Robert H. Jackson

The opening statement in a criminal trial is usually designed to give an overview of the prosecution's case, explain the reason for the prosecution, highlight the evidence, and foreshadow the links that will be made between the crimes and the defendants. Chief counsel Robert H. Jackson had an awesome responsibility in his opening statement because the eyes of the world were on Nuremberg waiting to see if the Nazis would be punished for their actions and if they could be tried with any measure of impartiality. Jackson clearly understood his role and adroitly explained the importance of the case in the context of world affairs; however, he also made the point that this prosecution had some similarities to more common trials in which individuals seek to evade responsibility either by claiming that they were simply following orders or that they...