37. The Miscarriage of Justice That Didn’t Happen
In 1974, The Execution of Private Slovik, starring Martin Sheen, was released. It posthumously catapulted Eddie Slovik, a US Army private executed for desertion during WWII, to fame. It also made his fate, which was depicted in the movie as a miscarriage of justice, into a cause célèbre for many, including death penalty opponents.
To the extent that people today know of Private Slovik, most associate him with the miscarriage of justice depicted in the film. In reality – whatever one’s position on the death penalty – Slovik’s fate was one he brought upon himself. As seen below, his conviction and execution stemmed from a cynical scheme he tried to carry out, that ended up backfiring in spectacular fashion.