what famous trial lawyer defended john t. scopes at the famous monkey trial in 1925?

Who was the chief defense lawyer in the Scopes Monkey Trial?

Chief Defense Lawyers: Clarence Darrow, Arthur Garfield Hays, and Dudley Field Malone. SIGNIFICANCE: The John Thomas Scopes trial checked the influence of Fundamentalism in public education and stripped William Jennings Bryan of his dignity as a key figure in American political history.

What was the “Monkey Trial”?

The Scopes “monkey trial” was the moniker journalist H. L. Mencken applied to the 1925 prosecution of a criminal action brought by the state of Tennessee against high school teacher John T. Scopes for violating the state’s Butler Act, which prohibited the teaching of evolution in public schools. In the case Scopes v.

What are the most important events that happened during the Scopes Trial?

Scopes Trial 1 Butler Act. ... 2 John Scopes. ... 3 William Jennings Bryan. ... 4 Clarence Darrow. ... 5 William Jennings Bryan Arrives. ... 6 Scopes Monkey Trial Begins. ... 7 Clarence Darrow’s Speech. ... 8 Clarence Darrow’s Plan. ... 9 William Jennings Bryan on the Stand. ... 10 After the Scopes Trial. ... More items...

What did John Scopes say at his trial?

The judge fined him $100 and then, after being prompted by Dr. Neal, asked Scopes if he had anything to say (de Camp 418; Trial 309-313). Scopes then gave his first and last official statement in his trial: “Your honor, I feel that I have been convicted of violating an unjust statute.

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What was the Scopes trial?

John Scopes. What became known as the Scopes Monkey Trial began as a publicity stunt for the town of Dayton, Tennessee. A local businessman met with the school superintendent and a lawyer to discuss using the ACLU offer to get newspapers to write about the town.

What was the purpose of the Scopes trial?

The trial was viewed as an opportunity to challenge the constitutionality of the bill, to publicly advocate for the legitimacy of Darwin’s theory of evolution, and to enhance the profile of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

How did Bryan and Darrow set the tone?

Bryan and Darrow set the tone by immediately attacking each other in the press. The ACLU attempted to remove Darrow from the case, fearing they would lose control, but none of these efforts worked.

What did Bryan do before the trial?

Bryan arrived in Dayton three days before the trial, stepping off a train to the spectacle of half the town greeting him. He posed for photo opportunities and gave two public speeches, stating his intention to not only defend the anti-evolution law but to use the trial to debunk evolution entirely. Recommended for you.

How did the trial day start?

The trial day started with crowds pouring into the courthouse two hours before it was scheduled to begin , filling up the room and causing onlookers to spill into the hallways. There was applause when Bryan entered the court and further when he and Darrow shook hands.

Why did Darrow suggest that Bryan's testimony be taken from the record?

When the judge ruled Bryan’s testimony be taken from the record, Darrow suggested that to save time his client should be found guilty. This prevented Bryan from making a closing statement.

Why was the Darwin trial important?

The trial was viewed as an opportunity to challenge the constitutionality of the bill, to publicly advocate for the legitimacy of Darwin’s theory of evolution , and to enhance the profile of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Who were the lawyers in the John Thomas Scopes trial?

Chief Defense Lawyers: Clarence Darrow, Arthur Garfield Hays, and Dudley Field Malone. SIGNIFICANCE: The John Thomas Scopes trial checked the influence of Fundamentalism in public education and stripped William Jennings Bryan of his dignity as a key figure in American political history.

What was the significance of the John Thomas Scopes trial?

SIGNIFICANCE: The John Thomas Scopes trial checked the influence of Fundamentalism in public education and stripped William Jennings Bryan of his dignity as a key figure in American political history.

How did Clarence Darrow steal the prosecution's lines?

