How many Scottsboro trials were there? On March 24, 1932, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled against seven of the eight remaining Scottsboro Boys
Scottsboro Boys
The Scottsboro Boys were nine African American teenagers, ages 13 to 20, falsely accused in Alabama of raping two white women on a train in 1931. The landmark set of legal cases from this incident dealt with racism and the right to a fair trial. The cases included a lynch mob before the …
What are the main ideas of the Scottsboro trials?
What is the main idea of the Scottsboro trial? The trial of the Scottsboro Boys was a historic event in which nine black youths were wrongfully accused and convicted for a crime they didn’t commit. Occurring in 1931, the Scottsboro Boys’ trials sparked outrage and a demand for social change.
What were the Scottsboro Boys really guilty of?
What two crimes were all of the Scottsboro 9 charged with? Following the 1935 US Supreme Court ruling, the Scottsboro Boys were each tried again on the charges of raping Victoria Price and Ruby Bates. They were convicted again and served more time in prison. How many Scottsboro trials were there? nine Scottsboro
How did the Scottsboro trials start?
The fight is said to have started when a young white man stepped on the hand of one of the Scottsboro Boys. The young white men who were fighting were forced to exit the train. Enraged, they conjured a story of how the black men were at fault for the incident.
What was the significance of the Scottsboro trial?
The Scottsboro Trials were among the most infamous episodes of legal injustice in the Jim Crow South. The events that culminated in the trials began in the early spring of 1931, when nine young black men were falsely accused of raping two white women on a train. The cases were tried and appealed in Alabama and twice argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. Despite evidence that exonerated the ...
When was the second Scottsboro trial?
March 27, 1933March 27, 1933 Haywood Patterson's second trial begins in Decatur before judge James Horton. April 9, 1933 Haywood Patterson found guilty by jury and sentenced to death in the electric chair. April 18, 1933 Judge Horton postpones the trials of the other Scottsboro boys because of dangerously high local tensions.
How many of the Scottsboro Boys were released?
November 15: Governor Graves denies the pardon applications of all five Scottsboro defendants. November 17: Weems is released on parole. January: Andy Wright and Clarence Norris are released on parole. September: Wright and Norris leave Alabama, in violation of their parole.
How many accused Scottsboro Boys were there?
nine blackThe Scottsboro Boys were nine black teenagers falsely accused of raping two white women aboard a train near Scottsboro, Alabama, in 1931.
When was the last Scottsboro boy released?
June 6, 1950Wright left Alabama in violation of his parole in 1946, was arrested, and for the next four years was in and out of the Alabama prison system. He left Kilby prison for good on June 6, 1950, the last Scottsboro Boy to be freed.
Is Ruby Bates still alive?
In 1940, Bates moved to Washington state, where she married. She returned to Alabama in the 1960's. She died on October 27, 1976 at age sixty-three.
What happened to the 9 Scottsboro Boys?
On April 9, 1931, eight of the nine young men were convicted and sentenced to death. The judge granted Roy Wright, the youngest of the group, a mistrial because of age—despite the recommendation of the all-white jury.
How did the Scottsboro trials end?
Their trials began 12 days after the alleged crime and, despite ample evidence that they were innocent, eight of the nine were found guilty by all-white juries and sentenced to death in the electric chair.
What happened to Ozie Powell?
Ozie Powell was tried together with several of the other Scottsboro Boys, all of whom were found guilty by an all-white jury and sentenced to death. Within a span of three days, eight of the Scottsboro Boys, all under age 21, had been convicted and sentenced to death, with their execution date set for July 10, 1931.
What year did Scottsboro trials end?
On March 24, 1932, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled against seven of the eight remaining Scottsboro Boys, confirming the convictions and death sentences of all but the 13-year-old Eugene Williams.
How long was Clarence Norris in jail?
15 yearsMr. Norris, who was sentenced to death three times in a series of trials involving nine black teen-agers accused of raping two white women, spent 15 years in prison. He was then a fugitive for 30 years after he violated his parole and fled Alabama.
How long was Eugene Williams in jail?
The trial of the ninth boy –14-year-old Roy Wright – ended in a mistrial. He was never tried again, but he remained in jail until the charges against him were dropped in 1937....Eugene Williams.State:ALReported Crime Date:1931Convicted:1931Exonerated:1937Sentence:Death6 more rows
How long was Willie Roberson in jail?
Roberson was one of the defendants released in July of 1937, after six years without a retrial. Upon his release, Roberson said he wanted to become an airplane mechanic.
What was the impact of the Scottboro Boys trial?
