Your honor, members of the jury, and citizens of Maycomb, Alabama. I stand before you today humbly asking you to not neglect the truth. To open your eyes and look past the facade that has sabotaged our progress for years. Based on what you all have seen and heard today, it is clear that the victim, Ms. Ewell, has been assaulted by a man in this courtroom. However, this man is not the defendant. Look around this courtroom. What’s the first thing that stands out to you? Notice the division in this community; us and the negroes. Within this dichotomy, more issues remain unresolved. Due to the values and attitudes the people of Maycomb uphold, we all know that you automatically categorize Tom Robinson as the suspect because he is a nigger.

More specifically, I hope the jurors understand that none of you are intentionally biased, you all are just conditioned to think and behave in such manner. You all have been taught that anyone who is different from you is the target. You all have forgotten that in most cases, the target lies in the group of one of your own. Although, this may seem like a difficult request, I strongly encourage you to take this into consideration I suggest that you all acknowledge the facts and neglect the current racial biases that you all succumb to at moments. Firstly, the defendant, Tom Robinson, did not commit this crime no matter how much you all suspect him of it. To emphasize, he is physically incapable and no black male or Nigger would jeopardize the miniscule entity that he claims as his life. Instead, I want you all to turn your eyes to Mr. Bob Ewell, a man known for his bellicose behavior while under the influence. It is not strange that Mr. Ewell becomes defensive when asked to complete a simple gesture in front of you all. Nor is it strange that Ms. Ewell cannot answer a question without glaring at her father (Bob Ewell) for approval.

As stated by Ms. Ewell. “I do not reckon that he [Tom Robinson] hit me.” After making eye contact with Mr. Ewell she proceeds to yell frantically, “I mean yes! He hit me, he hit me!” Even though the victim may be under extensive amounts of distress, it is no surprise that she changed her story. The objective is take the simplest way out which is convicting the black man. The victim’s and witness’ testimonies along with the lack of physical evidence should be more than enough for you all to come to an accurate verdict.

No matter how you all may feel towards the defendant and the victim, you cannot ignore the law. No one, even that of the African American race, can be convicted of a crime based solely on testimony and no evidence.  The bible says, “Where there is no visions, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law” (Proverbs, 29:18). On that note, by God, do your duty, you all deserve to be happy.

Works Cited

New American Standard Bible. “Morality and Redemption.” Knowing Jesus. 1991. Web. Date accessed [13 Sep 2017]

To Kill a Mockingbird. Robert Mulligan. Universal,1962. Web. September 2017

People of Maycomb gathered here today, I stand here to implore you: evaluate this case not as a white or a negro, a doctor or a salesperson, a neighbour, a friend, nor a stranger, but as a simple human being. As a person who came into this world in the same way as Tom Robinson. As someone who has lived, and suffered, and felt. As a person who also has family, friends, and loved ones. I beg for you to lay down the conflicts which plague our society outside of this space, and to perceive the conflict of the courtroom as it is alone. To hear the facts and come to a judgement which is just, rational, and moral. So ladies and gentlemen, why are you seated here today, watching a case to which there is already a clear answer? We hold the evidence needed for an answer— I do not believe there is any more reason to argue for the innocence of Tom Robinson. “The state has not produced one iota of medical evidence,” against Tom Robinson: in fact, all of the evidence point to his innocence (TKAM 1:32:10 — 1:32:13). So gentlemen, why are we so eager to judge him guilty? Why are we so eager to take the life of a hardworking man, who has never before performed a wrongdoing? Is it merely due to the colour of his skin; the fact that he is a negro? Does this all fall down to “the evil assumption that all negroes lie, all negroes are basically immoral beings, all negro men are not to be trusted around our women” (TKAM 1:36:00 — 1:36:12)? Should we be punishing this young man for having sympathy for another human being? Should we be taking this man’s life for having the gall to aid another person in a time of perceived need? Ask yourself this, gentlemen. Ask yourself these questions today and check where your moralities stand. Are you ready to let this man lie for a sin he did not do; to die for the emotion of sympathy which we instil in the very hearts of our own children? Are you ready to watch a young man die for somebody who was too cowardly to own up for her actions, and now hides behind the very man she is prosecuting? What kind of society will you be representing when you go home tonight to your own children: one with sympathy and justice, or one that blindly follows the word of a liar? I do not ask of you a very difficult task. Gentlemen, today I merely implore you to do what you came here to do: to do justice. Do not fall to the implications and assumptions of the outside world, and instead, deliberate on the evidence you have in front of you and I beg of you. Do what you know to be right.