Closing for the defense, Clarence Darrow stole the prosecution's lines by asking the jury to find Scopes guilty so that the case could be appealed. After nine minutes, the jury came back with a guilty verdict. In violation of Tennessee law, which required that the fine be set by the jury, Raulston advised the jury to let him fix the fine, an error that led the court of appeals to reject the original verdict. While the appeals court upheld the constitutionality of the Butler Act, it did not order a retrial for John Thomas Scopes, who by that time had given up teaching.

What did Scopes teach his students?

Scopes' students testified that he had taught that mammals had evolved from one-cell organisms and that humans share the classification "mammal" with monkeys, cats, etc. The owner of the local drugstore where Scopes had purchased the textbook he used to teach evolution acknowledged that the state had authorized sale of the textbook. Darrow and the druggist read aloud portions on Darwin. To counter, Steward read the first two chapters of the Old Testament 's Genesis into the record. With that, the prosecution rested.

What did Scopes teach in biology class?

The prosecution's case was presented briskly. The superintendent of the Rhea County school system testified that Scopes had admitted teaching evolution in a biology class. Stewart then offered a King James Version of the Bible as evidence of what the Butler Act described as the Biblical account of Creation.

What did Scopes teach?

Just as quickly, the ACLU confirmed it was prepared to defend Scopes. Using a state-approved textbook, Scopes taught a lesson on evolutionary theory on April 24 to his Rhea County High School science class.

What did Bryan preach at the Dayton trial?

Arriving a few days early, he preached to a large audience, "The contest between evolution and Christianity is a duel to the death. … If evolution wins in Dayton, Christianity goes."

Why did the scopes monkey trial start?

The Scopes Monkey Trial started as an effort by the ACLU to challenge the constitutionality of a Tennessee law that forbade teaching the theory of evolution in public schools. The Tennessee Supreme Court found the law forbidding the teaching of evolution to be constitutional.

Who were the two lawyers who were in the monkey trial?

Into the tempest that was soon to become a cause célèbre stepped famed attorneys William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow. Clarence Darrow, left, and William Jennings Bryan speak with each other at the "monkey trial" in Dayton, Tennessee, in 1925. Darrow was one of three lawyers sent to Dayton by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Why did Bryan join the prosecution team?

Yet Bryan volunteered to join the prosecution team because he opposed the theory of evolution for its association with eugenics and with social Darwinism.

How long did it take to find Scopes guilty?

Reporters assembled from as far away as London and Hong Kong. H. L. Mencken chronicled the trial for the Baltimore Sun. The jury needed only nine minutes to find Scopes guilty.

What did Scopes challenge?

Scopes challenged Tennessee law forbidding the teaching of evolution. The case arose when, seeking to test the constitutional validity of the Butler Act, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) placed advertisements in Tennessee newspapers offering to pay the expenses of any teacher willing to challenge the law.

What was the Supreme Court's decision in Scopes v. State?

State (1925), Scopes was found guilty and fined $100, but, on appeal, the Supreme Court of Tennessee, pointing to a technicality in the issuance of the fine, overturned Scopes’s conviction, while finding the Butler Act constitutional.

How many spectators were in the courtroom in 1925?

(AP Photo, used with permission from the Associated Press) More than six hundred spectators shoehorned themselves into the courtroom.

Why was the Scopes monkey trial acquitted?

On appeal, the state supreme court upheld the Butler Act’s constitutionality but acquitted Scopes, on the grounds that he had been excessively punished. The Scopes Monkey Trial would become the basis for the acclaimed 1955 play “Inherit the Wind,” as well as a 1960 film of the same name starring Spencer Tracy.

Who was the head of the scopes trial?

Heading up the prosecution team was William Jennings Bryan , a three-time Democratic presidential candidate and a devout Christian who often spoke passionately and publicly about the Bible’s teachings.

Why was Scopes arrested?

Arrested on May 9, 1925, Scopes asked some of his students to testify against him in front of a grand jury in Nashville (about 150 miles northwest of Dayton) to ensure that his case would go to trial. On May 25, the grand jury indicted Scopes on the charge that he “did unlawfully and willfully teach…certain theory and theories ...

