[86], According to one account, juror Irwin Craig held out against the imposition of the death penalty, because he thought that Patterson was innocent.[87]. June 22: Patterson's conviction is set aside by Judge Horton. Welcome to Famous Trials, the Web's largest and most visited collection of original essays, trial transcripts and exhibits, maps, images, and other materials relating to the greatest trials in world history. "[71], Leibowitz systematically dismantled each prosecution witness' story under cross-examination. In his closing argument, Leibowitz called the prosecution's case "a contemptible frame-up by two bums. How long did the trials last? 30 days. The legislation that led to today's pardons was the result of a bipartisan, cooperative effort. Today, the Scottsboro Boys have finally received justice.[5]. Alabama Governor Robert Bentley signs legislation Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like How many boys were in the Scottsboro trial?, Where did the trials take place?, What were the boys accused for? Her claim, however, is dismissed. 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. Norris [63] The judge abruptly interrupted Leibowitz.[64]. Governor Robert J. Bentley said to the press that day: While we could not take back what happened to the Scottsboro Boys 80 years ago, we found a way to make it right moving forward. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/timeline-of-scottsboro-boys-45428. Considering the evidence, he continued, "there can be but one verdictdeath in the electric chair for raping Victoria Price. The case was assigned to District Judge James Edwin Horton and tried in Morgan County. [29], The Court started the next case while the jury was still deliberating the first. Scheduled maintenance: Thursday, January 26 from 6PM to 7PM PST. Chamlee was joined by Communist Party attorney Joseph Brodsky and ILD attorney Irving Schwab. On July 24, 1937, the state of Alabama dropped all charges against Willie Roberson, Olen Montgomery, Eugene Williams, and Roy Wright. "[85], The jury began deliberating Saturday afternoon and announced it had a verdict at ten the next morning, while many residents of Decatur were in church. Williams is granted a new trial because he was considered a minor when he was originally convicted. Alabama Governor Bibb Graves commuted Norris sentence to life imprisonment in 1938, and denied pardon applications by all five convicted defendants that same year. Norris later wrote a book about his experiences. Speaking of the decision to install the marker, he said, 'I think it will bring the races closer together, to understand each other better. [64] Now, two guardsmen with bayonets opened the courtroom doors, and Bates entered, "in stylish clothes, eyes downcast. and more. The Scottsboro Boys were nine African American teenagers and young men, ages 13 to 20, accused in Alabama of raping two white women in 1931. [62] (Note: Since most blacks could not vote after having been disenfranchised by the Alabama constitution, the local jury commissioners probably never thought about them as potential jurors, who were limited to voters. He later pleaded guilty to assaulting the deputy. convicted Without the "vivid detail" she had used in the Scottsboro trials, Victoria Price told her account in 16 minutes. Patterson pointed at H.G. DOCX "The Scottsboro Trials" PBS DocumentaryThe American Experience Ruby Bates, in a letter to a Earl Streetman, denies that The attorneys approached the bench for a hushed conversation, which was followed by a short recess. But when deputies questioned two white women, Ruby Bates and Victoria Price, they accused the boys of raping them while onboard the train. Judge Callahan cautioned Leibowitz he would not permit "such tactics" in his courtroom. They later recalled that he "died hard. On July 15, 1937, Clarence Norris was convicted of rape and sexual assault and sentenced to death. Patterson snapped, "I was framed at Scottsboro." Boys. 17. "[61] He called local jury commissioners to explain the absence of African-Americans from Jackson County juries. During prosecution testimony, Victoria Price stated that she and Ruby Bates witnessed the fight, that one of the black men had a gun, and that they all raped her at knifepoint. Horton also postpones the trials of the eight other defendants as racial tensions are high in town. On April 9, 1931, eight of the nine young men were convicted and sentenced to death. Chief Justice Anderson's previous dissent was quoted repeatedly in this decision. The humiliated white teenagers jumped or were forced off the train and reported to the city's sheriff that they had been attacked by a group of black teenagers. of dangerously high local tensions. After Roberson and Wright died in 1959, he told Norris he planned on returning to the south. reports Did brother Hill frame them? Knight questioned them extensively about instances in which their testimony supposedly differed from their testimony at their trial in Scottsboro. Ozie Powell said that while he was not a participant, he had seen the fight with the white teenagers from his vantage point between a boxcar and a gondola car, where he had been hanging on. July:Patterson escapes from prison and travels to Detroit. The Scottsboro Boys Trials: A Chronology - University of Missouri