In March 1952, the Bloody Christmas trial began against all seven young men, who were charged with battery, disorderly conduct, and disturbing the peace. The Pacific Historical Review writes that during the trial, Trojanowski and Brownson made up a story that they had peacefully asked the young men to leave the bar, but because Judge Joseph L. Call allowed testimony about the beatings, the true story of the vicious beatings was finally brought to light.
On March 12, 1952, all seven defendants were found guilty of two counts of battery and one count of disturbing the peace. However, Judge Call was so outraged by the account of Bloody Christmas that, according to “Radical L.A.” by Errol Wayne Stevens, he set aside the sentences and ordered a grand jury investigation into the LAPD and indictments for those who were involved in Bloody Christmas. Calling the behavior of the LAPD “intolerable and reprehensible,” Judge Call stated that the officers involved were “guilty of assault, battery, and assault with a deadly weapon -– a felony.”
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It was only after this moment, due to the actions of the judge, that the media started expressing interest in the case. Multiple papers devoted coverage to the story, and the Daily News ran a 10-part series that looked into the many concerning connections over the years between the police and criminals.
