He said he saw the white teenagers jump off the train. But Judge Callahan would not let him repeat that testimony at the trial, stating that any such testimony was "immaterial. The jury began deliberation on December 5. "[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]. Speaking of the decision to install the marker, he said, 'I think it will bring the races closer together, to understand each other better. Roddy admitted he had not had time to prepare and was not familiar with Alabama law, but agreed to aid Moody. National Guard members in plain clothes mingled in the crowd, looking for any sign of trouble. possible compromise. The second round of trials began in the circuit court in Decatur, Alabama, 50 miles west of Scottsboro, under Judge James Horton. Each young man was tried, convicted and sentenced in a matter of days. Andy Wright is paroled. Nor would he allow Leibowitz to ask why she went to Chattanooga, where she had spent the night there, or about Carter or Gilley. . We did a lot of awful things over there in Scottsboro, didn't we? April 6 - 7: Clarence Norris and Charlie Weems, were placed on trial, convicted and given the death sentence. and Roy Wright wore street clothes. [94], Leibowitz led Commissioner Moody and Jackson County Circuit Clerk C.A. Montgomery, On July 15, 1937, Clarence Norris was convicted of rape and sexual assault and sentenced to death. their paroles. Leibowitz recognized that he was viewed by Southerners as an outsider, and allowed the local attorney Charles Watts to be the lead attorney; he assisted from the sidelines. January 24: Ozie Powell pulls a knife and slashes a police officer's throat while being transported to Birmingham Jail. While appeals were filed, the Alabama Supreme Court issued indefinite stays of executions 72 hours before the defendants were scheduled to die. This recantation seemed to be a severe blow to the prosecution. One letter from Chicago read, "When those Boys are dead, within six months your state will lose 500 lives. At this point, the International Labor Defense (ILD), the legal wing of the American Communist Party, took on the boys case, seeing its potential to galvanize public opinion against racism. [105], Haywood Patterson took the stand, admitting he had "cussed" at the white teenagers, but only because they cussed at him first. [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. [98] He denied being a "bought witness", repeating his testimony about armed blacks ordering the white teenagers off the train. Pardon Board denies the pardon applications of Norris, Another police official shoots Powell in the head. In 1931, nine young Black men, ages 13 to 21, were arrested and falsely accused of raping two white women aboard a train traveling through Scottsboro en route to Memphis, Tennessee. [93] The defense countered that they had received numerous death threats, and the judge replied that he and the prosecution had received more from the Communists. to be 18. The judge granted Roy Wright, the youngest of the . Leibowitz objected that the argument was "an appeal to passion and prejudice" and moved for a mistrial. The Supreme Court overturned the convictions on the basis that they did not have effective representation. The judge had ordered the Alabama bar to assist the defendants, but the only attorney who volunteered was Milo Moody, a 69-year-old attorney who had not defended a case in decades. He remained in contact with Montgomery throughout the years. 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. [citation needed], The prisoners were taken to court by 118 Alabama guardsmen, armed with machine guns. "[70] Threats of violence came from the North as well. 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. Femi Lewis is a writer and educator who specializes in African American history topics, including enslavement, activism, and the Harlem Renaissance. [103] Patterson explained contradictions in his testimony: "We was scared and I don't know what I said. In an opinion written by Associate Justice George Sutherland, the Court found the defendants had been denied effective counsel. "[118] He attempted to overcome local prejudice, saying "if you have a reasonable doubt, hold out. Attorney General Knight warned Price to "keep your temper. 1931 What year did the Scottsboro story begin? 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. On July 24, 1937, the state of Alabama dropped all charges against Willie Roberson, Olen Montgomery, Eugene Williams, and Roy Wright. April 7 - 8: Haywood Patterson meets the same sentence as Norris and Weems. 15 years. ILD to defend This second landmark decision in the Scottsboro Boys case would help integrate future juries across the nation. . Leibowitz's prompt appeal stayed the execution date, so Patterson and Norris were both returned to death row in Kilby Prison. Home. Andy Wright The legislation that led to today's pardons was the result of a bipartisan, cooperative effort. Without the "vivid detail" she had used in the Scottsboro trials, Victoria Price told her account in 16 minutes. On cross-examination Knight confronted him with previous testimony from his Scottsboro trial that he had not touched the women, but that he had seen the other five defendants rape them. [64] Now, two guardsmen with bayonets opened the courtroom doors, and Bates entered, "in stylish clothes, eyes downcast. Subjects . The Birmingham News described him as "dressed up like a Georgia gigolo. are added Price died in 1983, in Lincoln County, Tennessee. In March of 1931, nine young African-American men were accused of raping two white women on a train. November 15: The pardon applications of all five defendants are denied by Graves. Horton ruled the rest of defendants could not get a fair trial at that time and indefinitely postponed the rest of the trials, knowing it would cost him his job when he ran for re-election. On cross-examination, Bridges testified detecting no movement in the spermatozoa found in either woman, suggesting intercourse had taken place sometime before. According to the U.S. Supreme Court, "something more" was