What did Scopes teach?

On May 25, the grand jury indicted Scopes on the charge that he “did unlawfully and willfully teach…certain theory and theories that deny the story of Divine creation of man as taught in the Bible and did teach thereof that man descended from a lower order of animals.”. Scopes’ indictment opened the way for what would become known as the “trial ...

Where did the Dayton trial take place?

The trial took place in the blisteringly hot month of July 1925, at the Rhea County Courthouse in Dayton. Thousands of visitors, including journalists and prominent academics, poured into the small town to see the clash of evolutionism versus creationism, rural fundamentalism versus worldly urban sophistication.

Who was the monkey indicted for teaching evolution?

Remembering the Scopes Trial. On May 25, 1925, John T. Scopes —the defendant in the famous “Monkey Trial”—was indicted for teaching the theory of evolution in his high school science class. Author:

Who was the teacher in the monkey trial?

Sarah Pruitt. On May 25, 1925, John T. Scopes —the defendant in the famous “Monkey Trial”—was indicted for teaching the theory of evolution in his high school science class. John T. Scopes was a 24-year-old physics, chemistry and math teacher at the public high school in Dayton, Tennessee, when local community leaders persuaded him to answer ...

What was the scopes monkey trial?

Scopes' involvement in the so-called Scopes Monkey Trial came about after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announced that it would finance a test case challenging the constitutionality of the Butler Act if they could find a Tennessee teacher who was willing to act as a defendant.

Who were the defendants in the Scopes trial?

By the time the trial had begun, the defense team included Clarence Darrow, Dudley Field Malone, John Neal, Arthur Garfield Hays and Frank McElwee. The prosecution team, led by Tom Stewart, included brothers Herbert Hicks and Sue K. Hicks, Wallace Haggard, father and son pairings Ben and J. Gordon McKenzie, and William Jennings Bryan and William Jennings Bryan Jr. The elder Bryan had spoken at Scopes' high school commencement, and remembered the defendant was laughing while he was giving the address to the graduating class six years earlier.

What did Scopes say to Robinson's Drugstore?

After some discussion he told the group gathered in Robinson's Drugstore, "If you can prove that I've taught evolution and that I can qualify as a defendant, then I'll be willing to stand trial.".

How did the Scopes trial affect him?

The results of the Scopes Trial affected him professionally and personally. His public image was mocked in animation, cartoons and other media in the following years. Scopes himself retreated from the public eye and focused his attention on his career.

What was Scopes' political career?

Having failed in education, Scopes attempted a political career the summer of 1932 as a Kentucky congressman. He registered on the Socialist ticket and suffered defeat. In the end, Scopes returned to the oil industry, serving as an oil expert for the United Production Corporation, later known as United Gas Corporation.

Where did Scopes go to college?

He earned a degree at the University of Kentucky in 1924, with a major in law and a minor in geology. Scopes moved to Dayton where he became the Rhea County High School 's football coach, and occasionally served as a substitute teacher.

Why was the Butler Act overturned?

In a 3–1 decision written by Chief Justice Grafton Green, the Butler Act was held to be constitutional, but the court overturned Scopes's conviction because the judge had set the fine instead of the jury. The Butler Act remained in effect until May 18, 1967, when it was repealed by the Tennessee legislature .

What was the Scopes trial?

The Scopes Trial, also known as the Scopes Monkey Trial, was the 1925 prosecution of science teacher John Scopes for teaching evolution in a Tennessee public

Who defended John Scopes?

Clarence Darrow, a well known defense attorney in his day, defended John Scopes. Attorney for the prosecution was a former presidential candidate and Secretary of State, William Jennings Bryan.

What part of the criminal homicide statute could be brought up successfully by the defense?

This is the only line in question. The only part of the criminal homicide statute that could be brought up successfully by the defense was to show that Guyger intentionally killed Jean by accident without being reckless or negligent.

