where did attorney earl rogers live in los angeles

Where was Rogers found?

After that, Rogers was in and out of hospitals until he was found dead in his room in a humble lodging house on the site of the present Hall of Justice.

How much did Earl Rogers make in a year?

Rogers’ record of acquittals suggests that he bought witnesses. No case was ever made against him. He made more than $100,000 a year--a large sum indeed at that time. His reputation became so great that everyone who murdered anyone, in passion or cold blood, said, “Get me Earl Rogers.”

What did Rogers do?

His cross-examinations destroyed the prosecution’s expert witnesses. He cajoled and seduced juries with his histrionics. In person, he was immaculate. His clothes were one step beyond fashion. He always wore a gardenia in his buttonhole.

What was Rogers' last case?

One of Rogers’ last cases, near the end of his career, involved a young man, a nurse and an optometrist accused of conspiring to help the young man avoid the draft during World War I. They were tried separately, with separate counsel. Rogers defended the youth, who was acquitted. The other two were convicted.

Who was the man who gave Los Angeles its Griffith Park?

One of his most celebrated clients was “Col.” Griffith J. Griffith, who gave Los Angeles its Griffith Park. Griffith was a toad of a man who had got rich in mining and real estate and taken a young wife whom, during his Gargantuan drunks, he accused of infidelities and conspiring against him with the Pope.

Who is Earl Rogers' daughter?

I HAVE ALWAYS wanted to tell, if only in brief, the story of Earl Rogers, the celebrated Los Angeles criminal attorney, but I hesitated to do so as long as his daughter, Adela Rogers St. Johns, was alive. She died recently at 94.

Who was Rogers in the 1890s?

Rogers was the son of a Methodist minister and an academic; he himself was steered toward the ministry, but after marriage and a baby, he came to Los Angeles in the 1890s. Fascinated by the law, he soon got into the offices of Stephen M. White, the famous attorney and U.S. senator whose statue can be found in the Civic Center today. White liked Rogers’ quick mind and his style.

How did Earl Rogers die?

Sadly, like his mentor Stephen White, the more successful, famous and wealthy Rogers became, the more he drank. He deluded himself that, like a lawyer he read about in a novel, the more he drank the more brilliant he became. He eventually left his family and was notorious for his lavish lifestyle and partying at nightclubs all night. He divorced and remarried, but his second wife died of the flu. Earl Rogers was found dead in a “fleabag hotel” a block from the L. A. courthouse, the site of so many of his triumphs. He “drank himself to death.” [13]

What did Rogers do in 1897?

Senator Stephen White, an undefeated trial lawyer known as “the Little Giant.”. [2] In 1897 Rogers was admitted to the bar and opened an office in Los Angeles. From the start, he made an impression.

Why was Rogers called the trial lawyer's trial lawyer?

Darrow was indicted for attempting to bribe a juror in the trial of union leaders charged with blowing up the Los Angeles Times building and killing 21 people.

Why did Rogers bring the dead man's intestines to court in a jar?

Rogers created a sensation when he had the dead man’s intestines brought to court in a jar to show the jury that the path of the bullet was according to Alford’s story (He would do the same with a skull in a later trial). Rogers’ mentor, Senator White, was prosecuting.

What was Rogers' first trial?

Rogers’ first big trial was defending William Alford, a plumber accused of murdering Jay Hunter, a wealthy socialite.

Where was Earl of Perry born?

Born at Perry, N.Y., in 1870, the only son of a Methodist minister, Earl was young when he moved with his family to California. He had to drop out of Syracuse University and return to California with his new bride in 1890 when his father went bankrupt.

Who was Rogers' mentor?

Rogers’ mentor, Senator White, was prosecuting. Rogers knew that White, an alcoholic, was always late to court following lunch. Hence he put Alford on the stand as soon as the trial was reconvened so that White could not handle the cross-examination. [3] . The jury found Alford not guilty.

How many murder cases did Earl Rogers defend?

He defended 77 murder cases and lost only three. He was one of the greatest trial lawyers in American history. The long running TV series, Perry Mason, was based upon Earl Rogers life. His daughter Della Rogers St. John’s wrote a descriptive book of his trial skills in Final Verdict which is not only enjoyable reading, but educational as well.

What was Rogers' trial?

His trial in 1912 was a national sensation. As you might expect with two giants of the trial bar and one the client, the trial in Los Angeles was probably one of the more famous lawyer – client disagreements on trial tactics recorded in legal history. Rogers and Darrow argued daily about tactics with Rogers usually prevailing.

What did Rogers and Darrow argue about?

Rogers and Darrow argued daily about tactics with Rogers usually prevailing. His skills in argument were also extraordinary. In Darrow’s case, his argument was that the prosecution was a conspiracy against Darrow. In final argument he said to the jury:

Why was Darrow re-indicted?

However Darrow was re-indicted on a claim of bribery of another juror. Rogers began the defense but withdrew mid-trial from illness and Darrow continued pro se. The result was a hung jury with several jurors holding out for a conviction.

How long did it take for Rogers to get a jury verdict?

The jury instructions took 30 minutes and the jurors were back in less than half an hour with a not guilty verdict after a three month trial.

Who was Clarence Darrow's lawyer?

We think about Clarence Darrow as a great trial lawyer, but when Darrow was charged with jury bribery in Los Angeles, it was Rogers he selected to be his defense attorney. Darrow had been hired by the labor union to defend the McNamara brothers charged in the 1910 dynamiting of the Los Angeles time buildings in which 21 employees were killed. His trial in 1912 was a national sensation.

Who are the two trial lawyers of yesteryear?

Here’s to two great and unique trial lawyers of yesteryear Clarence Darrow and Earl Rogers.