The trials of the Scottboro Boys, the two Supreme Court verdicts they produced and the international uproar over their treatment helped fuel the rise of the civil rights movement later in the 20th century, and left a lasting imprint on the nation’s legal and cultural landscape.
How many teenagers were arrested in Scottsboro?
The nine teenagers—Charlie Weems, Ozie Powell, Clarence Norris, Andrew and Leroy Wright, Olen Montgomery, Willie Roberson, Haywood Patterson and Eugene Williams—were transferred to the local county seat, Scottsboro, to await trial. Only four of them had known each other before their arrest.
What did the Supreme Court rule in Powell v. Alabama?
In November 1932, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Powell v. Alabama that the Scottsboro defendants had been denied the right to counsel, which violated their right to due process under the 14th Amendment.
What was the name of the case in which two black teenagers were accused of rape?
Alabama. Norris v. Alabama. The Scottsboro Boys were nine black teenagers falsely accused of raping two white women aboard a train near Scottsboro, Alabama, in 1931. The trials and repeated retrials of the Scottsboro Boys sparked an international uproar and produced two landmark U.S. Supreme Court verdicts, even as the defendants were forced ...
Who was the Scottsboro boy who died?
Clarence Norris, who received a pardon from Governor George Wallace of Alabama in 1976, would outlive all of the other Scottsboro Boys, dying in 1989 at the age of 76. In 2013, the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles voted unanimously to issue posthumous pardons to Patterson, Weems and Andy Wright, bringing a long-overdue end to one ...
Where was the second round of the Alabama murder trial?
The second round of trials began in the circuit court in Decatur, Alabama, 50 miles west of Scottsboro, under Judge James Horton. One of the boys’ accusers, Ruby Bates, recanted her initial testimony and agreed to testify for the defense.
Which court case overturned the guilty verdicts?
Alabama. In January 1935, the Supreme Court again overturned the guilty verdicts, ruling in Norris v. Alabama that the systematic exclusion of blacks on Jackson Country jury rolls denied a fair trial to the defendants, and suggesting that the lower courts review Patterson’s case as well.
Who was the governor of Scottsboro Alabama?
White outrage erupts over the allegations, and a lynch mob gathers at the Scottsboro jail, prompting the sheriff to call Alabama Governor Benjamin Meeks Miller. Governor Miller in turn calls in the National Guard to protect the jail and its prisoners. March 30: A grand jury indicts all nine "Scottsboro Boys.".
How long was James Patterson in jail?
January 23: Patterson is found guilty and sentenced to 75 years in prison. The sentence is a compromise between the foreman, who thought the defendant innocent, and the rest of the jury. January 24: While being transported back to Birmingham Jail, Ozie Powell pulls a knife and slashes Deputy Edgar Blalock's throat.
What is the significance of Norris v. Alabama?
Alabama, the United States Supreme Court finds the exclusion of blacks on jury rolls deprived black defendants of their rights to equal protection under the law as guaranteed in the Fourteenth Amendment. The case is overturned and remanded to a lower court.
Why did Judge Horton postpone the trial of the other defendants?
Then, the judge postpones the trials of the other defendants because tensions in town are running too high to expect a "just and impartial verdict.".
Why is Patterson's case not argued?
The case is overturned and remanded to a lower court. Patterson's case is not argued before the court because of technicalities in filing dates; however, the court strongly suggests the lower courts review his case "in light of the situation which has now developed.".
When did Andy Wright and Clarence Norris go to jail?
September: Wright and Norris leave Alabama, in violation of their parole. Chalmers persuades them to return to the South and, despite promises to be lenient, both are returned to jail, Norris in October 1944, Wright in October 1946.
Who was tried in the Wright case?
April 8-9: Olen Montgomery, Ozie Powell, Willie Roberson, Eugene Williams and Andy Wright are tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. April 9: The case against Roy Wright, aged 13, ends in a hung jury when 11 jurors seek a death sentence, and one votes for life imprisonment. April-December: Shocked by the speedy trials, ...
Why did Williams get a new trial?
Williams is granted a new trial because he was considered a minor when he was originally convicted. May 27: The United States Supreme Court decides to hear the case. November 7: In the case of Powell v. Alabama, the Supreme Court ruled that the defendants were denied the right to counsel.
When is the new trial for Roy Wright?
He is granted a new trial. October 20: The cases of the nine defendants are moved from Horton's court to Judge William Callahan. November 20: The cases of the youngest defendants, Roy Wright, and Eugene Williams, are moved to Juvenile Court. The other seven defendants appear in Callahan's courtroom.
Why is Patterson's case not included in the argument?
