USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -ACLU lawyers played a major role in the infamous ‘Scottsboro Boys’ case, which began in 1931 and would ultimately have far-reaching effects. The case marked the first stirrings of the civil rights movement and led to two landmark Supreme Court rulings that established important rights for criminal defendants.

Detailed explanation-2: -Not surprisingly, the all-white, all-male jury returned guilty verdicts in record time, and all but one of the nine were sentenced to death. As national outrage over the convictions grew, numerous organizations came forward to assist with appeals, including the ACLU.

Detailed explanation-3: -Victoria Price and Ruby Bates, two white women who were also riding the freight train, faced charges of vagrancy and illegal sexual activity. In order to avoid these charges, they falsely accused the Scottsboro Boys of rape. The original cases were tried in Scottsboro, Alabama.

Detailed explanation-4: -The Scottsboro Boys’ trials proved that a new system of screening witnesses was necessary. The Scottsboro Boys’ trials showed how disorganized the criminal justice system was at the time and how far it has come since then.