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Abstract: 

“A son who could never satisfy his mother; a mother who loathed her less-than-purebred daughter-in-law; a father who felt betrayed by his twin sons.” So summed up a New York Times report of the elder abuse field’s equivalent of O.J. Simpson’s trial. The case involved the top of the top tier of New York society, millions of dollars, and a complicated storyline featuring not only the 100-plus years lived by its victim, but generations before and after her. The Brooke Astor/Anthony Marshall trial finally came to a conclusion on October 8, 2009: Anthony Marshall, 85, was convicted of 14 of 16 counts of stealing from his mother. His attorney, Francis X. Morrissey, was convicted of all five counts against him, including forgery. This article provides background information on the case and delves into the legal details surrounding it and issues raised by the very visible proceedings. There is also an interesting sidebar “Astor Case, By the Numbers” with items of what amounts to numerical trivia associated with the sensational case.

Keywords: Brooke Astor; Anthony Marshall; Francis X. Morrissey

Affiliations:  1: American Society of Adult Abuse Professionals and Survivors.