608 McMartin Preschool trials The Eighties in America
stories. One child even identified actor Chuck Norris,
a city attorney, and four nuns whose photographs had
been taken in the 1940’s as among those who had mo-
lested them at the preschool. One expert found that
photographs of the children’s anuses were inconclu-
sive. Nevertheless, in January, 1986, after the $4 mil-
lion preliminary hearing was concluded, the judge
charged Ray Buckey with eighty-one felony counts,
his mother Peggy Buckey with twenty-seven, and the
others with various subsidiary crimes.
Soon, two members of the prosecution team re-
signed, claiming that the evidence against the defen-
dants was phony; one testified that Rubin had inten-
tionally lied to deny bail to the McMartin Seven. Ira
Reiner, who had defeated Philibosian to become the
new district attorney in 1984, then reviewed the evi-
dence and dropped charges against all but Ray and
Peggy Buckey. Jury selection began in April, 1987. At
trial, of 360 alleged victims of child abuse, only 11
children testified. The defense was denied the op-
portunity to view all the videotaped interviews with
the children. A prison snitch testified that Buckey
had admitted guilt in prison, but then admitted that
his testimony was not credible. A professor of medi-
cine testified that there was anal and vaginal pene-
tration, but his testimony was discredited because he
had no formal training in diagnosis. Social worker
MacFarlane’s testimony in August, 1988, was refuted
by a psychiatrist, who reported that the children
were saying whatever MacFarlane wanted them to
say. However, the judge refused to allow other cru-
cial rebuttal testimony.
The $15 million trial concluded in January, 1990,
becoming the longest criminal trial in American his-
tory. Peggy Buckey was acquitted, and the jury hung
on thirteen of the counts against Ray. Ray under-
went a second trial in June, 1990, which resulted in
another hung jury. The defense then moved that all
charges against Buckey be dismissed. The motion
was granted.
Impact In 1985, while the trial received television
coverage, there was widespread hysteria around the
country about child abuse in preschools. Approxi-
mately one million people were falsely accused of
child abuse. Teachers who made physical contact
with their students were sometimes fired and even
imprisoned. Conferences on child abuse focused on
satanic ritual abuse. Several persons were arrested
and convicted of participating in child abuse rings.
Another celebrated trial in 1986, involving a day-care
center in Massachusetts, resulted in three convic-
tions after prosecutors consulted with the McMartin
prosecutors for ideas.Subsequent Events Some of those falsely accused
across the country were able to rebuild their lives,
though Peggy Buckey developed agoraphobia.
Among thirty who were imprisoned for allegedly
molesting children in Bakersfield, one died in prison,
seven served their time (a twenty-year sentence in
one case), and twenty-two others had their convic-
tions reversed on grounds of judicial or prosecuto-
rial misconduct. The latter sued and won several mil-
lion dollars in compensation. Once the falsity of the
charges in the McMartin case became more widely
known, the hysteria over abuse subsided somewhat
and was replaced by concern over the ease with
which young children’s trial testimonies can be-
come tainted.Further Reading
Eberle, Paul, and Shirley Eberle.The Abuse of Inno-
cence: The McMartin Preschool Trial.New York: Pro-
metheus, 1993. Detailed examination of the evi-
dence in the case.
Nathan, Debbie, and Michael Snedecker.Satan’s Si-
lence: Ritual Abuse and the Making of a Modern Ameri-
can Witch Hunt. New York: Basic Books, 1995.
Analysis of the children’s fabricated claims in the
McMartin case and how ordinary citizens vilified
the McMartin Seven outside court.
Pride, Mary.The Child Abuse Industr y. Westchester,
Ill.: Crossway, 1986. Identifies how the hysteria
over child abuse adversely affected nearly one
million persons around the country.
Showalter, Elaine.Hystories: Hysterical Epidemics and
Modern Media. New York: Columbia University
Press, 1997. Points out that anyone is susceptible
to hysteria, especially when the media identify a
phenomenon that enables individuals to imagine
secret conspiracies and to fabricate claims, which
Showalter calls “hystories.”Jackson, Michael
See also Atlanta child murders; Brawley, Tawana;
Central Park jogger case; Crime; Journalism; Rape;
Sexual harassment; Tabloid television; Television.