July 20 - Today in Legal History

July 20, 1990 - Appeals Court Sets Aside Oliver North's Convictions

On this day in 1990, Oliver North's three Iran-Contra-related felony convictions were vacated, after a federal appeals court found that witnesses might have been affected by his immunized congressional testimony. Implicating members of the Reagan Administration, the 1987 Iran-Contra scandal involved the sale of arms to Iran and use of the proceeds to illegally fund the Contras, an insurgent organization in Nicaragua.

Related Resources:

• The Oliver North File (National Security Archive, George Washington University)
• The Iran-Contra Affair (National Security Archive, George Washington University)
• Appeals and Post-Conviction Remedies (FindLaw)