Rosenbergs’ espionage appeal denied by Supreme Court

On October 13, 1952, the US Supreme Court announced that it had declined to grant certiorari in the appeal of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, condemned to death for conspiracy to commit atomic espionage for the Soviet Union.

Justice William O. Douglas eventually granted a stay of execution on June 17, 1953, but that order was vacated by the full Court and the Rosenbergs were executed on June 19, 1953. Learn more about the Rosenbergs’ case from the Eisenhower Presidential Library.

THIS DAY @ LAW

English legal historian Frederic Maitland born

Frederic Maitland, legal historian and co-author of the History of English Law, was born on May 28, 1850.

Learn more about Frederic Maitland.

Indian Removal Act passed

On May 28, 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed into law the Indian Removal Act. The act authorized Johnson to exchange federal lands in the West for Indian lands in the American Southeast. While some tribes gave up their lands peacefully, others resisted. The "Trail of Tears" killed approximately 4,000 Cherokees in a forced march into the West. Learn more about the Indian Removal Act from the US Library of Congress.