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Tom Robinson Trial Essay

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On 26 August 1935, Tom Robinson has been charged with rape. The court case took place at the Maycomb County Courthouse where it was presided over by Judge John Taylor and a hand-picked jury. The prosecutor was Horace Gilmer and the defence lawyer was Atticus Finch. Tom Robinson, a black, was charged with sexually assaulting Mayella Ewell.
The alleged crime took place on the evening of 21 November last year, near the town garbage dump where the Ewells have been living for years. Mr Bob Ewell, the father of Mayella, said that he was “coming in from the woods” when he heard her scream so he ran as fast as he could. Mr Ewell then saw Tom taking advantage of his daughter, however, Tom ran away when he saw him coming. Mr Ewell was “too distracted …show more content…

He said that “she was beaten around the head” and there were “bruises on her arms”. Also, there were visible finger marks on Mayella’s gullet and her left eye was bruised.
According to Mayella, she was certain that Tom had raped her. Mayella said that she was standing on the front porch of her house when Tom walked by, she sought his help to chop down an old chiffarobe as she was “not strong enough”. In addition, she said that it was her first time asking Tom to help her. Mayella offered a nickel in exchange for his help. Then, as she was getting a nickel to pay, Tom was suddenly “on her and got her round the neck". She fought and hollered but was unable to fend him off. Subsequently, she fainted.
As a defence to the accusation, Tom was asked to the stand. It was shown to all that Tom’s left hand is 12 inches shorter than his right as his left arm was caught in a cotton gin since young. His left arm hung dead and could not be used. The accusation of Tom raping Mayella Ewell had come into serious question as it was implied by Atticus that it was unlikely for a person maimed in his left able to hurt Mayella's right eye. There is the possibility of Mr Ewell hurting his own daughter instead of Tom as Mr Ewell is left-handed. When Mayella was questioned by Atticus as to whether Tom or her father harmed her, there was no response. It was perceived as a sign of guilty conscience.

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