Works Cited

Mulligan, Robert, director. To Kill a Mockingbird. Universal Pictures, 1962. University of Rochester, digitalcampus.swankmp.net/rochester274683/Mobile/Play/#/play/48368.

Gentlemen, today we gather here to examine a case that should not even be brought to court. There is little to none evidence showing that, the defendant, Tom Robinson, has committed the crime he is accused of. I trust that all you gentlemen here, I trust your value and wisdom, and I trust all of you will make the most reasonable decision based on all the facts and evidence.  

First of all, there is no medical evidence stating that the defendant has done such crime to Miss Mayella. Therefore, the case should not even be brought to the court. Also, the sheriff and Mr. Ewell both have given the evidence that the person who beated up Miss Mayella was clearly a person who is left-handed. However, the defendant clearly is not able to use his left arm, as the defendant has said before, “I got caught in the cotton gin when I was 12 years old. All my muscle were tore loose” (TKM 1:20:07-1:20:14). Moreover, the sheriff has given the statement that there were bruise all over Miss Mayella’s neck, which means the person who did it must be able to use both hands. Therefore, based on the fact that Tom cannot even use his left arm, the accusation is lack of evidence. Gentlemen, I believe that all of you here see the lack of evidence in this accusation, and I urge you to make the correct decision by evaluating the facts.

Our society believes that a white woman kissing a young and healthy black man is a sin. Miss Mayella could not help to kiss Tom Robinson, but she does realize that it is a sin to kiss him. Therefore, she is accusing him of something that has never happened to save her own reputation. If the bias towards the negroes do not exist in the society, this case would not have been brought to the court. Gentlemen, I urge you to also consider carefully of the defendant’s statements. As wise men like us, we do not believe in the bias that all the negroes are criminals. In a fair court like this, I trust that all of you would abandon the thoughts of racism, and look at what actually happened.

I understand that Mr. Ewell is extremely angry because someone has taken advantage of his daughter. We all want to defend our families, so let us not forget that the defendant also has a family. His wife and his father are heartbroken when Tom is wrongly accused, and they are extremely helpless. We should see the family of the negroes as important as our own. Imagine that someone in your family is wrongly accused, how heartbroken and angry would you be. Also, please consider how helpless they are because of the color of their skin. So, gentlemen, you should be extremely careful with the decision you make because wrongly accusation might ruin a family completely.

I also feel pity for Miss Mayella that she feels the needs to defend herself by accusing a kind-hearted man. Let us look at the separation in this room, the separation between us and the negroes. This is not how a prosperous community should be. I understand that we are all in financial difficulties under the great depression, so this is time we all bond together as a community, to make our Maycomb county a better place for all of us to live in. Accusing Tom of what he has never done is not the way to make the community safer for others. We should never make assumptions of people based on their skin color. We must trust each other based on the evidence.

Finally, I assure you that based on all the provided evidence, Tom Robinson is not a rapist, he is just a kind-hearted man who has done nothing wrong. And now, the decision is in all you wise gentlemen’s hands, I trust that you would make the most reasonable conclusion. 

Work Cited

To Kill a Mockingbird. Dir. Robert Mulligan. Universal International Pictures, 1962. Digital Campus. Web. 13 September 2017.

