Description
Sleepwalking Defense: Choate was one of the most skillful lawyers of his time and was called "the wizard of the law" by his contemporaries.
Rufus Choate (1799-1859) Handwritten Document Signed, "R. Choate", 7.75 x 3.5, Boston, Oct 29, 1839, a receipt for $100 retainer on account, by the American lawyer, orator, and Congressman from Boston, MA. In 1841, succeeded fellow Dartmouth graduate Daniel Webster in the United States Senate. Shortly afterwards he delivered an address at the memorial services for President William Henry Harrison at Faneuil Hall. On Webster's re-election to the Senate in 1845, Choate resumed his law practice. His successful use of sleepwalking as a defense against murder charges was the first time in American legal history this defense was successful in a murder prosecution. In fine condition.
$150 #12234
