Trials of war criminals before the Nuernberg military tribunals under control council law no. 10, volume IIIVarious
History
Trials of war criminals before the Nuernberg military tribunals under control council law no. 10, volume III
Various
Nuremberg Trial of Major German War Criminals, Nuremberg, Germany, 1945-1946; War crime trials -- Germany -- Nuremberg
In this connection the opportunity will arise to prove in general
that it is only a mere assertion of the prosecution that the Ministry
of Justice illegally ordered that a death sentence be carried out.
Klemm did not participate in the issuance of directives concerning
the clearing of jails when the enemy approached. These were affairs
which were ordered by the executive department of the ministry (Dept.
V). Evidence will be submitted which will prove that my client had
practically nothing to do with Department V. They will prove that all
decisions in these questions were always made by Thierack, without
consulting his Under Secretary. Concerning the individual case about
the illegal murder in the penitentiary Sonnenburg, the evidence
obtained up to now through the cross-examinations of witnesses will
be supported by additional evidence. It will clearly be shown that
the Ministry of Justice was not responsible for these measures. It
will be seen that Klemm did not know anything about the common plan of
the Reich defense commissioner and the general public prosecutor and
that therefore, he did not have the possibility to prevent that their
intentions were carried out.
By reference to individual cases I will prove that, in accordance with
the plea made by the entire defense the judiciary did not do anything
which made the lynching of Allied fliers who were shot down possible.
The contrary will be proved. It was Klemm who ordered that criminal
proceedings should be started against Germans who had killed Allied
fliers illegally. The disputes with the Party offices with regard to
these orders will be shown. Furthermore, it will be proved that Klemm
saw to it that Germans, who treated bailed-out enemy fliers decently
were protected from subordinated authorities of justice who showed
over-great zeal.
(_g_) When discussing the individual counts of the indictment
I will try to find the basis of the evidence for subsequent legal
considerations. This includes especially the question, whether it can
be at all important for the judging of the facts of a crime, to examine
the actions of a superior Minister in which the subordinate Under
Secretary had also no part. Here the problem will not be the importance
of an order with regard to criminal law, but it will be discussed that
the necessary causal connection is missing. Going further we will have
the opportunity to produce evidence before this Tribunal with regard to
the subjective side.
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