Contempt of Court: The Turn-of-the-Century Lynching That Launched a Hundred Years of FederalismIn this profound and fascinating book, the authors revisit an overlooked Supreme Court decision that changed forever how justice is carried out in the United States. In 1906, Ed Johnson was the innocent black man found guilty of the brutal rape of Nevada Taylor, a white woman, and sentenced to die in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Two black lawyers, not even part of the original defense, appealed to the Supreme Court for a stay of execution, and the stay, incredibly, was granted. Frenzied with rage at the decision, locals responded by lynching Johnson, and what ensued was a breathtaking whirlwind of groundbreaking legal action whose import, Thurgood Marshall would claim, "has never been fully explained." Provocative, thorough, and gripping, Contempt of Court is a long-overdue look at events that clearly depict the peculiar and tenuous relationship between justice and the law. |
Contents
A Plea for Justice | 3 |
Someone Must | 34 |
The Appeals Begin | 142 |
Copyright | |
9 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Contempt of Court: The Turn-of-the-century Lynching that Launched 100 Years ... Mark Curriden,Leroy Phillips No preview available - 1999 |
Contempt of Court: The Turn-of-the-Century Lynching That Launched a Hundred ... Mark Curriden,Leroy Phillips No preview available - 2001 |
Common terms and phrases
appeal arrested asked attack believed black lawyers Cameron charges Chattanooga Chief Justice Fuller client Constitution contempt conviction county jail courthouse courtroom crime criminal defendant defense attorneys deputies Dickey and McAdams District Attorney door Ed Johnson Elmo evidence execution February February 9 federal courts filed Gibson guilty habeas corpus Hamilton County heard hearing Hewlett Hixson Honor innocent January January 23 Judge Clark Judge McReynolds jurisdiction jurors jury Justice Harlan knew Knoxville lawyers leaders Lewis Shepherd lynch mob lynching attempt March 19 March 20 McCallie Miss Taylor morning Nashville Negro Nevada Taylor never newspaper Nick Nolan night Noah Parden Parden and Hutchins person petition police prisoner PRITCHARD prosecutors punishment rape reporter SANFORD sentence Sheriff Shipp state-court stay STONECIPHER Tennessee Tennessee Supreme Court testified testimony Thomas tion told took U.S. Constitution U.S. Supreme Court United verdict walked wanted Washington Whitaker WOFFORD
References to this book
Encyclopedia of Constitutional Amendments, Proposed Amendments, and Amending ... John R. Vile No preview available - 2003 |