at the prison over the next ten years. all nine boys after accusations are made by Victoria Price The Associated Press reported that the defendants were "calm" and "stoic" as Judge Hawkins handed down the death sentences one after another. Why was Samuel Leibowitz naive? He had testified in the first Decatur trial that Price and Bates had had sex with him and Gilley in the hobo jungle in Chattanooga prior to the alleged rapes, which could account for the semen found in the women. Price's case was initially dismissed but she appealed. June 12: In his bid for re-election, Horton is defeated. But when deputies questioned two white women, Ruby Bates and Victoria Price, they accused the boys of raping them while onboard the train. [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." to the execution of Willie Stokes, the first of ten blacks Thomas Lawson announced that all charges were being dropped against the remaining four defendants: He said that after "careful consideration" every prosecutor was "convinced" that Roberson and Montgomery were "not guilty." April 9, 1933 : Haywood Patterson found guilty by jury and sentenced to death in . April 7 - 8: Haywood Patterson meets the same sentence as Norris and Weems. 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. His appointment to the case drew local praise. In the Norris case, Leibowitz argued that the trials were inherently biased due to the exclusion of African Americans on the juries. After hearing What was the common image of black men in Scottsboro? June 28: In a defense motion for new trials, Leibowitz argues that qualified African-Americans were kept off jury rolls. [80], With his eye turned to the southern jury, Knight cross-examined her. April 6: Bates comes forward as a witness for the defense. Norris. Judge Callahan allowed it, although he would not allow testimony by Patterson stating that he had not seen the women before Paint Rock. by Governor He drifted around in the North, working odd jobs and struggling with a drinking problem. The sheriff gathered a posse and gave orders to search for and "capture every Negro on the train. Leibowitz said that Callie Brochie was a fictional character in a Saturday Evening Post short story and suggested that Price's stay with her had been equally fictional. "[53] Again, the Court affirmed these convictions as well. After 14 hours of deliberation, the jury filed into the courtroom; they returned a guilty verdict and sentenced Norris to death. He got Dr. Bridges to admit on cross-examination that "the best you can say about the whole case is that both of these women showed they had sexual intercourse. possible compromise. May 27: The United States Supreme Court decides to hear the case. Norris judge James 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." [26][28] The defense put on no further witnesses. 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. After Roberson and Wright died in 1959, he told Norris he planned on returning to the south. [91] He removed protection from the defense, convincing Governor Benjamin Meek Miller to keep the National Guard away. Callahan sustained a prosecution objection, ruling "the question is not based on the evidence."[115]. The New York Times described Leibowitz as "pressing the judge almost as though he were a hostile witness. The second trial of Haywood Patterson opened on March 30 . Andy Wright was convicted and sentenced to 99 years. [86] "There ain't going to be no more picture snappin' round here", he ordered. Horton also postpones the trials of the eight other defendants as racial tensions are high in town. Haywood is charged with murder. The men's cells were next to the execution chamber, and they heard the July 10, 1931 execution of Will Stokes,[44] a black man from St. Clair County convicted of murder. What was the final verdict? Alabama Supreme Court affirms the convictions of Haywood 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? [81] Wade Wright added to this, referring to Ruby's boyfriend Lester Carter as "Mr. Caterinsky" and called him "the prettiest Jew" he ever saw. . [110], As Time described it: "Twenty-six hours later came a resounding thump on the brown wooden jury room door. Powell, Roberson, Williams, Montgomery and Wright trial, United States Supreme Court reverses Decatur convictions, Douglas O. Linder, "Without Fear or Favor: Judge James Edwin Horton and the Trial of the 'Scottsville Boys. Price accused Eugene Williams of holding the knife to her throat, and said that all of the other teenagers had knives. The defense objected vigorously, but the Court allowed it.[42]. electric chair. While the pretrial motion to quash the indictment was denied, Leibowitz had positioned the case for appeal. The Ku Klux Klan staked a burning cross in his family yard. The trial of the youngest, 13-year-old Leroy Wright, ended in a hung jury when one juror favored life imprisonment rather than death. The jury foreman, Eugene Bailey, handed the handwritten verdict to Judge Horton. Norris. against The only drama came when Knight pulled a torn pair of step-ins from his briefcase and tossed them into the lap of a juror to support the claim of rape. 20. [31] On cross-examination, Roy Wright testified that Patterson "was not involved with the girls", but that "The long, tall, black fellow had the pistol. [citation needed], Judge Horton learned that the prisoners were in danger from locals. Harry Emerson Fosdick of that city. Finally, he defended the women, "Instead of painting their faces they were brave enough to go to Chattanooga and look for honest work. Pardon Board denies the pardon applications of Norris, July 24: The rape charges against Olen Montgomery, Willie Roberson, Eugene Williams, and Roy Wright are dropped. Roberson were She reiterated that neither she nor Price had been raped. October 26: The United States Supreme Court decides not to hear the appeal of Patterson. and the Chief Justice Anderson's previous dissent was quoted repeatedly in this decision. 