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Tom Robinson: Would He Be Guilty Today?

900 Words4 Pages

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 …show more content…

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

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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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There were many cases like the Tom Robinson case, an important one is the Scottsboro Boys, which took over 20 years to solve. The court rulings in the early 1900’s were based on race and the trial of Tom Robinson in “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee gives us a glimpse of how horrific racial inequality was for African-Americans. In the book, Tom Robinson was found guilty of a crime just because of his skin color. He was accused

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I believe Tom Robinson isn’t guilty. Some ways I could tell this is how he presents his case, his mannerisms, and also how his injuries can make him unable to commit the said crime. The plaintiffs and witnesses supporting them did not present their information in that way. Many of the testimonies were conducted improperly, or weren’t said confidently. Hector Tates was very contradictory, Bob Ewells was disorderly, and Mayellas was abruptly emotional.

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The white men would always win. “Judge Taylor was pulling the jury; “Guilty...Guilty... Guilty...Guilty” Tom Robinson was convicted for a crime that he didn’t even do. They even had evidence but they still chose the white man. “Link that but might go to the chair, but he’s not going til the truth is told and you know what the truth is.”

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Lastly, the outcomes of both Robinson’s and Stinney’s convictions would be very different in a modern day courtroom due to the cruel and unusual punishment clause of the 14th Amendment. In 2005 the Supreme Court ruled that it was cruel and unusual punishment to execute someone convicted of murder that was under the age of eighteen (Juveniles and the death penalty). Although inmates do not have the same constitutional rights as free citizens, this same clause would have applied to Tom Robinson and his rights while in jail (Prisoner Rights). While modern day laws allow the shooting of a fleeing unarmed inmate, there are many stipulations to this law. Today’s officers would have to prove that there was an immediate threat to do so.

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But when Tom was announced guilty, he didn’t know what to think, except the people of Maycomb weren’t who he thought they were. “His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd. ‘It ain’t right’...” (284). Jem was in absolute shock about the jury’s conviction when he knew Robinson was innocent; it was clear as day in that boy’s eyes. “He leaped off the bed, grabbed me by the collar and shook me.

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