Powell Vs Alabama Case Brief

Powell v. Alabama, 287 U.S. 45 (1932)

History: Powell v. Alabama was a Supreme Court decision where nine African-American males on a train were accused of raping two young Caucasian-American women. This situation sparked an altercation between the African-American men on the train and a few other white males. After being taken into custody, the Black men were not given the right to counsel upon request, and initially (besides one individual) sentenced to death.

Facts: in Scottsboro, Alabama during the year 1932, nine young African-American males better known today as the Scottsboro Boys proceeded to board an empty train that was preparing to travel through Alabama. Meanwhile, another group of white men in the relatively same age group also

Eventually, the local Scottsboro sheriff and a group of Alabama citizens stopped the train before it made it to Scottsboro, Alabama; two young white females claimed and accused the African-American males of sexually assaulting them while on the freight train. All nine men were taken into custody, and when word of the allegations spread angry crowds gathered around the jailhouse. The nine African-American boys were nearly lynched by an outraged mob of over a hundred people who proceeded to gather just outside the Scottsboro's jail. The Sherriff was unable to control the mob or show that he was able to guarantee the safety of the accused African-American men. This prompted the sheriff to call for the Alabama National Guard. Throughout the aftermath of the arrest, none of the Scottsboro boys were permitted to contact their families, who resided outside the state of Alabama. Once the trial had arrived, an attorney attempted to represent the defendants but expressed that he could not formally defend them during the trial. The judge made contact with various lawyers in the state in order to assume responsibility for defending the Scottsboro Boys, but only one lawyer agreed to represent the boys. The

Issue (3): regardless of whether or not the individual actually committed the crime, when an individual cannot afford an attorney, if found guilty should individuals who crime was perceived as heinous be sentenced to death?

Decision: The majority of the United States Supreme Court opinion reversed and remanded the court verdicts of the Alabama Supreme Court (7-2). The Supreme Court stated that due process and right to counsel of the Scottsboro boys had been violated during Alabama’s court case.

Opinion: (Majority) the 7-2 majority opinion ultimately overturned the convictions of the nine Scottsboro boys. This also required that a new trial be conducted with the advantage and constitutional right of legal counsel appointed by the court. Justice Sutherland proceeded to state that no attempt was made to investigate the trial, that the trial was rushed, and the defendants had no time to prepare a case. The majority of the United States Supreme Court concluded that a defendant, who is charged with a serious as well as heinous crime, must not be omitted of his constitutional right to have ample time to discuss and prepare his