The effect of this 1932 decision by the Court was profound.
When the defendants in the Scottsboro case were brought to trial
after 25 minutes to confer with counsel, it opened the door for
the court to examine whether their treatment was in violation of
their right to due process. Though they specifically tried to prevent
their ruling from having broad implications, their finding that "it
is the duty of the court, whether requested or not, to assign counsel
for him as a necessary requisite of due process of law" had broad
implications for the rights of future criminal defendants.
...more
At issue in this 1935 ruling was whether Scottsboro defendant
Clarence Norris was denied his rights after a jury was chosen
from all-white jury rolls. The decision was based in large part
on trial testimony presented by lawyer Samuel Leibowitz that showed
there were plenty of qualified black citizens in the Alabama county
where the trial took place. Racist statements and evidence of
tampering by the local jury board. Their decision, based largely
on pre-existing laws in other states, helped to insure that defendants
would be tried by a balanced jury of their peers.
...more
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