The case that I have chosen to write about is the very first on the list that we were given to choose from. Brown v. Mississippi that ultimately had the ruling of, “physical coercion violates the Fourth Amendment” (Becker, et al. p. 197). In this case, the defendants were charged with murdering an individual by the name of Raymond Stewart. Initially the confessions were admitted as evidence, the three men were convicted, and sentence of death passed. The Mississippi Supreme Court affirmed the convictions. (Brown v. Mississippi. 1936). I’m sure that at this point the case had to have seemed meaningless to argue at a time when racial tensions were high and the accused were African American farm workers and the victim was a plantation owner.
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Mississippi. 1936). From there the judges went into details to explain how the defendants were beaten and how marks were visible in the courtroom the day after the “confessions” were made.
One of the defendants was hung by a tree and whipped until he would give a confession which he ultimately did end up doing. The other two defendants were also picked up from their home and brought to the jail. The next two defendants that had gotten picked up were made to strip naked and laid across chairs while their back was getting cut up by “leather belts with buckles until they confessed” (Brown v. Mississippi 1936).
The defendants were told that if they were to change their story at any point in time, the mob will return and the beatings would be equivalent if not more severe. The court also inquired as to whether or not the defendants had proper representation, which they did not; for they felt the representation they would receive would also be unfair to them. Eventually the court granted the defendants proper
Mississippi. 1936). From there the judges went into details to explain how the defendants were beaten and how marks were visible in the courtroom the day after the “confessions” were made.
One of the defendants was hung by a tree and whipped until he would give a confession which he ultimately did end up doing. The other two defendants were also picked up from their home and brought to the jail. The next two defendants that had gotten picked up were made to strip naked and laid across chairs while their back was getting cut up by “leather belts with buckles until they confessed” (Brown v. Mississippi 1936).
The defendants were told that if they were to change their story at any point in time, the mob will return and the beatings would be equivalent if not more severe. The court also inquired as to whether or not the defendants had proper representation, which they did not; for they felt the representation they would receive would also be unfair to them. Eventually the court granted the defendants proper