Gentlemen of the jury, you have heard the story of what occurred on the evening of August 21st last year from multiple perspectives. You have heard from Sheriff Tate, who described that Mayella Ewell was “pretty well beat up” (TKAM 1:09:42-1:09:45). He goes on to describe the degree of her injuries, including that “she had a black eye startin’” and “beaten up on that [right] side of her face” (TKAM 1:10:35-1:11:06). Bob Ewell has also agreed to Sheriff Tate’s statement that those were in fact her injuries. However, both Sheriff Tate and Bob Ewell failed to get a doctor to check on the severity of the beating. Because of this, “the state has not produced one iota of medical evidence” (TKAM 1:32:08-1:32:13) to demonstrate that this crime even occurred. Now, assuming that Mayella was beaten in the way that both Sheriff Tate and Bob Ewell describe, there is substantial evidence that Tom Robinson was not the person to beat her. How can a man who cannot use his left arm choke a woman with both hands? You see him right in front of you, his left arm is useless, and he would be unable to beat anyone on the right side of her face. Purely based on physical evidence, it is clear he was physically unable to commit the crime of beating and raping Mayella Ewell. Even if he was, what would move Tom Robinson to harm Miss Mayella Ewell? Now, Tom Robinson has a family that he loves and supports, and is trying to get through these tough times just as the rest of us are. In fact, Tom Robinson is similar to each and every one of us, whether or not you wish to admit it. He may be a black man, but he is human. While you may see him as inferior due to his race, he is still human. Any man raised with manners and kindness would help a woman who asked for a favor. After helping the woman, this man would not require payment, for he is doing a favor. Tom Robinson is this type of man. He saw a woman who was in need of assistance and helped her in the way that he could. He did not expect payment or anything else from Miss Mayella. Just as any other good man would feel pity on her, so did Tom Robinson, causing him to be moved to help her. Now some of you may think that he had no reason to be sorry for her, as she is a white woman, and he is a black man. Whether it was right or wrong for him to feel this way, you can see that he had no reason to beat Mayella Ewell. A man does not beat a woman if he is sorry for her, which is the case with Tom Robinson. Now, it may be difficult to see that Tom Robinson is innocent although the evidence is clear. He is a black man up against two white witnesses. The case was unfair from the start, as he is inferior in many of the minds of the people of this courtroom. They believe that Bob and Mayella Ewell’s testimonies must be correct simply because they are white and Tom Robinson is black. But I ask of you gentleman, remember this man is human just like you and me and every other body in this courtroom. He wishes to go home to his family, so he can continue to provide for them and love them, just as you and I do everyday. I ask of you, think not about this man’s race. Look at the clear evidence that he did not harm Mayella Ewell. Allow Tom Robinson to do something that each of you will do at the end of the day today: go home to a loving family and care for them. Tom Robinson did not beat or rape Mayella Ewell. I hope you all remember this, and are able to use this truth to make the right decision.

To Kill a Mockingbird. Dir. Robert Mulligan. Universal International, 1962. Digital Campus. Web. 13 September 2017.

Gentleman. I’m not here today to persuade you to believe me but to present you with a hypothetical theory. In my theory, Miss Mayella is a young woman who was constantly beaten by her father, had to take care of all the younger siblings. Mr. Robinson was the only person that was kind to her and helped her with chores from time to time. Then Miss Mayella did something that this society is not allowed which is falling in love with a black man. On that night, Miss Mayella let all the children go to the town and plan to seduce Mr. Robinson. But Mr. Robinson, a man that is loyal to his wife, rejected Miss Mayella seduction and made her went mad. At the same time, Mr. Ewell went back home and caught what she was doing. He couldn’t accept the truth that her daughter was in love with a black man, so he’s started to beat up his daughter. Mr. Robinson ran away with frightening and guilt. To maintain their family’s dignity, Mr. Ewell decided to make up a lie and blame all these to Mr.Robinson. Indeed, it’s easy to destroy a black man’s reputation, but it’s hard to admit their own mistake.

Despite the fact that Mr.Ewell gave us a coherent story, the evidence that he provided was clearly contradicted to each other. The most contradictable fact is that Mr.Tate claimed, “she was beaten around the head”(TKAM 1:10:31-1:10:32). While Mr. Robinson obviously doesn’t even have the ability to accomplish this. He has sworn to God that he is a right handed man that had no use of his left arm. A man with only one arm could never make bruise all around Miss Mayella ’s neck. But as an ambidextrous person, it was easy for Mr. Ewell to do so.

