Case Study On Scottsboro Boys

Scottsboro Boys Case
The Scottsboro Boys were nine African American teenagers, ages 13 to 20, accused in Alabama of raping two White American women on a train in 1931. The landmark set of legal cases from this incident dealt with racism and the right to a fair trial. The cases included a lynch mob before the suspects had been indicted, all-white juries, rushed trials, and disruptive mobs. It is commonly cited as an example of a miscarriage of justice in the United States legal system.
The womens names that were saying they had been raped were Victoria Price and Ruby Bites. The women were prostitutes and were on a job-hunting trip before the train stopped and they accused the African American teens of rape. Bates was the one that ended up coming out and telling the truth but Price kept up the lie. There was no proof of rape, the only thing found was a small amount of semen , and all of that non-motile was found. Which mean that the teens could not of raped either one of the women. Bates confessed to a minister first then at trial she said Price forced her to make up a lie, and in fact the men never touched her or Price. Most of the confession was written down in a letter.

The other eight teens were tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. Later on the conviction and sentences were reconsidered and changed. Clarence Norris, tried for rape, convicted and sentenced to death, Charlie Weems, convicted and sentenced to 75 years, Haywood Patterson, convicted the fourth time of rape and sentenced 75 years, Olen Montgomery, released, Ozzie Powell, pled guilty for assaulting an officer and sentenced to 20 years, Willie Roberson, released, Eugene Williams, released, Andy Wright, convicted and sentenced 99 years. All the the African American teens had to serve at least a little bit of time and then it varied after