New Deal Supreme Court Cases

1364 Words6 Pages
Great Depression & New Deal Supreme Court cases 1. Powell v. Alabama (1932) a. Facts of the Case: Nine illiterate, young black men accused of raping two white women. Rape was punishable by death in the state of Alabama. The defendants’ attorney withdrew from the case, and the judge appointed members of the local bar, many of which withdrew from the case as well. Two attorneys represented the accused, but lacked the time to investigate the case, and the defendants were convicted. b. Issue: Did the trials violate the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment? c. Decision & Reasoning: The Supreme Court decided that it was unconstitutional. They said the trials denied due process since the defendants were not given reasonable time and opportunity to secure counsel and prepare for trial, violating the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. d. Evaluation of the Case: The decision was important because enforced a fair and equal trial for blacks by stating that it was unconstitutional to deny a due process for the defendant. The argument is sound because not allowing a due process for the defendants was a clear violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. Unlike previous decisions of the Court, this decision was made without regards to the race of the defendant. Cases such as these, in which a white woman accuses a black man of rape, are normally biased and in favor of the white woman due to racial prejudice and discrimination. Possible implications for this decision are that all courts should give a fair trial and allot a fair due process to all defendants, regardless of race. This decision expands individual rights because black individuals in particular should now be treated equally in court as defendants. 2. Norris v. Alabama (1935) e. Facts of the Case: Several black men were falsely charged with raping

More about New Deal Supreme Court Cases

Open Document