The People's Court (German: Volksgerichtshof) is a special court established by German Chancellor Hitler in 1934. Because Hitler was quite dissatisfied with the court's arson trial in the Reichstag (because some of them were acquitted), Hitler set up an independent court outside the constitutional framework, called the "People's Court" ( Volksgerichtshof). The Court's jurisdiction is broadly defined as "political crimes," including cases such as black market, sabotage, defeatism, and treason. These cases will be regarded by the People's Court as "corrupting combat power" (Wehrkraftzersetzung) and will therefore impose rather severe penalties. A considerable number of cases entered into the People's Court will be sentenced to death.
The highest rate of death sentences in the people's courts was when Roland Freisler was president, and trials such as the July 20 conspiracy to murder Hitler were held when he was in power. Most of the cases convicted by the People's Court will be executed in the Pritzker Prison. The trial process of the people's court is mostly "public trial". For example, the trial of Sophie Sol and her brother Hans Sol and others who participated in the White Rose resistance movement ended within an hour. And it does not allow either party to present evidence or argue the case. The presiding judge in the courtroom, often acting like a prosecutor, charges the accused, then convicts the accused, and pronounces the sentence without any objection from the defense's lawyer (although the defense's lawyer often chooses to remain silent). Undoubtedly, this kind of trial procedure completely deviates from the usual procedure and laws in Germany at that time, and the People's Court is also called "Kangaroo Court".
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