Scottsboro Boys Trial

Injustice in the Eyes of the Law Spending years in a courtroom for a crime that did not occur is not really how someone would want to spend most of their youth. In the early 1900s there were may cases of racism found in the justice system. Many falsely accused black people were sent to death due to the fact that white people felt superior and were not questioned about the “incidents”. The Scottsboro Boys and the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee are great examples of these events. The Scottsboro Boys trial and the key people involved closely relate to the events in To Kill A Mockingbird by representing the sense of injustice in the community and the legal system.

The case all began with a stone throwing fight between the young blacks

Samuel Leibowitz was appointed to defend the Scottsboro boys and Atticus was appointed to defend Tom Robinson. Although they were both appointed to defend the accused they believed in the innocence of their clients and worked to bring them the justice. Samuel Leibowitz, however, took the case against his wife and friends wishes who told him he would not win due to the defendants’ skin color but he was determined to win (Linder, Samuel Leibowitz). Atticus Finch was also a man of justice. He stated that “simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win” (Lee 101). This also shows how determined Atticus was to defend Tom Robinson, the man accused of the crime. Atticus Finch and Samuel Leibowitz are considered top lawyers for their determination and effort put into winning a

They were all accused of a crime they did not commit. Victoria Price and Ruby Bates were the accusers when they “pointed [out] six of the nine boys and said they were the ones who raped [them]” (Linder, The Trials of the Scottsboro Boys). Bob Ewell was quick to accuse Tom Robinson of the rape crime while Mayella went along. On the trial stands Mr. Ewell states the he had “seen that black nigger yonder ruttin’ on my Mayella” (Lee 231). Many believed the accusations, and even though there were many inconsistencies were found in the accuser’s testimonies the defendants were still considered guilty before the trial had even begun due to their skin color. During the time of the Scottsboro trials a woman told the story of “the mistreatment suffered by the two white girls at the hands of those horrible black brutes” (Ransdell, The First Scottsboro Trials). This woman was telling the story about an incident she did not witness but is certain these young men are guilty of. Atticus Finch also knew the outcomes of the Tom Robinson Case before it occurred. He stated in a conversation with a fellow citizen, “that boy might go to the chair, but he’s not going till the truth’s told” (Lee 195). Atticus knew that the trial would end with Robinson declared guilty because of “Maycomb’s usual disease” of racism (Lee 117). Color, however, should not be a factor when deciding the innocence of a person. In conclusion, the Scottsboro