The Case. Ruby Bates & Victoria Price: The victims

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2 About the boys... They were nine black teenagers Their age ranged from 13 to 19 years old Accused of rape and were later arrested The case was first heard in Scottsboro, Alabama They were defended by many in the North and attacked by many in the South Hopped on the Southern Railway line from Chattanooga to Memphis During the great depression

3 The Case Scottsboro boys were accused of raping 2 white girls No evidence of rape Everyone said they should be killed They were all found guilty and sentenced to death other than Roy Wright because he was too young to be killed Communist Party, NAACP, ILD offered to handle their case All got new trials Ruby Bates & Victoria Price: The victims

4 The Second Trial March 24, 1938 Alabama Supreme Court ruled against 7 of 8 of the boys other than Roy Wright Retrials Case was sent to U.S. Supreme Court on Oct. 10, 1932 Boys were sent back to Judge Hawkins (judge of 1 trial) Judge changed to Judge Horton He believed they were innocent but others said differently

5 The Second Trial - Cont Patterson was sentenced to death Judge Horton gave Patterson a new trial (the 4th one) 4th trial for Patterson had Judge Callahan and he sentenced Patterson to death others were sentenced to death but case was sent back to U.. Supreme Court Haywood Patterson was given a second trial

6 End of Trial Patterson was accused of rape and received 75 years Clarence Norris was accused of rape and sexual assault and sentenced to death in jail Andrew Wright was accused of rape and got 99 years Charlie Weems was accused of rape and got 105 years Ozie Powell was sent to jail Willie Roberson, Olen Montgomery, Eugene Williams, and Roy Wright had charges dropped The 4 of them got +6 years

7 Attorney General Thomas Knight Jr. Society s views A book written was named: Scottsboro: A tragedy of the American South (published 1969) A movie was made called: Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys(aired 1976) 80 years after they were falsely accused, three received posthumous pardons, absolving the last of the Scottsboro Boys of criminal misconduct

8 Aftermath Ruby Bates: died in 1976 in Washington where she lived with her husband, her case was never heard. Victoria Price: Her case was finally heard in 1977 when the Supreme Court decided to listen. Died in 1988 in Lincoln City Tennessee

9 Charles Weems: Arrested March 1931 (age 19) In prison he always thought about the ladies out in the world and I m shut in here Stabbed by a prison guard who mistaken him for Andy Wright Clarence Norris: Sentenced to death in 1937 (age 16) Believed he was paying for everyone else s freedom Paroled in 1944, moved to New York which was in violation and had to return to prison Paroled for a 2nd time in 1946 and stayed in Cleveland

10 Andy Wright: Arrested March 1931 (age 19) In 1937 Life Magazine describes him as the best natured which was not the case After violating his parole in 1944 he was the last to be released in 1950 In 1951 he was accused of raping his girlfriend s 13-year-old daughter but all charges were dropped Ozie Powell: Arrested February 1936 (age 16) Did not know any of the boys prior While handcuffed in the backseat with Norris and Wright, he and the deputy got into a fight. Powell slashed the Deputy s throat with hidden knife so the Sheriff stopped the car and shot Powell but instead of it killing him he suffered major brain damage Released June 1946

11 Olen Montgomery: Arrested March 1931 (age 17) Kept to his original story the whole time Released July 1937 and went on to pursue his dream of music with Roy Wright Eugene Williams: Arrested March 1931 (age 13) In 1937 Life Magazine claimed he tries to impress interviewers with his piety Released July 1937 and hoped to land a job in the jazz orchestra in St.Louis Willie Roberson: Arrested March 1931 (age 17) Suffered from syphilis and prosecution used this to prove why Bates has it as well, ironically it was impossible as he wasn t capable of jumping trains because of his cane he needs to walk By July 1937 prosecuters finally believed his story and he was released

12 Roy Wright: Arrested March 1931 (age 12) In prison he kept a bible with him at all times and went one full year without fresh air Released in 1937, he then served in the army, got married and became a merchant marine In 1959 after an extended stay at sea he came home to find his wife had cheated on him do he shot and killed her, then himself Haywood Patterson: Arrested March 1931 (age 18) In April 1943 he escaped for 5 days until caught and sent back On July he and some other inmates escaped and for 3 years lived underground In December 1950 Patterson was arrested in connection with a dead man and a bathroom drawl and was back in jail August After one year in prison he died from cancer

13 Bibliography Wikipedia: org/wiki/scottsboro_boys#appeal_to_alabama_suprem e_court PBS: org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_scotts.html edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scottsboro/sb_bsbs.html