The well-publicized case, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. Louise Woodward, drew intensely emotional discussions about childcare and working women. At its center was an au pair, Louise Woodward, who was born in Elton, England, and at age 18, like many other young European women before her, came to the United States to work. During November 1996, Woodward was hired to care for the two children of Drs. Sunil and Deborah Eappen of Newton, Massachusetts. Three months later, Woodward was arrested for assault and battery on eight-month-old Matthew Eappen. On February 9, 1997, Matthew died at Children's Hospital in Boston. His death was attributed to a fractured skull and underlying subdural hematoma. On March 5, 1997, Woodward was indicted by a grand jury on a charge of first-degree murder and was incarcerated.

Woodward's trial began in the fall of 1997. One of her attorneys was Barry Scheck, who came to prominence during the O.J. Simpson...