I believe most of you sitting here today have family that is waiting for you to come home. Mr. Robinson, although has a different skin color is still a human being. An innocent human that has a wife and an unborn child in her wife’s belly. I trust a man that loves his wife so much would never do such unfaithful thing to her. If anyone in this court made an unfair decision, this man’s wife wouldn’t have anyone to take care of her and the children would never be able to see his father in the face. He’s children gonna grow up knowing his father is a sin man that was put to death. Gentleman, I urge you to avoid thinking about any discriminated ideas about races, skin colors and decide carefully with evidence. Think of this man as a human being, as a husband, as a father, not a person with different skin color. Now I have presented you with the truth, I trust you would make the right decision.

Work Cited

To Kill a Mockingbird. Robert Mulligan. Universal Studios. 1962. Web. 9 September 2017.

Gentlemen, you are good, honest, hard-working men. I know you, I know your values, and I know the truths you carry. I also know this decision is a difficult one— although it should not be— however, I happen to know that you, together, will come to the right conclusion.

Gentlemen, you spend your days in sweat and solitude, working the fields, working the stores, working. Your days are long, monotonous, and tiring. The Depression is hitting us hard now. I have no doubt that every single man in Maycomb County, Alabama, no matter who he may be or what he may look like, has carried the burden of the Depression on his shoulders since it began. You’ve carried it, and just like you, Tom Robinson— a good, honest, hard-working man— has carried it. The only difference between you and Tom Robinson is the difference between the colors of your skin.

You all have families— children who run with excitement when you come home from working, wives who support you in every aspect of being, mothers who raised you, and fathers who taught you what it means to be a man. Imagine how they would feel if you were wrongly charged for a crime you did not commit. Imagine how wrecked that house would feel without your presence, imagine the tears your children would cry, imagine how empty everyday life would feel without you in it.

Tom Robinson has a family too. He has a wife, Helen, three children, a mother, and a father, Spence.  Tom Robinson’s family would be heartbroken to see him incarcerated for a crime he did not and could not commit. If you make the wrong decision, gentlemen, the house of Tom Robinson will be wrecked. His children will shed those tears, his wife will be devastated, his parents would be crippled over the unfair outcome of their son’s life. I remind you: the only difference between you and Tom Robinson is the difference between the colors of your skin.

At the end of the day, every piece of “evidence” — and I say it like this because “the state has not provided one iota of medical evidence” during this trial— points to a man whose power lies in his left hand (TKAM 1:32:05-1:32:15). This man is not Tom Robinson. Now, Mayella Ewell was beaten, beaten brutally at that. Her assailant just simply could not have been Tom Robinson, not with the most concrete piece of evidence presented in this case pointing to someone else. It is clearly impossible for Tom to have committed this crime.

Not only is it physically impossible for Tom to have committed this crime, but it is also morally impossible. Like you and I, Tom Robinson is a man of God. He has proven himself to be nothing but sound of mind and sound of heart. He still had the decency to “feel right sorry” for a young white woman, even though she had so much more than he could ever dream about (TKAM 1:30:59-1:31:04). He still had the decency to do her chores for free after a long day of hard work. Why would such a noble man, such a God-fearing man, have the motive to commit such a ghastly crime? The answer is simple: there was no motive, as this was not his crime.

Please, gentlemen, I implore you. Put away these notions of black and white for just one day and vote in favor of what this great nation truly stands for: unadulterated justice. As men of God, find it within yourselves to make the choice that you know is the right one. Free Tom Robinson and his family from a lifetime of ill-deserved misery.

Works Cited

To Kill a Mockingbird.  Dir. Robert Mulligan. Universal International Pictures, 1962. DigitalCampus. Web. 13 September 2017.

