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To What Extent Did Tom Robinson Trial To Kill A Mockingbird

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On Monday, August 26th, 1935, Tom Robinson of Maycomb County was found guilty of beating and raping a young white woman; Robinson was found guilty of raping and sentenced to death by an electric chair. This abrupt verdict was decided after a full day at the Maycomb County courthouse. Mr. Finch, the local defense lawyer, was appointed to defend Mr. Robinson. The testimonies provided by Miss Mayella Ewell and Mr. Bob Ewell influenced the jury's decision and the guilty verdict for Mr. Robinson. On November 21, 1934, Tom Robinson was arrested for rape allegations. This was only the beginning of Mr. Robinson’s struggles for justice and equality as an innocent black man. On December 24, 1934, Mr. Finch accepted Mr. Robinson as a client and had to face adversity within the community. Mr. Finch can already foresee the outcome of the trial in view of the fact of Mr. Robinsons race. Mr. Robinson commends Mr. Finch for his great efforts to fight for and protect himself. …show more content…

Robinson's Trial Began. The majority of Maycomb County citizens are racist and prejudiced. The Maycomb County Courthouse brought in an all-white jury with people not from the town of Maycomb but who “all come from the woods” (Lee 252). Quickly the prejudiced and racist citizens of Maycomb County believed Miss Mayella Ewell and her side of the story about the incident on November 21, 1934. Mr. Finch countered Miss Mayella Ewell’s statement saying “Tom, stand up. Let Miss Mayella have a good long look at you. Is this the man? His left arm was fully twelve inches shorter than his right, and hung dead at his side”(Lee 188). On Monday, August 26th, 1935, Mr. Robinson of Maycomb County was officially found guilty of beating and raping a young white woman, Mayella

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Mayella Ewell, the prosecutor, blamed Tom Robinson, the defendant, of rape on the night of November 21, 1935 at Mayella’s home in Maycomb, Alabama. The trial brought up included Tom Robinson, Mayella and Robert Ewell, Heck Tate, and Atticus Finch. Heck Tate and Robert Ewell were the witnesses for Mayella’s side and Atticus was the lawyer to Tom Robinson. This was such an important trial, whether the event actually happened or not, because Tom is a black man and Mayella is a white woman. The evidence provided shows that Tom most likely did not rape or beat Mayella, but her father was the one who could have beat her.

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In To Kill a Mockingbird by harper Lee, despite of him having a public trial, Tom Robinson, an innocent man was proven guilty, also his trial that was completely and utterly unfair, one-sided, and even discriminatory. This novel takes place in Maycomb, Alabama, a made up town. Robinson was working for the Ewell’s and one day Tom was invited into the house to fix a door. Tom Robinson was accused of raping and abusing a white woman, Mayella Ewell, when her father is the one who abused her. The jury had a lack of evidence to prove that Tom was guilty, and also ignored the evidence that proves his innocence.

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Likewise Trials Throughout the 1930’s, many accusations of rape were made against black males and brought up in court by white females. The Scottsboro Boys case (1931) and Tom Robinson’s case, from To Kill A Mockingbird, both represent how many of these cases played out. The Scottsboro Boys and Tom Robinson compare due to unfair trials and accusations held against them.

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In a town where everyones views are similar the majority of the towns people show their racists feelings toward Tom Robinson during the course of his trial. To start, shown when Mr. Ewell is testifying. He sheds his views on the trial and how he sees them. To add onto that, testifying in front of the court he states, “I seen that black nigger yonder ruttin’ on Mayella” (231).

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A man by the name of Tom Robinson is on trial for the rape of a girl by the name of Mayella Ewell. In this trial Tom can be considered innocent be the fact of his left arm is useless. “He [got] it caught in a cotton gin, caught it in Mr. Dolphus Raymond’s cotton gin when he was a boy… like to bleed to death… tore all the muscles loose from his bones-” (Lee 249). Tom is convicted of this crime against Mayella , which is a supposed beating, even though it is lead almost exclusively with the left hand, which Tom cannot use. Tom Robinson is a gentleman and also a very kind and generous man.

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Tom Robinson’s trial in August 26, 1935 was an event that everybody in Maycomb knew about. Mr. Ewell accuses Tom of raping his daughter Mayella Ewell. Atticus Finch, the defendant’s lawyer asked Mr. Ewell to write his name on a piece of paper to indicate whether he is right or left handed. Mr. Ewell does as instructed and reveals that he is left handed, it was said that there were hand marks on Mayella’s neck from a left handed person. The victim is now called up to speak and she swears to the oath.

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First, Tom Robinson should have been found not guilty because he was right handed. Mayella the victim, was punched in the face on the night of the crime. On page 235, Mr. Heck Tate stated that Mayella had a black eye on her right eye

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