To Kill A Mockingbird Tom Robinson Trial Summary

Today a trial took place at the small court in Maycomb County, Alabama. A nineteen-and-a-half year old white woman named Mayella Ewell and her father filed a rape charge against a maimed black man.The courtroom was packed to the brim with white and black viewers. The judge, Mr. Taylor, was draped lazily across his chair, looking very well asleep, as the prosecutor drilled first Mr. Tate, the local sheriff, then Mr. Ewell, and finally Mayella. According to the witnesses, the girl asked for Tom Robinson’s help to “bust up a chiffarobe” and when she turned to give him a nickel he sprang on her and beat her and took advantage of her. Mr. Ewell heard her screaming from a nearby field and “came runnin’ fast as I could” and tried to catch Robinson
but he got away. The defense attorney, Mr. Atticus Finch, tried his hand at the witnesses, and found a few loopholes in the well-rehearsed story. He then took turns with the prosecutor interrogating the defendant, Mr. Robinson. Robinson had a completely different story. He claimed he helped Mayella for no charge and suddenly she kissed him without his consent, when Ewell came out of nowhere and saw her. Finch made a brilliant case in attempt to free his client. Even though the argument was excellent, the unsaid rule broke through, which said when a white man’s word was against a black’s, the white’s always wins. The jury found Robinson guilty and he was taken to a nearby prison. However, we are saddened to hear that on the way to the prison, Robinson broke free and nearly escaped but instead was shot to death. To quote Mr. Finch, “This case should have never gone to court.”