19. But from then on the defense was helpless. However, Gilley had told her to "go to hell." in a mistrial when some jurors hold out for a death sentence But he said that he saw the alleged rapes by the other blacks from his spot atop the next boxcar. January 5: A letter written from Bates to her boyfriend is uncovered. Chattanooga Party member James Allen edited the Communist Southern Worker, and publicized "the plight of the boys". He remained in contact with Clarence Norris, Willie Roberson, and the Wright brothers. But others believed they were victims of Jim Crow justice, and the case was covered by numerous national newspapers. The Birmingham News described him as "dressed up like a Georgia gigolo. [39] Under cross-examination she gave more detail,[38] adding that someone held a knife to the white teenager, Gilley, during the rapes. Weems, convictions 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. He claimed also to have been on top of the boxcar, and that Clarence Norris had a knife. A doctor was summoned to examine Price and Bates for signs of rape, but none was found. How long did the jury take to re-convict the boys during the third trial? Charlie Weems was paroled in 1943 after having been held in prison for a total of 12 years in some of Alabama's worst institutions. Home. 4. of dangerously high local tensions. [43], Judge Hawkins set the executions for July 10, 1931, the earliest date Alabama law allowed. She said Patterson had fired a shot and ordered all whites but Gilley off the train. He refused the pardons but did commute Norris's death sentence to life in prison. She was not the first witness to be evasive, sarcastic and crude. The judge and prosecutor wanted to speed the nine trials to avoid violence, so the first trial took a day and a half, and the rest took place one right after the other, in just one day. Without the "vivid detail" she had used in the Scottsboro trials, Victoria Price told her account in 16 minutes. 16. He said, "Don't you know these defense witnesses are bought and paid for? Thirty-six potential jurors admitted having a "fixed opinion" in the case,[96] which caused Leibowitz to move for a change of venue. Alabama Pardon Board declines to pardon Patterson and Speaking of the decision to install the marker, he said, 'I think it will bring the races closer together, to understand each other better. The remaining "Scottsboro Boys" in custody, that of Norris, A Wright and Weems were at this time in Kilby Prison. August: Patterson dies of cancer while serving time in prison. During the retrials, one of the alleged victims admitted to fabricating the rape story and asserted that none of the Scottsboro Boys touched either of the white women. What did Samuel Leibowitz suggest to the court about Victoria Price's story? [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. [29], The Court started the next case while the jury was still deliberating the first. and Roy Bates. [97][103], Lester Carter took the stand for the defense. A fight broke out, and the black . ILD to defend All the jurors agreed on his guilt, but seven insisted on the death sentence while five held out for life imprisonment (in cases like this, that was often an indication that the jurors believed the suspect was innocent but they were unwilling to go against community norms of conviction). Ozzie Powell is shot in the head by Sheriff Jay Sandlin Alabama. Alabama is going to observe the supreme law of America. June 22: Patterson's conviction is set aside by Judge Horton. The prosecution agreed that 13-year-old Roy Wright[2] was too young for the death penalty, and did not seek it. [75], Train fireman Percy Ricks testified that he saw the two women slipping along the side of the train right after it stopped in Paint Rock, as if they were trying to escape the posse. guilty. jurisdiction and [102], The prosecution called several white farmers who testified that they had seen the fight on the train and saw the girls "a-fixin' to get out", but they saw the defendants drag them back. They said the problem was with the way Judge Hawkins "immediately hurried to trial. Judge Callahan sustained prosecution objections to large portions of it, most significantly the part where she said that she and Price both had sex voluntarily in Chattanooga the night before the alleged rapes. Two white women also claimed they had been raped. [80][citation needed], By the time Leibowitz closed, the prosecution had employed anti-semitic remarks to discredit him. Alabama Governor Robert Bentley signs legislation October 29: Graves meets with the convicted defendants to consider parole. They were both suspected of being prostitutes and not only risked being arrested for it, but they could also have been prosecuted for violating the Mann Act by crossing a state line "for immoral purposes. Haywood Patterson found guilty by jury and sentenced to 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 nations legal and cultural landscape. because African Americans were excluded from sitting on the This is considered a violation of their parole. [40] There was no uproar at the announcement. Ruby Bates had given a deposition from her hospital bed in New York, which arrived in time to be read to the jury in the Norris trial. "[80] Bates proceeded to testify and explained that no rape had occurred. [36], Co-defendants Andy Wright, Eugene Williams, and