Stream thousands of hours of acclaimed series, probing documentaries and captivating specials commercial-free in HISTORY Vault. The vote against him was especially heavy in Morgan County. He had never lost a murder trial and was a registered Democrat, with no connection to the Communist Party. At nine on Thursday morning, April 9, 1931, the five defendants in Wednesday's trial were all found guilty. I appreciate the Pardons and Parole Board for continuing our progress today and officially granting these pardons. He also shows the Supreme Court justices the jury rolls with forged names. I want you to know that. The Alabama Supreme Court granted 13-year-old Eugene Williams a new trial because he was a juvenile, which saved him from the immediate threat of the electric chair. [120], The case went to the United States Supreme Court for a second time as Norris v. Alabama. Where and when Eugene Williams settled and died is unknown. Now the question in this case is thisIs justice in the case going to be bought and sold in Alabama with Jew money from New York? Private investigations took place, revealing that Price and Bates had been prostitutes in Tennessee, who regularly serviced both black and white clientele. Stand your ground, show you are a man, a red-blooded he-man. They kept Joseph Brodsky as the second chair for the trial. This sentence was a negotiation between the foreman and the rest of the jury. Eugene Williams moved with family in St. Louis. guilty. It was the basis for the court's finding in Norris v. Alabama (1935), that exclusion of African-American grand jurors had occurred, violating the due process clause of the Constitution. The other defendants waited in the Jefferson County jail in Birmingham for the outcome of the appeals. Judge Horton, who had faced no opposition in his previous [86] Bailey had held out for eleven hours for life in prison, but in the end, agreed to the death sentence. and 3 days How long did the first trial last? Roberson were "[66] The attorney tried to question her about a conviction for fornication and adultery in Huntsville, but the court sustained a prosecution objection. [24], Clarence Norris and Charlie Weems were tried after Haywood Patterson. [73], The prosecution withdrew the testimony of Dr. Marvin Lynch, the other examining doctor, as "repetitive." She said she was "sorry for all the trouble that I caused them", and claimed she did it because she was "frightened by the ruling class of Scottsboro." July 12: Victoria Price sues NBC for defamation and invasion of privacy after its broadcast of Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys airs. "[83] He goes on to say that, "Until Wright spoke, many of the newspapermen felt that there was an outside chance for acquittal, at least a hung jury. This denial was considered a violation of their right to due process under the Fourteenth Amendment. Who framed them? "[103] Bailey attacked the defense case. Wallace. [11] The posse brought the women to the jail where the accused were being held, and they identified them as their attackers. [14][15] He took the defendants to the county seat of Gadsden, Alabama, for indictment and to await trial. Knight countered that there had been no mob atmosphere at the trial, and pointed to the finding by the Alabama Supreme Court that the trial had been fair and representation "able." No new evidence was revealed. He drifted around in the North, working odd jobs and struggling with a drinking problem. On the date first set for their executions, the Scottsboro boys listen to the execution of Willie Stokes, the first of ten blacks to be executed at the prison over the next ten years. The second round of trials began in the circuit court in Decatur, Alabama, 50 miles west of Scottsboro, under Judge James Horton. He admitted under questioning that Price told him that she had had sex with her husband and that Bates had earlier had intercourse as well, before the alleged rape events.[41]. The defense team argued that their clients had not had adequate representation, had insufficient time for counsel to prepare their cases, had their juries intimidated by the crowd, and finally, that it was unconstitutional for blacks to have been excluded from the jury. "[56], Anderson noted that, as the punishment for rape ranged between ten years and death, some of the teenagers should have been found "less culpable than others", and therefore should have received lighter sentences. Articles with the HISTORY.com Editors byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan and Matt Mullen. According to the U.S. Supreme Court, "something more" was needed. [55] About the courtroom outburst, Justice Anderson noted that "there was great applause and this was bound to have influence. June 12: In his bid for re-election, Horton is defeated. nights. He testified that he had been on the train on the morning of the arrests. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Scottsboro "[55] Justice Anderson also pointed out the failure of the defense to make closing arguments as an example of under zealous defense representation. how long did the second set of scottsboro trials last January: Andy Wright and Clarence Norris are released on parole. Roddy admitted he had not had time to prepare and was not familiar with Alabama law, but agreed to aid Moody. Femi Lewis is a writer and educator who specializes in African American history topics, including enslavement, activism, and the Harlem Renaissance. June: Ozie Powell is released from prison on parole. However, the Scottsboro defendants decided to let the ILD handle their appeal.