Tom Robinson's Trial

In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Tom Robinson has been accused of beating and raping Mayella Ewell. Tom was married and has three kids. He works for Link Deas picking cotton, pecans, and doing work around the yard for him. Tom acquired an injury one day in Mr. Dolphus Raymond’s cotton gin when he was little. Tom passes by the Ewell place every day to get to work. Tom is put on trial for his life because the claim made by the Ewells of rape. The case is basically the Ewell’s word verses Toms. During the case Mayella slips up on what really happen. Because of the type of injury Tom has, Mayella’s slips up on the stand, and the fact that Tom was already married, the jury should acquit Tom- finding him not guilty.

From the article “Former Pediatrician Appeals ‘Waterboarding’ Conviction”, Melvin Morse, a former pediatrician, did not get a fair trial. Similarly, Tom Robinson from To Kill a Mockingbird also did not get a fair trial. A fair trial is a courtroom with an unprejudiced jury that listens to both sides of the situation without being biased. It’s a place where everyone is treated equally despite their looks and race. However, the prejudicial jury knew Tom Robinson is guilty before the trial begins. The jury judge Tom Robinson base on his looks and skin color instead of judging him on his statements. If a white person places himself in Tom Robinson’s shoes, they will realize Robinson is just like them, and he should not be treated like an animal.

How would you feel if you were shamed over things you couldn’t control? Based on only prejudice and stereotypes, some people hate others. Internalized intolerance can exist in everyone, mentally and legally. Court cases and trials can distinctly show this. To Kill A Mockingbird focuses around an unfair trial of Tom Robinson, who was wrongfully arraigned for raping a white woman. Although clear evidence pointed to Tom being innocent, he was still found guilty. Trials from the 1930s to today can compare to this. Many trials compare to Tom Robinson’s case on accounts of false accusations, discrimination, and unfair verdicts.

The residents of Maycomb have mixed feeling about the Tom Robinson trials outcome. The majority of the town is behind the verdict while the children were disgusted by it. Poor Atticus was heartbroken by the verdict but not at all shocked by the outcome.

In fact, Atticus demonstrates that it is exceedingly likely that Bob Ewell was the one to beat up Mayella on the 21st of November, not Tom Robinson. If her father has beaten her before, there is nothing to stop him from beating her again. From Tom Robinson’s testimony, one can conclude that he was beyond angry about Mayella’s behavior, even going so far as to threaten to kill her. This was when only the two of them and Tom knew of Mayella's misdeed. If the knowledge were to become public, the Ewell name would be thrown even farther into disgrace.

Gentleman of the jury, I would like you to take a look at this man, the man I am defending. His name is Tom Robinson. Tom is a diligent man. On a daily basis, he would walk to work, and when the time came after a day of long, hard work, he would walk home. He did it to provide for his family. Now, every day, on his journey to and from work, Tom would pass by the Ewell home, and Mayella Ewell would call him, from her yard, for help. Like anyone else in this town would’ve, Tom decided to help. He never wanted to harm Mayella. In fact, he felt sorry for her. How peculiar, in our society, for a black man to feel sorry for a white woman, a person who has more privileges and rights. Yet, he still felt sorry, and have had a good reason to feel sorry

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I urge you to bring back a verdict to of guilty for Tom Robinson.

I am reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The previous chapters talk about Atticus taking a black man’s case. The rumor was that a black man named Tom Robinson raped Mr. Ewell’s oldest daughter, Mayella. Everybody from Maycomb county knows for a fact that a negro has not nor will ever win a case. On the other hand, Tom said that Mayela told him to come into her house and then all of a sudden kissed him; however, who is going to believe him. Atticus is trying to walk in Mr. Robinson’s shoes. Mr. Finch does not care what color Mr. Robinson is, all that matters is that he is an innocent man who is loyal to others. In this journal I will be characterizing Tom Robinson and evaluating the reasons why Mayella Ewell lied in court.

A trial that that was never meant to happen. A trial in To Kill a Mockingbird, where prejudice lives in that courtroom. A trial in which Tom Robinson is held responsible for raping, young Miss Mayella Ewell. Atticus Finch is Tom Robinson’s lawyer in the trial and has to prove Tom Robinson’s innocence against two white people. Atticus’s purpose is to convey the concept that racism and prejudice is still occurring in Maycomb and as a county they haven’t done anything to change their ways of living.

Rape racism and a town murder are just a few of the chilling events that occurred in the town of Maycomb. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout, Jem and Dill learn, that people don't always feel the same way about somethings.

Looking back at history we find that many trial cases have been unsolved, one in particular being the William Robinson case which took place in Salt Spring Island British Columbia in 1868. The death of William Robinson, a black man, resulted in the conviction and inherent execution of a Native man named Tshuanahusset (trial name “Tom”). The trial and thereafter death of “Tom” has caused much controversy in historical studies. With many different stories and recollections of said crime it was hard to say what actually happened during 1868 other than “Tom” being convicted as guilty of murder. I am here to prove that based on circumstantial evidence that the evidence that was provided against “Tom” does not beyond a reasonable doubt prove he was

To Kill a Mockingbird: The Tom Robinson Trial Tom Robinson stands accused of raping the daughter of Robert (Bob) Ewell, Mayella Ewell. Despite Atticus Finch’s, Robinson’s attorney, powerful testimony. Tom Robinson’s verdict was guilty. While Atticus, the children, and the townspeople saw the same trial they all have a very diverse perspective of Tom Robinson's trial and it’s outcome.

To Kill a Mockingbird Everyone in the book has different opinions on Tom Robinson’s trial ranging from strongly want him to lose to wanting him to win and lead a example. With all the segregation in the Americas in the 1960’s most black people were accused of things they didn't even do and was killed or sentenced to prison because of there skin color. With all support either negative or positive there is a big academic with Tom’s case. Atticus is angry but not surprised with the result of the trial.

Bob Ewell created the perfect lie about Tom Robinson that most people in Maycomb believed. Bob Ewell convinced many people that Tom Robinson was a bad person and this contributed to the death of Tom Robinson. “Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men’s hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella opened her mouth and screamed” (Lee, 1960, Pg. 276). In the 1930’s the idea of a black man raping a white woman was absurd, the lie that was forced upon Mayella to tell was sure to get Tom Robinson killed.

To Kill a Mockingbird centres around Tom Robinsons trial. This means that the rest of the book is either the build up or the aftermath of the trial. Harper Lee uses part one of the book to prepare us for the events of the trial and also to set up the atmosphere and the feelings that we will have towards the characters. The main way the author does this is by introducing the themes and motifs that occur throughout the book, there are three main themes throughout the book; Prejudice, Courage and Childhood, these ideas are important during the trial.