Tom Robinson Trial Report

On August 26, 1935, I witnessed Maycomb County Court turn the United States Court System into a monstrosity. Thomas Robinson, 25, was accused for the alleged rape and molestation of Mayella Violet Ewell, a white woman (citizen of Maycomb, Alabama). As I entered the courtroom, I realized that Maycomb had been inundated with racism and supported the segregation of public facilities, as do most Southern states. This was my first trip to Alabama, but I have never seen so many people at a trial before. I’d say 80% of the courtroom was Caucasian, with the minority making up the convict’s family or friends. I conducted a thorough background investigation on Tom Robinson and discovered that he was falsely charged with disorderly conduct. Otherwise,

Naturally, Tom would be seen as the guilty party in this situation, but here’s why he isn’t. Mayella Ewell, the so-called victim, Heck Tate, Bob Ewell, and Tom Robinson all had different accounts on what happened on the twenty-first day of November. Heck Tate, the sheriff of Maycomb County, took the stand first in this trial. Heck was dressed formally in a suit and tie. However, when Mr. Gilmer and Atticus Finch approached him to question him, he became nervous and stiff. Heck testified that he was on his way home from his office when Bob Ewell hollered at him to assist Mayella. Heck’s duty as sheriff is to give every citizen a fair chance, but this was not the case. He continuously doubted himself when recalling Mayella’s injuries. Atticus asked him which eye was blackened, he reluctantly muttered, “‘Let’s see,’ … ‘Can’t you remember?’ Atticus asked. … ‘Her left.’ ‘Wait a minute, Sheriff,’ said Atticus. ‘Was it her left facing you or her left looking the same way you were?’ Mr Tate said, ‘Oh yes, that’d make it right. It was her right eye, Mr. Finch.’” (Lee 185). Heck’s credibility was extremely low, as I and the other reporters around me could see. Also, Mr. Finch made an interesting point in saying that he never called a doctor, which was perplexing given Mayella’s condition after Tom had beaten her. I believed that Tom was innocent at this point, but I needed a bit more to confirm