The Trial of Billy the Kid

By David G. Thomas

Book Overview

The trial that condemned Billy the Kid has remained one of the least understood episodes of his life - until now.

Billy the Kid's murder trial determined his fate. Yet while countless books have examined his childhood, outlaw career, role in the Lincoln County War, capture, escape, and death, most devote only a few paragraphs to the legal proceeding that sentenced him to hang.

Those accounts usually provide little more than the date, location, principal names, and verdict.

This book reconstructs Billy the Kid's trial in unprecedented detail, placing it within the violent political and legal world of territorial New Mexico. Drawing upon contemporary newspapers, court records, territorial laws, official correspondence, and other rare sources, it examines not merely what happened in the courtroom, but why Billy was prosecuted, how the case was conducted, and whether he ever had a realistic chance of acquittal.

For the first time, readers can explore the answers to questions that have long surrounded the trial:

What territorial laws governed Billy's prosecution?What specific charges were brought against him?Did a trial transcript once exist, and what became of it?What defense did Billy's attorneys present?Did Billy testify on his own behalf?Were any witnesses called for the defense?Who testified against him?How was the jury selected?What ruling by the trial judge placed Billy at a severe disadvantage?What legal grounds existed for an appeal?Was Billy the Kid given a fair trial-or was the verdict virtually predetermined?

The book also examines the events that brought Billy into the Mesilla courtroom, including the killing of Sheriff William Brady, the political forces surrounding the prosecution, and the legal decisions that ultimately sealed Billy's fate.

Illustrated with 132 photographs, including many rare and previously unpublished images, this volume offers the most detailed examination yet of the trial that transformed Billy the Kid from a fugitive into a condemned man.

For readers of Old West history, Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, the Lincoln County War, frontier law, and historical true crime, this book reveals the largely forgotten courtroom battle behind one of America's most enduring legends.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1952580021
• ISBN13: 9781952580024
• Release Date: March 2021
• Publisher: Doc45 Publishing
• Length: 296 Pages
• Weight: 2.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 9.2"