Emery, Frederick

Arrested in 1904 for a very petty theft, under the British law of that time, because he could not speak he was committed to a prison for criminal lunatics without benefit of trial or legal representation. Both deaf and hearing friends and family fought to have him come to trial, but in 1909, after he had already been held for 5 years, a judge denied him the opportunity to prove his innocence and he continued to languish in jail until at least 1915. What happened to him after that is unknown. Not until 1953 was this Criminal Lunatics Act of 1800 finally changed to allow nonspeaking British deaf suspects their right to a trial.