Tom Robinson: Would He Be Guilty Today?

Tom Robinson: Would he be guilty today?

“Order in the court.” Court systems have changed a lot over time. With male vs. female or blacks against whites. Today, unlike how it was back then, there are four stages in a court; Pleading, Discovery, Trial, and After Trial.(How court cases work). The defendant gets read and explained to about their charge. If the defendant calls for a lawyer, the judge establishes one. The people in the courtroom, like witnesses try to provide evidence to support the side they are on. (How court works). People question if blacks are discriminated in courts like they were in the 1930’s, but our court systems today are way different and more fair now. In the book “To Kill a Mockingbird”, Tom Robinson would have not been guilty and would have been convicted innocent in our new

As opposed to having different race, gender, and ethnicity, the jury was filled with 12 white men. Scout Finch in “To Kill a Mockingbird” had a great description which summarizes all the court cases back then and how the juries were at that time: All white men(Judge Royal Ferguson). In the 1930’s, many cases like Tom’s happened. One of the cases was the George Stinney case. This was a fourteen year old boy who was convicted of the murder of two girls; Betty June Binnicker and Mary Emma Thames. In this case, they chose the jury at 10 o’clock in the morning and it ended just after 12 o’clock, starting the trial at 2.30p.m.(Juan Blanco). The closing arguments ended at 4:30 and the all white jury sentenced George Stinney, a fourteen year old boy death by execution after a two hour trial with only a ten minute jury deliberation. (Hearing Scheduled in Case of George Stinney, 14, Executed by S.C. in 1944).This shows how George Stinney, a black boy was charged and “railroaded” by the justice system.(Lindsey