Mayella Ewell Trial

After Tom Robinson was charged with raping 19 year old Mayella Ewell, he was taken to court and Atticus had to defend his case. On page 212 of the novel Tom Robinson states that he ran away from Mayella when she had kissed him because he was scared, Atticus asked him why and he said “ Mr Finch, is you were a nigger like me, you’d be scared, too.“ Tom said this because of the society that they lived in where all “Black” people were not to be trusted. Atticus did his best to prove to the jury that Tom Robinson was not guilty for the crime that he was charged for

on the trial that Tom Robinson raped Mayella Ewell. He was simply blamed, because he

In 1930’s Maycomb Alabama, a young woman is stirring up a sleepy town by accusing an African American man of rape. Mayella Ewell, a poor white woman has wrongly accused Tom Robinson of sexually assaulting her in her own home. Her testimony, as well as her fathers’, have gaping holes in them. Their stories do not coincide, and it is even implied that Mayella’s father may have been sexually abusing her.(DBQ Mayella page 15 Chapters 18 and 20) The lack of sufficient evidence and Tom Robinson’s claim that Mayella had made advances toward him should have been enough for the jury to find Tom not guilty, but unfortunately, that was not the case. Instead, the jury believed Mayella’s deceitful testimony, and Tom was sent to jail, which ultimately led to his death. Mayella used her position in society to manipulate the court, and dispose of the only evidence of her mistake. Mayella Ewell is powerful as defined by class, gender, and especially race.

Tom Robinson is innocent in the sense that he has done nothing against the law. Tom also

Mayella back tracks and changes her story. "No, I don't recollect if he hit me. I... mean...yes! he hit me... he hit me!" (Foot 61) Bob is a drunk, therefore, his testimony cannot be believed. This shows that Mayella could have very well been set up, or told what to say, because she didn't know what to say in the first place, and it also shows that Bob could have been the perpetrator; because he is left-handed, his story is different and, he can't even be trusted with his own kids, so why trust his testimony? Their stories are different so their accusations cannot be trusted fully, another reason that the Tom Robinson case should have never come to

In “To Kill a Mockingbird”, Atticus is given a case where he needs to defend Tom Robinson, who’s accused guilty of raping Mayella Ewell. Evidence points come to the surface, like the fact that Mayella Ewell has a black eye on the right side of her face. Tom Robinson’s left arm was cut off due to a working accident, however, it is brought up that Mr. Bob Ewell, Mayella’s father, is left handed. “‘What’s so interestin’?’ he asked. ‘You’re left handed, Mr. Ewell.’ said Judge Taylor.” (Lee, 177). Through the trial, other points are brought up to show that Tom Robinson clearly wasn’t the one who raped Mayella Ewell. She goes on to talk about the way that her father gets when he’s drunk; “‘Except when he’s drinking’ asked Atticus so gently that Mayella nodded. ‘Does he ever go after you?’ ‘How do you mean?’ ‘When he’s-riled, has he ever beaten you?’

One of the most widely watched trials in Maycomb history ended Tuesday December 9th when a jury found Tom Robinson, 25, guilty of raping Mayella Violet Ewell, 19, daughter of Robert Ewell. The guilty verdict hinged on the testimony of Robert Ewell, who claimed to have seen the crime. Tom Robinson’s Attorney, Atticus Finch put up a strong defense, but was unsuccessful in convincing the jury of twelve white Maycomb county residents that Robinson, a black man, was innocent. Finch has stated that he was disappointed in the outcome, but will appeal the verdict. The prosecutor for the state, Horace Gilmer said “he felt Robinson had gotten what he deserved.” Robinson was taken into custody following the verdict. Any appeals will take several

In fact, there was more evidence proving them innocent then there was guilty. Tom Robinson’s left arm was injured, giving him only one hand that he could’ve have used to hurt Mayella. Also, Mayella’s face was hit on her right side. This means she had to have been hit with a left hand. There is no way Tom Robinson could’ve raped her. Someone who’s left-handed must have beat her. As the reader found out during the trial, Bob Ewell is left-handed. Atticus asks Mr.Ewell to write his name when the judge says, “You’re left-handed, Mr. Ewell,”(Lee 180). The Scottsboro boys also had an unfair trial. It was Victoria’s word against everyone else’s. One of the “victims” even admitted that the story was made up. Ruby Bates says in her testimony, “‘Who told you to do that, who coached you to do that?’ ‘She did,’”(Excerpts of the testimony from Ruby Bates). She is referring to Victoria Price when she says, “she did.” When the doctor examined the girls he found no sign of rape, but he refused to testify. The boys were originally sentenced with the electric chair but later found innocent. It took twenty years to get the last Scottsboro boy out of prison. Justice was not served to either of the accused and nobody in the jury showed moral courage. Neither trial was fair, but both defenses were “proven”