What is the central to the case for alternative theories?

Central to the case for "alternative" theories is a misunderstanding of what a scientific theory is, and isn't. One thing it cannot do is depend on supernatural elements. That is the role of religious belief. By asking that creationism be given a place beside the theory of evolution, its supporters are asking that their beliefs be given equal standing with the scientific method. That violates the separation of church and state, as Judge Jones ruled; in claiming their science was not faith-based, he said, they lied.”

Who is the attorney for scope?

Clarence Darrow is the person who is most often remembered as Scope's attorney. However, Scopes was represented by a team of lawyers.

Who were the Scopes lawyers?

Other members of Scopes legal team were Arthur Garfield Hays, Dudley Field Malone, W.O. Thompson, and F.B. McElwee. Thompson was Darrow's law partner. Hays was general counsel and cofounder of the American Civil Liberties Union. Malone gave a strong speech in defense of academic freedom at the trial. He advocated for women's suffrage and specialized in international divorces.

Who would defend teachers charged with a violation of the law?

The American Civil Liberties Union immediately announced they would defend any teacher charged with a violation of the law and started looking around for a test case.

What was the scope of the monkey trial?

Scopes "Monkey" Trial (1925) The early 1920s found social patterns in chaos. Traditionalists, the older Victorians, worried that everything valuable was ending. Younger modernists no longer asked whether society would approve of their behavior, only whether their behavior met the approval of their intellect. Intellectual experimentation flourished.

Who was John Scopes?

There a jury was to decide the fate of John Scopes, a high school biology teacher charged with illegally teaching the theory of evolution. The guilt or innocence of John Scopes, and even the constitutionality of Tennessee's anti-evolution statute, mattered little.

When was the scopes trial?

Much of the Scopes Trial news coverage in 1925 and ever since leaves a great deal to be desired. Even when allowance is made for the pressures of deadlines, the demands of diverse events reporters have to describe with discernment, and the shadow of every publication’s editorial bias, most accounts of the trial are found wanting when weighed in the balances of truth, accuracy, fair play, and thoroughness.

How could Scopes have avoided a criminal trial?

Ironically Scopes could have avoided a criminal trial with its possible conviction and loss of a job by taking advantage of his status as a professional educator, questioning the constitutionality of the anti-evolution law, and asking for a declaratory judgment (Larson 60).

Why did Judge Raulston allow Scopes to be indicted?

Because Judge Raulston had been so eager to get the case that he had allowed Scopes to be indicted on May 25th by a grand jury whose term had expired, the judge convened another grand jury to indict Scopes a second time (Ginger 129). Eight prospective jurors were examined and excused for various reasons.

Why was Scopes not called to the witness stand?

Scopes was not called to the witness stand because, as Darrow explained to Judge Raulston, “Your honor, every single word that was said against this defendant, everything was true” ( Trial 133).

How long is the scopes trial festival?

Since 1988, Bryan College and the Dayton community have cooperated in organizing a four-day Scopes Trial Festival whose main feature is a documentary drama based almost entirely on the transcript of the trial and performed in the Scopes Trial courtroom.

What was the most famous court case in Rhea County?

By far the most celebrated court case in Rhea County and perhaps in all of Tennessee history was the case of the State of Tennessee vs. John Thomas Scopes , which took place in Dayton’s Rhea County Courthouse 10-21 July 1925. For the most part, the trial has been misreported and misinterpreted by journalists at the time of the trial and ever since, by historians who depended on the journalists more than on the official records and actual participants, and by audiences of the play, film, and television versions of Inherit the Wind, who rarely read the authors’ disclaimer in their preface: “ Inherit the Wind is not history” (Lawrence and Lee ix).

What is the scopes evolution trial?

The Scopes Evolution Trial was a world-class event in its day, and it continues to attract inquiries and visitors from all over the United States and many parts of the world. It has become the benchmark for subsequent trials dealing with similar problems which are usually dubbed “Scopes II” by the press.