In the play Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, the defense faces numerous societal injustices, which is why they never had a chance to win the case. One example of the towns bias is presented through the towns love for Matthew Harrison Brady. A second example is the extreme conformist and pious attitude of the towns people. The last instance is the narrow-mindedness of the judge and the jury, which resulted in an unfair trial. In conclusion, the defense suffered through many unfair circumstances throughout the drama Inherit the Wind.
The first instance of the towns prejudice is the overall affection for Brady, the prosecuting attorney. This is demonstrated when Brady first comes to the town and is greeted by a barrage of food and the citizens of Hillsboro singing Gimme That Old-Time Religion, the lyrics of which quickly change to It is good enough for Brady, and its good enough for me! The second example of adoration for Matt is when, upon being in the town no more then ten minutes, the mayor pronounces, The Governor of our state has vested in me the authority to confer upon you a commission as Honorary Colonel in the State Militia, this announcement is applauded by the towns people. The last example is in the last scene of the play when Brady falls when giving a speech and a woman in the courtroom screams, O Lord, work us a miracle and save our Holy Prophet! which shows the citizens devotion towards Brady. Over all, the defense never had a chance in winning the case due to the towns loyalty toward Brady. The religious views of town on a whole are second example why Cates, the defendant, would without doubt be found guilty. The first instance of the religious zealots in Hillsboro was when news came that Henry Drummond, the agnostic, was to be the defense attorney; this news brought reactions such as Henry Drummond is an agent of darkness. We wont let him in the town! from Reverend Brown, and Drummond probably wouldnt have been admitted had it not been for Bradys encouragement to do so.
The Review on Mad About The Insanity Defense
Today in our legal system, there are many questionable defense tactics. They are designed to protect the rights of the charged, and further the cause of justice. However, in many cases this betterment of justice has been taken too far, and thus pleas such as "Temporary insanity" are born. Indeed, as will be proven, the insanity defense in itself has been stretched nearly to its breaking point. The ...
Additionally, the second occasion of religiousness was throughout the trial the city was scattered with signs such as, Darwin is wrong! and, Save our schools from sin, and a gigantic banner that hung over the entrance of the courthouse that read, Read your Bible! Lastly, the night before the trial Reverend Brown held a city-wide prayer meeting on the courthouse lawn, at this meeting Brown preached the word of Genesis, which was followed by numerous amens and cheering, Brown also called down a curse on any people who believed in anything other then the Bible, or asked to pity those that did, including his own daughter. All in all, the defense never had a chance to win due to the fact that Hillsboro was incredibly religious. Lastly, the close-mindedness of the judge and jury also ensured Catess guilty fate. While selecting the jury Drummond is forced to pick jury members like Bannister who cant read to try to keep the trial fair, and when Drummond dismisses a venire man due to the fact that he, Believe[s] in Matthew Harrison Brady! Drummond is chided by Brady and the judge. Second, when Drummond tries to call to the stand fifteen acclaimed scientist he is denied the right to do so because the judge deems testimony from such experts irrelevant to the case and demeaning to the citizens that have to listen to it. Finally, even after Drummond carries out one of the most brilliant legal strategies of our time by calling Brady to the stand as an expert on the Bible, and then making him look like a fool, the jury still finds Cates guilty.
In conclusion, no matter how hard Drummond tried the small-mindedness of the citizens of the court made it impossible for him to win the case. In retrospect, throughout the course of the play Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, the defense faces numerous instances of bigotry, which make it impossible to win the case. First was Hillsboros everlasting affection for Matt Brady. Second were the extreme religious views of the town. Last was the prejudice of the judge and jury. All in all Cates was doomed to be found guilty in the tense drama of Inherit the Wind..
The Essay on Jury Nullification Paper 4
Jury nullification is defined as when juries believe a case is unjust or wrong and may set free a defendant who violated the law. Jury nullification has been an option of a jury in the United States. In the legal system that we use today, jurors have the power to give a non-guilty verdict even when the evidence clearly shows that the defendant is guilty. In cases like this, the jurors decide that ...