The plaintiff, Mayella Ewell, accused Tom Robinson, a black man, of raping her. Throughout the court case, there was substantial amounts of evidence that pardoned Robinson from strangling, beating, and taking advantage of her such as the fact that “His left arm was fully twelve inches shorter than his right, and hung dead at his side” (212). Several signs pointed to Mayella’s caucasian father, Robert Ewell, as the one guilty of the crime. For example, when questioned by the defendant on whether or not he called for a doctor, Ewell replied that “...he never thought of it, he had never called a doctor..” (200). Also, Robert Ewell’s dominant hand corresponded with Mayella’s injuries whereas Robinson’s corresponding hand was rendered useless by a permanent injury. However, after all of this evidence against Mr. Ewell, when the all-white jury was polled concerning Robinson, their responses were “‘Guilty… guilty… guilty… guilty..’” (241). They ignored the facts and branded Robinson a rapist because of the color of his

This got him sent to a prison camp. There would be no issue with this conviction if there had been any solid evidence. Mayella never went to a doctor about the alleged rape, and the only witness didn’t even see anything happen. The case against Robinson was purely circumstantial evidence. There was most certainly reasonable doubt that he did it, but he was black.

Evidence strongly suggests that it was Bob Ewell, who committed the crime against his daughter MayElla not Tom Robinson. Through Tom Robinson was charged for these crime. That taught the kids that even if a black man did nothing he could still be charged for

Tom Robinson in “To Kill A MockingBird” was falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewill. Atticus proves that Tom didn’t rape Mayella, but the jury wouldn’t acquire him because of his skin color. They believed the Ewill’s fake story over Tom’s true story (Lee 276-283). Atticus caught Mayella in several

Bob Ewell most likely threatened Mayella so she would not say anything about him. If the abuses from her father are told, Mayella will most likely be beaten by her father. Mayella does not know what to decide. The possible beatings of her father outway the necessity for Mayella to tell the truth. Mayella getting beaten would not be the only outcome of truth. Tom Robinson would become free and would not end up dead. Mayella has found herself in a tight situation. If she tells the truth, she will get hurt. But if she doesn’t, then Tom Robinson will get hurt. Only one of these aftereffects are right. Mayella is guilty, Tom is not. Not all abominable results that come out of situations like these are causes of threats and embarrassment. Other times they can be results of constantly living with, controlled and taught racist notions. One student’s father, from the documentary Prom Night in Mississippi, shares his thoughts on why he is racist: “Blacks have always taught blacks to hate whites. And the whites have always taught their kids to hate blacks. My daddy did it. My granddaddy

Of course, Tom Robinson had never actually raped the girl, but this was hard to prove, seeing as he was black and black people were not thought highly of or respected. Bob Ewell lied to hide the truth of his abusement on his daughter. Atticus Finch defends Tom in court, but eventually Tom was found guilty. But Mr. Ewell still swears to get revenge on Atticus because he defended him in the first place and he humiliated Mr. Ewell’s family in the process, which leads to the attack on Atticus’s children. Tom Robinson was taken to prison and eventually killed, all because of the false accusation from Bob Ewell. In this way, Atticus and the Sheriff decided that the “dead should bury the dead”. They concluded, a man died because of Mr. Ewell, and now Mr. Ewell was dead for what he did and nothing more needed to be said about

When Tom Robinson was convicted of a crime and sent to a trial that he had no chance at winning, he had lost any bit of innocence that he would ever get. In a time where the black community faced constant prejudice and discrimination, it was near impossible for any African American to be let off as innocent for any crime. And the sad part to it is that a lot of the blacks sent to trials and jail weren't even guilty of any crime at all, they were innocent. Tom Robinson was sent to a trial for the rape and beatings of Mayella Ewell. No one believed Tom on his innocence and when Atticus, his lawyer at the case, hands down proved his innocence, he was still going to be convicted as guilty. If it had come down to where they had to sit in front of another jury and do the same thing over and prove his innocence again, he still would probably be convicted as a guilty man. In the end Tom would be sentenced as guilty on not fact, or logic but by wrong prejudice ideas. With the broken judicial system and sideways beliefs of the time Tom Robinson lost any little hope he could ever wish for, he was completely stripped of his innocence.