Powell V. Alabama Case

The Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments were established to protect the rights of the suspected, the accused, criminal defendants and that of convicted criminals. There have been several instances of the course time where these protections of rights haven’t been upheld. An example of when these protections of rights have been neglected is the Powell v. Alabama in 1932. There are several things that made this particular case so different from that of other cases. The time period, the series of events in the case, and the doctrines that were established during this time period are just a few to mention. The Powell v. Alabama case of 1932 was a fundamental case for its time. This case happened at the height of Segregation between African Americans and the whites in America. The case involved nine African American boys in the South that jumped on an empty freight train heading to Alabama. A group of young white men jumped the train as well sometime throughout the night. The two parties eventually met up, where then a fight happened between them. All but one of the white men was thrown off the train. The white men, who had been thrown off the train, then sent a message to the police in the upcoming town reporting the incident to them. The local sheriff stopped the train at the next stop, where he then had two white women from the …show more content…
Alabama of 1932 was a landmark case in American history. The case brought to the forefront the issue of legal counsel being guaranteed by the 6th Amendment, and how that right applied to the States by the 14th Amendment. This case brought up the issues and concerns of what the requirements of the State was in this type of criminal proceedings. Due Process wasn’t given to the African American men in this case. The Incorporation Doctrine within the Fourteenth Amendment will now serve as a series of checks and balances so that state governments can’t make sure not to violate these rights that are given to our