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Why Was The Scottsboro Trials Unfair

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The Scottsboro Trials were unfair and biased towards the black boys. Two prostitutes accused nine boys on a train of rape. The prostitutes committed a federal crime, by them crossing state boarders without a reasonable cause (Johnson). Right when the prostitutes got of the train, they cried rape. A majority of the nine boys were not even in the same train car as the prostitutes (Johnson). The trials went to the Supreme Court multiple times. The Supreme Court sent the cases back because, the boys were convicted guilty. The Supreme Court seemed to think the boys were not guilty (Johnson). The trials took place April 9, 1931, only 12 days after the arrest. After the first trial and conviction, the process took 18 years to get each boy out of
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1459 Words | 6 Pages

Rabina Mainali Sign 111 Dr. Dulan 3 November, 2015 Witnesses of the Scottsboro trials The Scottsboro trials came about during the year 1931 when Great Depression had hit the South hard. In search of work several individuals boarded a freight train from Chattanooga to Memphis, Tennessee not knowing their future ahead wasn’t so bright. While in the train a white man stepped on a black man’s hand, later identified as belonging to Haywood Patterson. A fight between the white youths and Patterson’s

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851 Words | 4 Pages

In the south back in the 1930’s there were many Americans who did not know the meaning of equality for all. With this being the case, many black people faced discrimination daily and it followed through to the legal systems especially in the south where both being compared took place. The evidence provided in both trials proved to be weak. Despite this, both defendants had determined lawyers who believed in justice.

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738 Words | 3 Pages

On the stand, Dr. Bridges admits that the sperm found in his examination were non-motile. ” showing even after one of the accusers took back her claim and gave a motive to where she was proving the Scottsboro boys were innocent. It still took 82 years to drop

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569 Words | 3 Pages

The charge of raping white women was an explosive accusation, and within two weeks the Scottsboro Boys were convicted and eight sentenced to death, the youngest, Leroy Wright at age 13, to life imprisonment. (D. Carter para. 2). At the time, during the trial the Alabama legal system was very prejudice, bias, and unconstitutional. First, the legal system was prejudice because the council that was provided was inadequate to defend his defendants and also the trial only took two weeks.

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1154 Words | 5 Pages

The ILD then pursued to have the case against the Scottsboro boys appealed. The case was taken to the United States Supreme Court. From here, it was a lengthy road for the defense. The Supreme Court then remanded the case back to Alabama Supreme Court, under the premise that the defense was denied the right to counsel. Here, Ruby Bates appeared to the court and changed her claim, then stating that she was not raped by the Scottsboro boys.

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623 Words | 3 Pages

and it was really not that at all. There were roughly twenty women hanged and possibly more because of these false accusations. There were many more lives lost in vain. The Scottsboro Trial was different, these nine young black men were falsely accused of a crime they did not commit. After the American Communist Party took the case and the National Association for the advancement of the colored people joined with other Civil Rights organizations, eventually one of the white women came- forwarded to repudiate her testimony.

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901 Words | 4 Pages

When you hear the name Scottsboro trial, the first common issue known in the case is the racism that goes on. Elisabeth Cawthon states in her article, “On March 25, 1931, several groups of young people were riding a freight train in northern Alabama. The young men who were accused of rape were teenagers, with the exception of 20-year-old Charlie Weems” (Cawthon 4). The boys were accused of raping two young women on the train. They were put into court and all of them were convicted to life and one to execution.

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860 Words | 4 Pages

The Scottsboro trials was an event where nine black boys were accused of rape by two white woman, and they went through a series of trials. The Scottsboro tragedy impacted and shaped our nation and its history being one of the earliest times whites and blacks fought together, and getting rid of how the south saw "justice", and lastly the stereotype that

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718 Words | 3 Pages

The Scottsboro tragedy showed the world and the North of the U.S how bad the racism problem was in the South. That was all these trials were based on. Alabama wanted to kill these men just because of the color of their skin, no real evidence. These trials revealed that injustice and caused the civil rights movement to become more supported. Although this incident was a sad time for the U.S, it helped uncover a lot of problems in the South and helped our judicial system change to be more

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1387 Words | 6 Pages

Not only did it break amendments court officials vowed to follow, but it defied basic human rights. The case showed discrimination against religion and race among the jury and prosecution- both to the extent of judges allowing it to happen, even agreeing with it. Regardless of the U.S. attempts to correct the wrongdoings committed in this trial by protecting all citizens, especially in falsely incriminating situations such as this, and ensure that all accused will have a fair defense. Given these points, it is clear the Scottsboro Trial did nothing but open the eyes of all American citizens and help them see the flaws of the U.S. Judicial

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816 Words | 4 Pages

The Trials for the Scottsboro boys were very controversial and had many twists and turns throughout it. It is known as one of the most controversial trials in american history. And The stories of the boys did not match up (Bellamy). The Cases of the Scottsboro boys were almost pre determined the jury had basically already had their decisions made on what they were gonna do. The boys also had different stories (Bellamy).

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1447 Words | 6 Pages

Racism and discrimination have been and continue to cause injustices around the world. One example of this that seems to keep coming back is the Scottsboro Boys case. This case took place in the 1930’s, but continues to impact society even today. Nine young black men were falsely accused of raping on a freight train over a fight with a group of white men. The case of the Scottsboro Boys was an unfair case that greatly influenced the civil rights movement and the society we live in today.

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The forefathers of the United States built this country on the ideals of freedom and equality for all people. Unfortunately, the fight for equality and freedom did not end with the revolutionary war. The fight has continued throughout the decades. Many of these issues were fought in the courtroom. Auburn University created an online Alabama Encyclopedia, there, the following quote stated, “Scottsboro became an international cause celebre that dramatically encapsulated the American south troubled post reconstruction history of legal and extralegal racial violence, the social and political upheaval of the great depression, and the lingering cultural divide between the north and south.”

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1657 Words | 7 Pages

Injustice The Scottsboro Case shed light on the racial practices expressed in law that made a great impact on the legal system today. The actual victims of the Case did not receive a fair trial due to the color of their skin. The ones who played the victims planned the crime, and their stories made no sense. But like many of the trials during the time it wasn’t based on the actual evidence that was found,or even the defendants ' stories.

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1085 Words | 5 Pages

“That trial is not fair where affection is judge. ”- Thomas Fuller. At a time when the country was divided between the judgement of a person’s skin color and justice. In 1931 The Scottsboro Trial was an underrated in American history.

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