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* The Scopes "[[wikipedia:Scopes Trial|Monkey Trial]]", over the teaching of evolution in schools. Scopes's conviction was set aside on appeal: The Butler Act, forbidding teaching of evolution, carried a mandatory fine of $100, which is what Scopes had been fined when convicted. However, Tennessee law of the time forbade judges from setting fines above $50, rendering the judgment invalid.
* An infamous political example: "I did not have sexual relations with that woman." A US President (Clinton) lying under oath is clear grounds for impeachment, but because [[Spock Speak|the agreed-on legal wording during the deposition for "sexual relations" did not include oral sex]], that charge failed. The joke at the time was "this is how you [[A Worldwide Punomenon|get off]] on a technicality". (Clinton ''was'' impeached for obstructing justice and a separate perjury charge, but acquitted by the US Senate).
** The Clintonpress conference quote didis not occurwhat underhe oath,was itcharged occurredwith atperjury afor press-- conferencethe charges were about President Clinton's sworn affidavit in the Paula Jones sexual harassment case (during which he also denied having sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky). AlsoHowever, since the *dictionary definition* of "sexual relations" doesdid not include oral sex, his attorneys successfully argued that President Clinton's answer, while possibly misleading, was not actually untrue and that the blame lay on the prosecutor for not asking a specific enough question to avoid an ambiguous answer. That said, IIRC the agreed-on legal wording allowed her to be having sex with him while he was not having sex with her.
* Very often, technicalities (for example, improperly collected evidence or confessions) will result in a retrial with said data excluded, not a defendant "getting off scot-free". Ernesto Miranda himself was convicted on retrial, and went to prison.
* The Teapot Dome scandal is remarkable in that one man was convicted of bribing the US Secretary of the Interior, while in a separate trial the Secretary of the Interior was acquitted on charges of receiving bribes.
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