Ozie Powell all testified that they did not see any women on the train. Early in 1936, Patterson was convicted for a fourth time, but sentenced to 75 years in prison. He was paroled in 1946 following his conviction for assault. "[35], The younger Wright brother testified that Patterson was not involved with the girls, but that nine black teenagers had sex with the girls. [105], Haywood Patterson took the stand, admitting he had "cussed" at the white teenagers, but only because they cussed at him first. The prosecution rested without calling any of the white youths as witness. The Supreme Court overturned the convictions on the basis that they did not have effective representation. What was the final verdict? When the case, by now a cause celebre, came back to Judge Hawkins, he granted the request for a change of venue. Because the case of Haywood Patterson had been dismissed due to the technical failure to appeal it on time, it presented different issues. Hundreds more gathered on the courthouse lawn. The first two times that he did so, Leibowitz asked the court to have him alter his behavior. But even with her revised testimony and evidence from the initial medical examination of the women that refuted the rape charge, another all-white jury convicted the first defendant, Patterson, and recommended the death penalty. However, G. Mennen Williams, governor of Michigan does not extradite Patterson to Alabama. He dies of cancer less than a year later. Each young man was tried, convicted and sentenced in a matter of days. These organizations provide support to the nine young men and their families. In 1931, a group of white teenagers started a fight with several Black teens and boys on a train. The case was assigned to District Judge James Edwin Horton and tried in Morgan County. [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. March 27: Patterson's second trial begins in Decatur, Ala before Judge James Horton. All but 13-year-old Roy Wright were convicted of rape and sentenced to death (the common sentence in Alabama at the time for black men convicted of raping white women), even though there was no medical evidence indicating that rape had taken place. [1] A group of whites gathered rocks and attempted to force all of the black men from the train. Price testified again that a dozen armed negro men entered the gondola car. though is reversed The train is stopped in Paint Rock, Ala and nine African-American teens are arrested for assault. Only four of them had known each other before their arrest. August: A denial of parole is recommended for Patterson and Powell by an Alabama parole board. [74], Leibowitz began his defense by calling Chattanooga resident Dallas Ramsey, who testified that his home was next to the hobo jungle mentioned earlier. Alabama officials eventually agreed to let four of the convicted Scottsboro BoysWeems, Andy Wright, Norris and Powellout on parole. He is found guilty and sentenced to 75 years in prison. Alabama Supreme Court upholds the death sentence for He was paroled in New York State in 1950. (2021, July 29). June: Patterson is caught and arrested by the FBI in Detroit. Both the police officer and Powell survive. Scottsboro Judge Horton refused to grant a new trial, telling the jury to "put [the remarks] out of your minds. Why did the boys get a second set of trials? Leibowitz showed the justices that the names of African Americans had been added to the jury rolls. protesting the Alabama trials. September: Wright and Norris leave Alabama. "[79], Just after the defense rested "with reservations", someone handed Leibowitz a note. Following Judge Hawkins' denial of the motions for a new trial, attorney George W. Chamlee filed an appeal and was granted a stay of execution. It was addressed more to the evidence and less to the regional prejudice of the jury.[118]. [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. But Judge Callahan would not let him repeat that testimony at the trial, stating that any such testimony was "immaterial. The Justices examined the items closely with a magnifying glass. The foreman unfisted a moist crumpled note, handed it to the clerk. Put on your case. Ozzie Powell pleads guilty June: The sentences given to Norris, Andy Wright, and Weems are affirmed by the Alabama Supreme Court. . . "[102], Patterson claimed the threats had been made by guards and militiamen while the defendants were in the Jackson County jail. 29, 2021, thoughtco.com/timeline-of-scottsboro-boys-45428. "[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. 1931. "[125], After the case was remanded, on May 1, 1935, Victoria Price swore new rape complaints against the defendants as the sole complaining witness. The case is overturned and sent to a lower court. While waiting for their trials, eight of the nine defendants were held in Kilby Prison. privacy, [127], By January 23, 1936, Haywood Patterson was convicted of rape and sentenced to 75 yearsthe first time in Alabama that a black man had not been sentenced to death in the rape of a white woman.[2]. [106], Knight declared in his closing that the prosecution was not avenging what the defendants had done to Price. Clarence Norris, Charlie Weems, Haywood Patterson, Olen (Credit: Wikipedia) The case unfolded with astounding rapidity. March 25: A group of young African-American and white men engage in a scuffle while riding a freight train. How many boys did Alabama set free during the fourth trial? [88], Judge Horton heard arguments on the motion for a new trial in the Limestone County Court House in Athens, Alabama, where he read his decision to the astonished defense and a furious Knight: .mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}.