State of North Carolina v. Joan Little

When Karen Bethea-Shields was in college, she heard a judge say, “No way in the world a Black woman can get raped.” A few years later, in 1975, she helped successfully defend Joan Little—a Black woman—who became the first woman in the U.S. to be found not guilty of murder using the defense that she used deadly force to resist sexual assault. Thank you very much for being a member of Criminal Plus ! We’re grateful for your support. To access your members-only merch store, click here . Say hello on Twitter , Facebook and Instagram . We also make This is Love and Phoebe Reads a Mystery . Listen to them ad-free by adding them to your podcast player from your Criminal Plus account page . Artwork by Julienne Alexander . Episode transcripts are posted on our website . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices