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
Scene of the Crime | 20 |
Someone Must Pay | 34 |
Pretense of Law and Order | 51 |
Copyright | |
14 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
action agreed allowed appeal asked attack attempt attorney authority believed called charges Chattanooga Chief client Constitution contempt conviction courtroom crime criminal death decision defendant denied deputies door Ed Johnson effort evidence execution face fact February federal filed final going guilty Hamilton County hands Harlan heard hearing Hutchins immediately innocent involved issue jail January John Johnson Judge McReynolds jurors jury Justice knew later lawyers leaders looked lynching March meeting minutes Miss morning move needed Negro never newspaper night Parden person petition police present prisoner prosecutors protect question received record reporter rule saloon SANFORD Shepherd Sheriff Shipp side stand stay stepped Supreme Court taken Taylor tell Tennessee testified testimony Thomas told took trial U.S. Supreme Court United walked wanted Washington Whitaker witness