[2]. The ILD retained Walter Pollak[57] to handle the appeal. she Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. July 23 - 24: Ozie Powell's rape charges are dropped. of the "[79], Just after the defense rested "with reservations", someone handed Leibowitz a note. [123] He noted that the Court had inspected the jury rolls, chastising Judge Callahan and the Alabama Supreme Court for accepting assertions that black citizens had not been excluded. By the evening, the local newspaper, Jackson County Sentinel calls the rape a "revolting crime.". During both cases, Callahan's bias is revealed through his omissionshe 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. Scottsboro Boys Trial Flashcards | Quizlet The Scottsboro Accusers | American Experience | PBS The day after the verdict, Ozie Powell was shot in the head after attacking a deputy sheriff with a knife; both men survived. The Ku Klux Klan staked a burning cross in his family yard. Horton replied: "Don't worry about that, I'll take care of it. [86] "There ain't going to be no more picture snappin' round here", he ordered. 30 days. "[79] At one point, Knight demanded, "You were tried at Scottsboro?" [1] A group of whites gathered rocks and attempted to force all of the black men from the train. But others believed they were victims of Jim Crow justice, and the case was covered by numerous national newspapers. He did not, and this insult eventually caused Leibowitz to leap to his feet saying, "Now listen, Mr. Attorney-General, I've warned you twice about your treatment of my witness. Court. [134], In early May 2013, the Alabama legislature cleared the path for posthumous pardons. One man admitted that the handwriting appeared to be his. Patterson is convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 6 Irwin "Red" Craig (died 1970) (nicknamed from the color of his hair) was the sole juror to refuse to impose the death penalty in the retrial of Haywood Patterson, one of the Scottsboro Boys, in what was then the small town of Decatur, Alabama. The Last of the Scottsboro Boys, in 1979. When she responded that the Communist Party had paid for her clothes, any credibility she had with the jury was destroyed. When the case, by now a cause celebre, came back to Judge Hawkins, he granted the request for a change of venue. Thomas Knight maintained that the jury process was color blind. Judge Horton was appointed. Posse stops Southern Railroad train in Paint Rock, Why were 9 men arrested on the night of March 31, 1931? In an opinion written by Associate Justice George Sutherland, the Court found the defendants had been denied effective counsel. "[107] For his summation, solicitor Wade Wright reviewed the testimony and warned the jury, "that this crime could have happened to any woman, even though she was riding in a parlor car, instead of the boxcar."[103]. It is now widely considered a legal injustice, highlighted by the state's use of all-white juries. "[81] As to Wright's reference to "Jew money", Leibowitz said that he was defending the Scottsboro Boys for nothing and was personally paying the expenses of his wife, who had accompanied him. "[70] Threats of violence came from the North as well. Graves. By the early 1930s, with the nation mired in the Great Depression, many unemployed Americans would try and hitch rides aboard freight trains to move around the country searching for work. The first jury deliberated less than two hours before returning a guilty verdict and imposed the death sentence on both Weems and Norris. [43], The eight convicted defendants were assembled on April 9, 1931, and sentenced to death by electric chair. Knight continued, "We all have a passion, all men in this courtroom to protect the womanhood in Alabama. Montgomery, Scottsboro case | law case | Britannica In the same election, Thomas Knight was elected Lieutenant Governor of Alabama.[112]. to December: The defense team is reorganized. Bailey, the prosecutor in his Scottsboro trial, stating, "And Mr. Bailey over therehe said send all the niggers to the electric chair. The U. S. Supreme Court announces that it will review the He said threats were made even in the presence of the judge. "[55] Moreover, they "would have been represented by able counsel had a better opportunity been given. Judge Horton called the first case against Haywood Patterson and began jury selection. In 1936, Ozie Powell was involved in an altercation with a guard and shot in the face, suffering permanent brain damage. Clarence Norris, the oldest defendant and the only one sentenced to death in the final trial, "jumped parole" in 1946 and went into hiding. The U. S. Supreme Court agrees to review the most recent Weems, Olen Montgomery testified that he sat alone on the train and did not know of any of the referenced events. State September: Wright and Norris leave Alabama. transferred to Judge William Callahan's court. Anderson concluded, "No matter how revolting the accusation, how clear the proof, or how degraded or even brutal, the offender, the Constitution, the law, the very genius of Anglo-American liberty demand a fair and impartial trial."