The Scottsboro Nine

New York Times (July 25, 1937)
Front page
Serial & Government
Publications Division (107.3)

"Ruling of the Supreme Court
in the Scottsboro Case"
The New York Times,
April 2, 1935
Serials & Government
Publications Division (107.7)

On March 25, 1931, nine African-American males were arrested and charged with the rape of two white women. Within twelve days, all of the men were tried and convicted in a Scottsboro, Alabama Court House. Due to the courageous writings of some newspaper editors and other famous writers, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered a second trial on the grounds that the men had not received adequate legal counsel in a capital case. The Communist Party moved aggressively to defend the men by hiring Samuel Liebowitz as their legal counsel. One of the plaintiffs, Ruby Bates, admitted during the second trial that the story was fabricated and that no crime had been committed, but the men were again found guilty. Subsequently, there were successful appeals and reconvictions. Although justice was never rendered, all of the Scottsboro defendants eventually found their way out of Alabama. The New York Times continually gave the Scottsboro Case more ample coverage than any newspaper in the North.