafioso to break the code of silence, and Sammy Gravano, who helped convict the Gambino family boss
4 Lorena Bobbitt: Women and Violence Examines the highly charged issue of battered women. Do they have the right to respond with violence, and under what circumstances? Will the acquittal of Lorena Bobbitt lead to an "open season" on men? And why are women increasingly involved in drug and gang activity?
5 Cops on Trial Examines how police are treated as defendants and the types of sentences they face; and reveals research results that show that police and the general public are held to different standards of justice.
6 Attack at Waco The story of the tragic assault on the Branch Davidian compound in Texas and the subsequent efforts to determine the facts and assign blame
7 Gang Busters Looks at: the "Secret 6", a group of civic-minded Chicago businessmen who aided in bringing down Al Capone; drug trade in a Boston housing development; and gang violence in the Midwest

8–15

# Title Episode Summary
8 Prostitution: Sex and the Law From the street-corner hooker to the high-class Hollywood call girl, this episode examines how the sellers of sex are brought to justice.
9 Riot: The Chicago Conspiracy Trial Examination of the turbulent events behind the 1968 anti-war riots in Chicago which led to the "Conspiracy to Commit Riot" trials of the famed Chicago Seven.
10 Divorce Wars Examines how divorce has changed from the days when women were considered the legal "property" of their husbands to today's high-stakes divorce contests, typified by the battle between Donald and Ivana Trump.
11 Godfathers vs. The Law Profiles of top gangsters and the lawmen who have risked their lives to defeat the underworld. (2-hour version)
12 Kidnapped A look at the cases of biathlete Kari Swenson in Montana and Exxon executive Sidney Reso in New Jersey, and examines just how effective law enforcement authorities are in investigating and negotiating tense kidnap situations.
13 Defending the Mob A look at the career of Frank Ragano, attorney to Florida mob boss Santo Trafficante, Jr. and corrupt Teamster leader Jimmy Hoffa.
14 Witness Protection Interviews with several gangsters, who reveal what their lives are like after getting plastic surgery, new identities, legitimate jobs, and moving into new neighborhoods.
15 Bad Medicine Includes a nurse suspected of killing babies in her hospital's pediatric intensive care unit; a doctor charged with nine counts of second degree murder; and the owner of the "Personal Best" plastic surgery centers who was accused of allowing his chauffeur to perform medical duties and was hit with 212 malpractice suits.

41–60

# Title Episode Summary
41 Mob Ladies Features Virginia Hill, who helped Bugsy Siegel build Las Vegas, Arlyne Weiss-Brickman, who trafficked in heroin even while working as an FBI informer, and "Mafia Princess" Antoinette Giancana, who professes great love for her father, mob boss Sam Giancana.
42 Presumed Guilty Features the Jeanine Nicarico murder case and how Rolando Cruz was falsely convicted and imprisoned for the murder until a man named Brian Dugan later confessed to the murder.
43 Hired Guns Includes the case of a corrupt businessman who had his partner murdered and a millionaire who arranged to have his wife killed to avoid splitting his fortune with her in divorce proceedings.
44 Cruel and Unusual Includes: Henry Young, who was kept in the "Dark Hole" of Alcatraz; Tommy Ortiz, who was beaten by prison guards wearing lead-filled gloves; and John Evans, whose body was charred in the electric chair.
47 Deadly Force Features the police bombing of the MOVE headquarters in Philadelphia, which killed 11, and the shootings of Randy Weaver's wife and son at Ruby Ridge.
48 The Quiz Show Scandal and Other Frauds Program examines the game-show scam involving distinguished professor Charles van Doren.
49 Cop Killers Includes the murder of Texas State Trooper Bill Davidson by Ronald Ray Howard, who claimed gangster rap music by Tupac Shakur encouraged him to shoot the officer, and the execution of rookie cop Eddie Bryne by members of a drug gang, while he sat in his patrol car guarding the home of a drug witness in Queens, New York.
50 The Chicago Mob Includes segments on Al "Scarface" Capone, Anthony "Joe Batters" Accardo, and Sam "Mooney" Giancana.
52 Vegas & The Mob Features an interview with Frank Rosenthal, a former casino manager who was the basis of Robert De Niro's character in the movie "Casino". (2 hours)
58 The Long Island Railroad Massacre A look at the mass murder committed by Colin Ferguson on board a New York commuter train in December 1993. Includes Ferguson's bizarre attempts to defend himself at his trial.
59 John Wayne Gacy: Buried Secrets The bizarre case of the successful businessman and volunteer parade clown who raped and murdered 33 young men and boys after luring them to his home in suburban Chicago.
60 Crime of Passion: The Pamela Smart Story Explores the dark side of passion by examining the case of Pamela Smart who seduced her lover, a 15-year-old, into killing her husband.