[56]. He told the court that he had "no apologies" to make.[58]. convictions. [124], Alabama Governor Bibb Graves instructed every solicitor and judge in the state, "Whether we like the decisions or not We must put Negroes in jury boxes. August: A denial of parole is recommended for Patterson and Powell by an Alabama parole board. She was, however, the first witness to use her bad memory, truculence, and total lack of refinement, and at times, even ignorance, to great advantage. Haywood is charged with murder. "[9] The posse arrested all black passengers on the train for assault.[10]. Haywood Patterson's second trial begins in Decatur before April 8 - 9: Olen Montgomery, Ozie Powell, Willie Roberson, Eugene Williams, and Andy Wright are also tried, convicted and sentenced to death. [133] It is located in the former Joyce Chapel United Methodist Church and is devoted to exploring the case and commemorating the search for justice for its victims. Verdict is announced in Scottsboro case - History He denied participating in the fight or being in the gondola car where the fight took place. How long did the jury take to re-convict the boys during the third trial? Judge Callahan started jury selection for the trial of defendant Norris on November 30, 1933, Thanksgiving afternoon. In one of many protests around the nation, thousands march [104] Although the defense needed her testimony, by the time a deposition arrived, the case had gone to the jury and they did not hear it at all. The issue of the composition of the jury was addressed in a second landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that race could not be used to exclude anyone from candidacy for participation on a jury anywhere in the United States. [65], A large crowd gathered outside the courthouse for the start of the Patterson trial on Monday, April 2. Welcome to Famous Trials, the Web's largest and most visited collection of original essays, trial transcripts and exhibits, maps, images, and other materials relating to the greatest trials in world history. "[81], Leibowitz objected and moved for a new trial. at the prison over the next ten years. The defense moved for another change of venue, submitting affidavits in which hundreds of residents stated their intense dislike for the defendants, to show there was "overwhelming prejudice" against them. But Judge Callahan would not let him repeat that testimony at the trial, stating that any such testimony was "immaterial. Scottsboro Documentary Viewing Guide.docx - Course Hero [51] Chamlee pointed to the uproar in Scottsboro that occurred when the verdicts were reported as further evidence that the change of venue should have been granted. [114], Dr. Bridges was a state witness, and Leibowitz cross-examined him at length, trying to get him to agree that a rape would have produced more injuries than he found. He also testified that defendant Willie Roberson was "diseased with syphilis and gonorrhea, a bad case of it." Judge Callahan allowed it, although he would not allow testimony by Patterson stating that he had not seen the women before Paint Rock. The Scottsboro Boys were nine African American teenagers and young men, ages 13 to 20, accused in Alabama of raping two white women in 1931. [66], Leibowitz used a 32-foot model train set up on a table in front of the witness stand to illustrate where each of the parties was during the alleged events, and other points of his defense. The other five were convicted and received sentences ranging from 75 years to death. . The black teenagers were: Haywood Patterson (age 18), who claimed that he had ridden freight trains for so long that he could light a cigarette on the top of a moving train; Clarence Norris (age 19), who had left behind ten brothers and sisters in rural Georgia[citation needed]; Charlie Weems (age 19); brothers Andy Wright (age 19) and Roy Wright (age 12), who were leaving home for the first time; the nearly blind Olin Montgomery (age 17), who was hoping to get a job in order to pay for a pair of glasses; Ozie Powell (age 16); Willie Roberson (age 16), who suffered from such severe syphilis that he could barely walk; and Eugene Williams (age 13);[6] Of these nine boys, only four knew each other prior to their arrest. boys because The Birmingham News described him as "dressed up like a Georgia gigolo. She was not the first witness to be evasive, sarcastic and crude. "[80] Bates proceeded to testify and explained that no rape had occurred. Norris April 18: Judge Horton suspends Patterson's death sentence after a motion for a new trial. "[80], Her dramatic and unexpected entrance drew stares from the residents of the courtroom. Roy Wright's jury could not agree on sentencing, and was declared a hung jury that afternoon. The Scottsboro Boys were nine Black teenagers falsely accused of raping two white women aboard a train near Scottsboro, Alabama, in 1931. [97][103], Lester Carter took the stand for the defense. [92] The prosecution countered with testimony that some of the quotes in the affidavits were untrue and that six of the people quoted were dead. [40] There was no uproar at the announcement. "The Scottsboro Boys." The foreman unfisted a moist crumpled note, handed it to the clerk. 