Doctors' Trial

Post-World War II trial of German doctors for war crimes Doctors' TrialCourtroom at the trial, 12 December 1946CourtPalace of Justice, NurembergFull case name United States of America v. Karl Brandt et al. Started9 December 1946 (1946-12-09)Decided20 August 1947Court membershipJudges sitting Walter B. Beals (presiding) Harold L. Sebring Johnson T. Crawford Victor C. Swearingen (alternate) United States of America v. Karl Brandt, et al., commonly known as the Doctors' Trial, was the first of the twelve "subsequent Nuremberg trials" for war crimes and crimes against humanity after the end of World War II in Europe, the trial taking place between 1946 and 1947. The accused were 20 physicians and 3 SS officials charged for their involvement in the Aktion T4 programme and Nazi human experimentation. The Doctors' Trial was held by United States authorities at the Palace of Justice in Nuremberg in the American occupation zone before US military courts, not before the International Military Tribunal. Seven of the accused were sentenced to death by hanging, five were sentenced to life imprisonment, four were given prison sentences from 10 to 20 years, and seven were acquitted. The judges, h