61–80

# Title Episode Summary
61 The Menendez Murders Examines the spectacular trials of Erik and Lyle Menendez, the brothers accused of murdering their wealthy parents.
63 Mob Hit Men A look at hitmen and the terror they wrought on the streets of Philadelphia.
64 To Catch a Killer: Homicide Detectives A look at the men and women who gaze into the depths of evil to solve the mystery of humanity's most heinous crime—murder.
66 Death Row Women Inside America's prisons for a rare look at mothers and grandmothers awaiting execution on death row
67 Free to Kill: The Polly Klaas Murder The focus of this episode are the repeat offenders who, like Richard Allen Davis, American justice has failed to rehabilitate. We also examine attempts to protect future victims with new laws and aggressive policing
71 The Amy Fisher Story The case of Amy Fisher, the 17-year-old who was willing to kill to get the man she wanted.
73 The Night Stalker A look back at the yearlong killing spree of Richard Ramirez in Los Angeles, his capture, and trial.
74 Presumed Guilty A look at the shocking case of Rolando Cruz and Alex Hernandez, who were sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a young girl, Jeanine Nicarico—a crime they did not commit.
76 Myth of a Serial Killer: The Henry Lee Lucas Story A probe into the strange case of the one-eyed Henry Lee Lucas, sentenced to death in Texas. Were his confessions hoaxes designed to fool police?
77 The Rise and Fall of the Jewish Mobster The stories of the most notorious Jewish gangsters in America, including "Dopey Benny" Fein, Abe "Kid Twist" Reles, Dutch Schultz, Meyer Lansky, and Bugsy Siegel
78 Crime Family Profile of infamous mob boss Vito Genovese and how he built the most ruthless and powerful crime family in the nation.

81–100

# Title Episode Summary
81 The Scarsdale Diet Doctor Murder Covers the case of school headmistress Jean Harris, who was accused of murdering her lover, "Scarsdale Diet" author Dr. Herman Tarnower
82 The Susan Smith Story: A Mother's Confession A look back at the shocking story of how Susan Smith drowned her two sons and then tried to fool the nation into believing that an African-American man had committed the crime
83 The Texas Cheerleader Murder Plot Probes the bizarre case of Wanda Holloway, who would stop at nothing—including murder—to get her daughter on the cheerleading squad.
84 Von Bülow: A Wealth of Evidence An examination of snooty, aristocratic Claus von Bulow and if he attempted to murder his wife.
85 Murder "In Cold Blood" Chronicles the 1959 murder of the Clutter family in Kansas, and the investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of their two killers, Richard Hickock and Perry Smith.
87 The Donnie Brasco Story The true story of Joe Pistone, the FBI agent who risked his life to infiltrate a ruthless New York Mafia family and gather evidence against crime bosses
88 The Preppie Murder A probe of the death of young Jennifer Levin, who was killed in New York City's Central Park by Robert Chambers, a handsome prep-school graduate
89 The Hillside Stranglers An examination of the infamous case of serial killers Angelo Buono and Kenneth Bianchi, who murdered 10 young women and girls in Los Angeles in 1977 and 1978
90 The Pizza Connection Story of how the FBI busted one of the largest drug rings ever. The exploding case led investigators from New York's sidewalk pizzerias to Zurich's financial districts and the highest levels of the Italian government
91 The John Lennon Assassination A look at the twisted mind of Mark David Chapman, the deranged Beatles fan who grew up worshipping John Lennon, then stalked and murdered him on December 8, 1980.
92 Spree Killers A look at the crimes and capture of Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate, teenage lovers who murdered 10 people in the 1950s.
95 Framed The shocking story of Clarence Brandley, an innocent man who was convicted of murder and spent seven years on death row before being cleared.
96 False Witness The strange case of Gary Dotson, who wasn't released from prison even when the woman who accused him of rape admitted that she'd been lying.
97 Marriage & Murder An examination of three cases where husbands and wives have murdered their spouses. Features Charlene Brundidge, who killed her husband, then later won clemency because she was an abused wife.
99 Hunting Bambi: The Laurie Bembenek Story The case of beautiful ex-cop Lawrencia "Bambi" Bembenek, who escaped after spending nine years in prison for the murder of her husband's ex-wife.
100 Dead Woman Walking: The Karla Faye Tucker Story Recalls the controversial life and death of the first woman executed in Texas since 1984.

101–116

117–133

141–160

161–180

178–197

197–215

216–235

236–247

Specials

External links

References

  1. ↑ "American Justice - Episode Guide - A&E TV". American Justice. A&E TV. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
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