Trial of Charles Guiteau (1881–1882)

In this episode of The Glitched Gavel, we explore the chaotic and controversial trial of Charles Guiteau, the man who assassinated President James A. Garfield, and how his case forced the American legal system to grapple with the blurred lines between political fanaticism and clinical insanity.

• The Divine Delusion: After being rejected for a federal appointment he believed he was owed, Charles Guiteau—a failed lawyer, preacher, and former member of a religious commune—convinced himself that God had commanded him to "remove" the President to heal the fractured Republican Party. On July 2, 1881, he shot Garfield at a Washington train station, famously shouting, "I am a Stalwart of the Stalwarts!"
• The Insanity Defense on Trial: The trial was one  ...