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The fight that started it all.
On March 25th, 1931, a fight broke out between a group of black teens and a group of white teens on a freight train in Alabama. The white teens reported the black teens to the police, and the nine of them were arrested in Paint Rock, Alabama. Two white women were found on the train, and accused the nine black teens of raping them. -
The trial begins- and ends in three days.
The nine teens begin their trials in front of an all- wite audience. It only takes three days for the jury to reach a decision: guilty. -
Clarence and Charlie convicted.
Clarence Norris, age 19, and Charlie Weems, age 20, were found guity and sentenced to death after the jury heard six testimonies, two of which were from doctors who said there were no signs that the girls had been raped. -
Haywood Patterson's verdict.
Haywood Patterson, age 18, was tried by himself. After only three hours, the jury decided he was guilty, and he was sentenced to death. -
Five other boys were convicted.
Olen Montgomery, age 17, Andy Wright, age 18, Eugene Williams, age 13, Willie Roberson, age17, and Ozie Powell, age 16, are all sentenced to death. During this trial, it was revealed that Willie Robeson was "diseased with syphilis and gonorrheat", so he couldn't have raped either of the girls. -
Roy Wright's case ended in mistrial.
The case of Roy Wright, age 12, ended up in mistrial, after 11 of the jurors agreed on the death penalty, while one of them held out for life in prison. -
Ruby Bates denies her original statement.
Ruby Bates denies that the boys ever attacked her in a letter to her boyfriend. -
Judge J. P. McCoy hears a writ of habeas corpus.
Judge J. P. McCoy hears a writ (court order) of habeas corpus, saying that Roy Wright should be released from jail because he was never sentenced. On January 30th, the judge dismissed the writ. -
Sam Leibowitz is on the case.
Sam Leibowitz is chosen by the International Labor Defense (ILD) to become first chair o the Scottsboro case. -
Separation of the case.
Haywood Patterson is separated from the case of the other boys and is placed on trial at Decatur. -
New trial for Haywood!
Judge Horton grants Haywood Patterson a new trial. -
Cases are moved.
The cases are moved from Judge Horton's court to Judge Callahan's court. -
Refusal to grant new trials.
The Alabama Supreme Court denies the motion to grant new trials. -
Norris v. Alabama
The US Supreme Court stated that the exclusion of African Americans on the juries of the trials was unfair to the black defendants and deprived them of their right according to the Fourteenth Amendment. So, they overruled the case. -
Ozie Powell shot in the head.
On his way back to the Birmingham Jail, Ozie Powell slit the throat of a deputy and was shot in the head by Sheriff Jay Sandlin. -
Clarence Norris is convicted.
Clarence Norris is convicted and is given the death sentence. In July 1938, his sentence is changed to life in prison. -
Andy Wright is convicted.
Andy Wright is convicted and given 99 years in prison. -
Charley Weems is convicted.
Charley Weems is convicted and given 75 years in prison. -
Four of the Scottsboro boys are freed!
All rape charges against Roy Wright, Eugene Williams, Olen Montgomery, and Willie Roberson were dropped. -
Ozie Powell is convicted. But for something else.
Ozie Powell pleads guity to assaulting the deputy and was given 20 years inprison. The rape charges against him were dropped. -
Weems is released.
Charley Weems was released on parole. -
Norris and Wright are paroled.
Clarence Norris and Andy Wright are put on parole, and both go north (which is a violation of their parole), so they are returned to jail. -
Ozie Powell paroled.
Ozie Powell is released on parole. -
Escape froom Kilby Prison.
Haywood Patterson escapes Kilby Prison. -
Haywood Patterson dies.
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Roy Wright dies.
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Clarence Norris pardoned.
Clarence Norris was pardoned by Governer George Wallace. -
Clarence Norris dies.