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. The Scottsboro boys were declared guilty , death by electrocution . [113] She claimed Norris raped her, along with five others. [65] The jury was selected by the end of the day on Friday and sequestered in the Lyons Hotel. to of the execution, many of the boys report nightmares or An NBC TV movie, Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys (1976), asserted that the defense had proven that Price and Bates were prostitutes; both sued NBC over their portrayals. Leibowitz was escorted to the train station under heavy guard, and he boarded a train back to New York. . [97] He confirmed Price's rape account, adding that he stopped the rape by convincing the "negro" with the gun to make the rapists stop "before they killed that woman. Another police official shoots Powell in the head. At this trial, Victoria Price testified that two of her alleged assailants had pistols, that they threw off the white teenagers, that she tried to jump off but was grabbed, thrown onto the gravel in the gondola, one of them held her legs, and one held a knife on her, and one raped both her and Ruby Bates. Watts moved to have the case sent to the Federal Court as a civil rights case, which Callahan promptly denied. "[83], In his closing, Leibowitz called Wright's argument an appeal to regional bigotry, claiming talk about Communists was just to "befuddle" the jury. Posse member Tom Rousseau claimed to have seen the women and youths get off the same car but under cross-examination admitted finding the defendants scattered in various cars at the front of the train. How many boys did Alabama set free during the fourth trial? His case went to the jury at nine that evening. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. 1 day. At one point, a white man stood on the hand of 18-year-old Haywood Patterson, who would become one of the Scottsboro Nine, and almost knocked him off the train. Callahan denied the motion. He escaped in 1949 and in 1950 was found in. officially pardoning and exonerating all nine Scottsboro During the Decatur retrial, held from November 1933 to July 1937, Judge Callahan wanted to take the case off "the front pages of America's newspapers. In the question of procedural errors, the state Supreme Court found none. The American Communist Party maintained control over the defense of the case, retaining the New York criminal defense attorney Samuel Leibowitz. When the US Supreme Court agreed to hear the case in 1977, Price disregarded the advice of her lawyer and accepted a settlement from NBC. Finally, she testified she had been in New York City and had decided to return to Alabama to tell the truth, at the urging of Rev. The Supreme Court sent the case back to Judge Hawkins for a retrial. For the last time now, stand back, take your finger out of his eye, and call him mister", causing gasps from the public seated in the gallery. View scottsboro film questions.doc from AA 1"The Scottsboro Trials" PBS DocumentaryThe American Experience Comprehension Questions 1. Bates. On March 25, 1931, two dozen people were "hoboing" on a freight train traveling between Chattanooga and Memphis, Tennessee, the hoboes being an equal mix of blacks and whites. However, it would take several years for these young men's cases to be overturned. The jury found the defendant guilty of rape and sentenced Patterson to death in the electric chair. Alabama does not continue its attempts to return Patterson to prison. protesting the Alabama trials. What did . "[72] Paint Rock ticket agent W. H. Hill testified to seeing the women and the black youths in the same car, but on cross-examination admitted to not seeing the women at all until they got off the train. [30][31] The celebration was so loud that it was most likely heard by the second jury waiting inside. "[4] The Court ruled that it would be a great injustice to execute Patterson when Norris would receive a new trial, reasoning that Alabama should have opportunity to reexamine Patterson's case as well. "[99] The many contradictions notwithstanding, Price steadfastly stuck to her testimony that Patterson had raped her. The remaining "Scottsboro Boys" in custody, that of Norris, A Wright and Weems were at this time in Kilby Prison. to the execution of Willie Stokes, the first of ten blacks After Alabama freed Roy Wright, the Scottsboro Defense Committee took him on a national lecture tour. However, Patterson's case is not included in the argument because of filing date technicalities. [84], Attorney General Knight delivered his rebuttal, roaring that if the jury found Haywood not guilty, they ought to "put a garland of roses around his neck, give him a supper, and send him to New York City." "The Scottsboro Boys." When Leibowitz accused them of excluding black men from juries, they did not seem to understand his accusation. Wright and Williams, regardless of their guilt or innocence, were 12 and 13 at the time and, in view of the jail time they had already served, justice required that they also be released. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. [68], Price was not the first hardened witness [Leibowitz] had faced, and certainly not the most depraved. Thomas Knight, Jr. by now (May 1935) Lieutenant Governor, was appointed a special prosecutor to the cases.[126].