The case is overturned and sent to a lower court. However, Patterson's case is not included in the argument because of filing date technicalities. The Supreme Court suggests that lower courts review Patterson's case. December: The defense team is reorganized.
When did Judge Horton suspend the death penalty?
April 18 : Judge Horton suspends Patterson's death sentence after a motion for a new trial. Horton also postpones the trials of the eight other defendants as racial tensions are high in town. June 22: Patterson's conviction is set aside by Judge Horton. He is granted a new trial.
Who died in the Alabama Supreme Court case?
May: Thomas Knight, a justice on the Alabama Supreme Court, dies. June 14: Patterson's conviction is upheld by the Alabama Supreme Court. July 12 - 16: Norris is sentenced to death during his third trial. As a result of the pressure of the case, Watts becomes sick, causing Leibowitz to steer the defense.
Does Callahan's bias reveal in the Patterson case?
November to December: Patterson and Norris' cases both end in the death penalty. During both cases, Callahan's bias is revealed through his omissions— he does not explain to Patterson's jury how to deliver a not guilty verdict and also does not ask for the mercy of God upon Norris' soul during his sentencing.
When did the Scottsboro cases get removed from the court?
October 20, 1933. The Scottsboro cases are removed from Judge Horton's jurisdiction and transferred to Judge William Callahan's court. Nov.-Dec., 1933. Haywood Patterson and Clarence Norris are tried for rape, convicted, and sentenced to death.
When did the Supreme Court overturn the Scottsboro convictions?
January, 1935. The U. S. Supreme Court agrees to review the most recent Scottsboro convictions. April 1, 1935. The U.S. Supreme Court overturns the convictions of Norris and Patterson because African Americans were excluded from sitting on the juries in their trials.
Why were the Scottsboro boys arrested?
Scottsboro boys are arrested on charges of assault. Rape charges are added against all nine boys after accusations are made by Victoria Price and Ruby Bates. Scottsboro boys are nearly lynched by crowd of over 100 gathered around Scottsboro's jail. Grand jury indicts the nine Scottsboro boys for rape.
When was Ruby Bates convicted?
January 5, 1932. Ruby Bates, in a letter to a Earl Streetman, denies that she was raped. March, 1932. Alabama Supreme Court, by a vote of 6-1, affirms the convictions of seven of the boys. The conviction of Eugene Williams is reversed on the grounds that he was a juvenile under state law in 1931. May, 1932.
Who was the judge in Haywood Patterson's second trial?
Haywood Patterson's second trial begins in Decatur before judge James Horton. Haywood Patterson found guilty by jury and sentenced to death in the electric chair. Judge Horton postpones the trials of the other Scottsboro boys because of dangerously high local tensions.
When did the protests in Alabama start?
May 7, 1933 . In one of many protests around the nation, thousands march in Washington protesting the Alabama trials. June 22, 1933 . Judge Horton sets aside Haywood Patterson's conviction and grants a new trial.
Who Were The Scottsboro Boys?
Initial Trials and Appeals
- In the first set of trials in April 1931, an all-white, all-male jury quickly convicted the Scottsboro Boys and sentenced eight of them to death. The trial of the youngest, 13-year-old Leroy Wright, ended in a hung jury when one juror favored life imprisonment rather than death. A mistrial was declared, and Leroy Wright would remain in prison until...
Powell v. Alabama
- In November 1932, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Powell v. Alabama that the Scottsboro defendants had been denied the right to counsel, which violated their right to due process under the 14th Amendment. The Supreme Court overturned the Alabama verdicts, setting an important legal precedent for enforcing the right of African Americans to adequate counsel, and remande…
Norris v. Alabama
- In January 1935, the Supreme Court again overturned the guilty verdicts, ruling in Norris v. Alabamathat the systematic exclusion of blacks on Jackson Country jury rolls denied a fair trial to the defendants, and suggesting that the lower courts review Patterson’s case as well. This second landmark decision in the Scottsboro Boys case would help integrate future juries across the nati…
Scottsboro Boys Legacy
- Alabama officials eventually agreed to let four of the convicted Scottsboro Boys—Weems, Andy Wright, Norris and Powell—out on parole. After escaping from prison in 1948, Patterson was picked up in Detroit by the FBI, but the Michigangovernor refused Alabama’s efforts to extradite him. Convicted of manslaughter after a barroom brawl in 1951, Patterson died of cancer in 1952…
Sources
- Daren Salter, Scottsboro Trials, Encyclopedia of Alabama. Scottsboro: An American Tragedy, PBS. History, Scottsboro Boys Museum and Cultural Center. Alan Blinder, “Alabama Pardons 3 ‘Scottsboro Boys’ After 80 Years,” New York Times, November 21, 2013.