The Scottsboro Boys case of 1931 involves nine black gentlemen who were falsely accused of raping two white ladies in a freight train in Northeast of Alabama. Except for Roy Wright who was among them, other boys were accused of this crime without adequate evidence and later charged and sentenced to a death penalty.
The case was not only an indication of justice isolation but also represented a manifestation of oppression over a certain class in the south. Protests erupted everywhere in the country as people tried to fight for their release in vain since the Scottsboro boys were denied their right to counsel. The consistent demand for the release of the defendants resulted in a new trial. Injustice was highly dominant since the jury still found them guilty despite the presence of new evidence suggesting otherwise. It was not until several months later when the Alabama circuit judge overturned the 1933 verdict and a new trial ordered.
Trayvon Martin case
On the other hand, Trayvon Martin was brutally killed by George Zimmerman in the year 2012. On the evening of his death, Martin was walking to his home from a store when the watch coordinator, Zimmerman, pursued him. This was despite the orders by the police that Zimmerman should not pursue the young man. Martin decided to confront the watch coordinator after his harassment only to be killed during the confrontation. According to Zimmerman, he was trying to defend himself from Martin yet there was no imminent attack. After his arrest, he was questioned for a few hours and allowed to leave. However, he was later arrested and prosecuted for his crimes after an increase in the public uproar regarding the matter.
Similarities and Differences between the Two Cases
The two cases involved racism both directly and indirectly. In Scottsboro’s case, it was evident that the African American males were sentenced without sufficient evidence (Stevenson, 34). On the other hand, it is difficult to depict racism if proper attention and analysis is not carried out. However, the treatment given to the convict does not rhyme with the nature of his crimes. He also pursues Martin due to his skin color but not the committed crime.
In both cases, suspects pleaded not guilty and at least one evaluation for the same done. Several other evaluations and variables later followed the Scottsboro's suit; however, only one evaluation was conducted in Martin’s case.
Results of the cases
By verdict, the Scottsboro boys were found guilty and sentenced to death or put on parole. Zimmerman was also sentenced to prison only to be bailed out later. This does not only illustrate criminal injustice but only depicts some features of racial discrimination.
General public
Scottsboro boys’ case output was received with mixed feelings from the public. This is owing to the time the crime took place and its location. In Martin’s case in 2012, the general public was against the manner in which the officials handled the whole system of justice. A majority of the public members expected strict punishment over the accused
Justice
Currently, cases of false accusations are on the rise across the United States. The Scottsboro boys’ case is sufficient evidence that this problem is continuously spreading and affecting large number of innocent lives ("The Inhumanity of the Death Penalty"). Factors such as racism deny the accused an opportunity to enjoy the freedom of legal representation. On the other hand, government officials and other people with higher influence are not punished as required by the law.
Works cited
Coates, Ta-Nehisi. "The Inhumanity of the Death Penalty." The Atlantic. N.P., 2014. Web. 30 Mar. 2018.
Stevenson, Bryan. Just mercy: A story of justice and redemption. Spiegel " Grau, 2015.
