To Kill a Mockingbird

The Trial

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This is a picture of a courtroom in Monroeville, Alabama.

Miss Maudie: "Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on the public streets."

 

Atticus: "This case, Tom Robinson's case, is something that goes to the essence of a man's conscience-Scout, I couldn't go to church and worship God if I didn't try to help that man."

  • Listen to Gregory Peck give Atticus' closing statement! (Click here)

During the trial we are given multiple parts of evidence that proves that Tom Robinson was not guilty. He is; however, found guilty because of the racist people that make up the jury.
 
Atticus gave Mr. Ewell the chance to change anything that the sheriff had said earlier about the description of his daughter but he said that he agreed with everything the sheriff had said.
 
1. Tom Robinson's left hand was basically incontrollable, and Mayella was beaten on the right side. Mayella's father was left-handed.
 
2. Mr. Ewell said he saw Tom Robinson raping his daughter, but Mayella said that he came in screaming "Who done it?!"
 
3. Mayella said she turned around and Tom attacked her, but Mr. Tate said that there were bruises on the back of her neck.
 
4. Atticus gets it out of Tom that Mr. Ewell rapes his daughter already and we also find out he is a drunk.
 
5. Mayella's father apparently found them, or so he says, but why would the children not hear? The woods are much farther than the dump, they should have heard.
 
6. They did not call a doctor, so they should not even be there because it does not qualify as rape until a doctor says it was so. This trial should not even be in the courts!