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Blake Ledden

Mrs. Weaver

3-29-11

5th

Appeal Letter for the Trial of Tom Robinson

In the year 1934, a field worker Negro by the name of Tom Robinson was accused of rape

against Mayella Ewell by the state. In the summer of 1935, the trial of Tom Robinson is underway. The

sides are immediately unfair because the defendant is a Negro, which is despised in this part of the U.S.

(The South). Even though the result of the trial is already chosen, guilty, whether or not he did commit

rape. Tom Robinson deserves a retrial, I believe this because there was no iota of medical evidence,

there were many inconsistencies between the testimonies of the witnesses three witnesses, Mayella Ewell,

Bob Ewell, and Heck Tate, and there was obviously a prejudiced jury who would take a alcoholic white

man’s word over a Negro’s in any case, even if the sides were flip-flopped.

By the time Mayella Ewell had reached the witness stand, you could tell that she was nervous, not

telling the truth, and attempting to get Tom Robinson proved guilty! she didn’t even keep her hand on the

bible while taking the oath of truth! When asked a question on how a certain event occurred, she would

answer, “No, he didn’t…”or “I don’t reckon he even hit me at all.”, but then changed it to, “Wait, I mean

yes, yes he did.”She really wanted to tell the truth, and did, but soon realized she would get hit again by

her father, so she quickly changed her answer, with passion.

Tom Robinson and Atticus share something in common, they are both kind, honest, and hard-

working men. Tom sat in the witness stand straight and answered each question in confidence. His side of

what had happened November 21st had showed everybody in the court that he could not have committed
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the crime. As it turns out, she came on to him, she tried to kiss him. But, the fact of the matter was, that

he was a Negro, it didn’t matter what he was guilty the second the news got around town.

Atticus used everything he has learned from being a lawyer to prove that Tom was not guilty. It

was shown during the trial that he had to go back in every similar case to show what was evident. He used

every piece of evidence that was available, including a left handed person only could have beaten the

right side of Mayella’s face. Tom’s left hand was ruined in a cotton gin when he was seven years old,

each muscle was tore up, so he could no longer use his left hand. This shows that he could have also not

wrapped both hands around her neck, for he only had one. He also brought to the jury’s and the

audience’s attention that the accuser’s did not bring a doctor, so they had no medical evidence of what

happened, which is necessary in this kind of case. This showed in no possible way, could Tom Robinson

even harmed Mayella in the ways described by her, Bob Ewell, and Heck Tate.

Everybody deserves a fair trial, no matter what gender, race, or religion they are. Mayella could

not keep a straight story, and Bob and Heck had no medical evidence. Tom’s story was honest,

descriptive, and very well said. Atticus was on his best of his jobs, he was proving too much to come up

with nothing. Those who are obviously not guilty, should never be said guilty, no matter the situation.