Civilian Courts in DC

[Rick Smith]

Yes, and that has been the crux of arguments over why a military court was convened in the case of the conspirators. Someone needs to double-check me on this, but I believe that there was a famous murder case going on about the same time where another woman named Mary was on trial for having killed her lover because he jilted her.

I am no lawyer, but it seems to me that this case shows that the Lincoln assassination was an act of war and that because of this, a military tribunal would necessarily be convened, as the Commander in Chief of all Union forces was the target of this act of war.