needed. released after all charges were dropped against them. Olen Montgomery attempted a vaudeville career after being released from prison, but these plans never materialized. He escaped in 1949 and in 1950 was found in. He escaped from prison in Alabama but was convicted of a different crime in Michigan and died in prison there. Lots bigger. Norris later wrote a book about his experiences. Judge Callahan cautioned Leibowitz he would not permit "such tactics" in his courtroom. represent the Scottsboro boys. [27], During the defense testimony, defendant Charles Weems testified that he was not part of the fight, that Patterson had the pistol, and that he had not seen the white girls on the train until the train pulled into Paint Rock. "[67] Her answers were evasive and derisive. Only four of the young African American men knew each other prior to the incident on the freight train, but as the trials drew increasing regional and national attention they became known as the Scottsboro Boys. After getting off the train, the white teens told the sheriff they had been attacked. Horton also postpones the trials of the eight other defendants as racial tensions are high in town. May:Thomas Knight, a justice on the Alabama Supreme Court, dies. That is a toy. Chief Justice Anderson's previous dissent was quoted repeatedly in this decision. "[71], Leibowitz systematically dismantled each prosecution witness' story under cross-examination. Ruby Bates toured for a short while as an ILD speaker. This denial was considered a violation of their right to due process under the Fourteenth Amendment. "[55], He pointed out that the National Guard had shuttled the defendants back and forth each day from jail, and that, this fact alone was enough to have a coercive effect on the jury. "[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. convicted, seven of the boys. Judge Horton postpones the trials of the other Scottsboro Patterson replied, "I told myself to say it. [29], The Court started the next case while the jury was still deliberating the first. [86] "There ain't going to be no more picture snappin' round here", he ordered. Alabama officials eventually agreed to let four of the convicted Scottsboro BoysWeems, Andy Wright, Norris and Powellout on parole. The Scottsboro boys were declared guilty, death by electrocution. Neither would he allow questions as to whether she'd had sexual intercourse with Carter or Gilley. [25], Dr. Bridges testified that his examination of Victoria Price found no vaginal tearing (which would have indicated rape) and that she had semen in her for several hours. How long did the jury take to re-convict the boys during the third trial? [43], The eight convicted defendants were assembled on April 9, 1931, and sentenced to death by electric chair. The prosecution presented only testimony from Price and Bates. During the long jury deliberations, Judge Callahan also assigned two Morgan County deputies to guard him. He was paroled in New York State in 1950. 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. [36], Co-defendants Andy Wright, Eugene Williams, and Ozie Powell all testified that they did not see any women on the train. The Scottsboro Trial: A Timeline Courtesy: Morgan County Archives 1931 March 25: In the depths of the Depression, a fight breaks out between white and black young men who are riding as hoboes on. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/timeline-of-scottsboro-boys-45428. He said that if he testified for the defense, his practice in Jackson County would be over. "[111], In May 1934, despite having run unopposed in the previous election for the position, James Horton was soundly defeated when he ran for re-election as a circuit judge. [69], Many of the whites in the courtroom likely resented Leibowitz as a Jew from New York hired by the Communists, and for his treatment of a southern white woman, even a low-class one, as a hostile witness. [131] In January 2004, the town dedicated a historical marker in commemoration of the case at the Jackson County Court House. Hundreds more gathered on the courthouse lawn. How long did the second set of trials last? [41] Slim Gilley testified that he saw "every one of those five in the gondola,"[42] but did not confirm that he had seen the women raped. and "[79] At one point, Knight demanded, "You were tried at Scottsboro?" [19], Because of the mob atmosphere, Roddy petitioned the court for a change of venue, entering into evidence newspaper and law enforcement accounts[20] describing the crowd as "impelled by curiosity". Grand jury indicts the nine Scottsboro boys for rape. State The nine, after nearly being lynched, were brought to trial in Scottsboro in April 1931, just three weeks after their arrests. Thomas Knight, Jr. by now (May 1935) Lieutenant Governor, was appointed a special prosecutor to the cases.[126]. [61] The locals resented his questioning of the official and "chewed their tobacco meditatively. It upheld seven of eight rulings from the lower court. The case is overturned and sent to a lower court. However, it would take several years for these young men's cases to be overturned. June: Ozie Powell is released from prison on parole. "What has been done to her cannot be undone. "[87], The defense moved for a retrial and, believing the defendants innocent, Judge James Edwin Horton agreed to set aside the guilty verdict for Patterson. [54] He wrote, "While the constitution guarantees to the accused a speedy trial, it is of greater importance that it should be by a fair and impartial jury, ex vi termini ("by definition"), a jury free from bias or prejudice, and, above all, from coercion and intimidation. there would be many more trials of the Scottsboro defendants over the years and each . The conviction of Eugene Williams 15. 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 due process clause of the 14th Amendment. 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. Did Ory Dobbins frame them? She had disappeared from her home in Huntsville weeks before the new trial, and every sheriff in Alabama had been ordered to search for her, to no avail.