Sons and parents

[Susan Higginbotham]

The jury was assembled by the judge. I don't see any indication that it wasn't neutral, except in the sense that it was an all-male jury, but that was the norm at the time. (In most states, a jury wasn't required for an insanity trial, so by the standards of the day, Mary was getting more due process than most people in her situation did.)

Certainly it would have been better morally for Robert to have given his mother more notice, but his advisers were urging that he act swiftly. It's worth noting that David Davis worried that the verdict might be in favor of Mary, but thought it a risk worth taking.

I'll shut up about the subject now, save to reiterate that it was a sad and difficult situation for all involved, and that I think the only real villain in the piece was the man who did more damage than anyone to Mary's mental health--John Wilkes Booth.