People of the courtroom, people of the jury. Over the course of this gathering we’ve examined what little evidence that has been presented by the prosecuting party. The defendant is clearly not guilty. I’m telling you this, the evidence is telling you this, even Mr. Ewell and Sheriff Tate are telling you this. Logically speaking, Tom Robinson cannot use his left hand. We can assume that whoever beat Mayella Ewell led with their left because it was the right side of her face that was beaten. As Sheriff Tate said, “..they were all around” (TKAM 1:11:40), in regard to the marks around Mayella’s neck. There is no way that one hand could grasp all of Mayella’s neck. Furthermore, Bob Ewell definitively said, “I agree with everything Mr. Tate said” (TKAM 1:14:00). Mr. Ewell is confirming that the marks were all the way around her neck, something that Tom Robinson physically can’t do. To convict Tom Robinson would be to call Sheriff Tate a liar, because the only way for Tom Robinson to beat Mayella as described is for him to grab her with two hands. This, again, is not possible. Tom Robinson is innocent. The jury should be ashamed if they have the audacity to think that, even for a second, Mayella Ewell and Bob Ewell’s testimonies have enough evidence to convict this man. To do such an outrageous act [convicting Tom Robinson] would not only be wrong in the light of the law, but it would most certainly go against the word of Sheriff Tate and still furthermore Bob Ewell. The betrayal of Sheriff Tate would be even more damaging than that of Tom Robinson. If Tom Robinson is convicted, Sheriff Tate will have lied on the stand after swearing honesty. I can assure you that I will be pressing another case against Mr. Tate if you choose to convict Tom Robinson, it would only be fair under the fine laws we abide by in this great country.

What happened to Mayella Ewell is tragic, upsetting in every way, and unacceptable under any circumstance. However, we cannot justify sending away an innocent man simply because they don’t want to own up to whatever actually happened that day. I have no evidence to say who actually beat Mayella Ewell, so I won’t go around accusing anyone of it. Likewise, I would expect the same courtesy from Mayella and Bob.

To uphold this conviction is to nullify the power of the courtroom, the same courtroom that has fought for so many great things in the past. These topics range from women’s rights and suffrage to setting up the powers of the government we love so dearly. Charging Tom Robinson with this crime will tarnish the name of the great court system we have, disobey the morals we live by, and inevitably ruin the career of Sheriff Tate. If you are to find the defendant guilty, you will hurt your future self by removing the Sheriff. If you are to find the defendant not guilty, you will only hurt the Ewell’s and only in the manner that they will have to come forward with the truth. The same truth that they should have given us from the start. For the sake of yourselves, Sheriff Tate, the community, and God’s will please find Tom Robinson innocent. Thank you.

Works Cited

To Kill a Mockingbird. Dir. Robert Mulligan. Universal International Pictures (UI), 1960. Swank Motion Pictures.Web. 12 September 2017.

Atticus Finch and Tom Robinson in court

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch tries, and ultimately fails, to clear Tom Robinson of rape charges. Integral to his attempted appeal to the jurors–and to the film’s appeal to its viewers–is his closing argument. This represents his final opportunity, in the words of Clarence Darrow, to “make [the] jury like his client, or at least feel sympathy for him” (qtd. in Hoffman 251).

We’ve discussed Atticus’ closing argument and its ultimate failure to convince the jurors. Now it’s your turn. Pretend that you are Atticus Finch, and create an argument that represents your best attempt to convince the jury to acquit Tom Robinson. Consider your audience. Who are they? What are their feelings and biases? How will you take these feelings and biases into consideration? What sorts of appeals are likely to reach them–and what sorts will alienate them? What sorts of evidence should you remind them of? How will you make them “like [Tom], or at least feel sympathy for him”?

One additional requirement: You need to quote at least one line from the film here. Again, pretend you are Atticus. You want to use the direct testimony of any of the court’s witnesses as part of your argument. This means you will need to introduce a quotation, cite that quotation (using the abbreviated title TKM in your parenthetical citation), and include a Works Cited entry for a film (which you will look up how to do).

Your closing arguments should be about 500-700 words in length, and are due in class on Thursday (9/14). To cite the film, use the citation guidelines specified here, with one addition: for your parenthetical citation in the text, use the abbreviation “TKAM” and a time stamp to indicate what portion of the movie you are citing. eg, (TKAM 1:30:14-1:32:12).

Works Cited

Hoffman, Martin L. “Empathy, Justice, and the Law.” Empathy: Philosophical and Psychological Perspectives. Ed. Amy Coplan and Peter Goldie. Oxford, UK: Oxford UP, 2011. 230-244.

Image Reference

Atticus Finch and Tom Robinson in court.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/02/2a/0e/022a0e3bbe0571f1731766c0e99ad4e6.jpg