During a conversation with Miss Maudie, Scout and Jem found out that Judge Taylor had appointed Atticus specifically to defend Tom Robinson. A young lawyer named Maxwell Green was the one who was usually appointed by the court for defense. He was new to the profession, so he served as the court-appointed defense attorney in Maycomb County. Atticus was a skilled defense attorney with many years of experience.
Historically, African Americans did not always have the most fair trials in Maycomb County. This was especially true when the jury was biased because an African American was accused of a crime against a white person. Miss Maudie saw the injustice in this, and she viewed Judge Taylor's decision as a step in the direction of progress. Miss Maudie hoped that Atticus would give Tom more of a chance:
Atticus Finch won't win, he can't win, but he's the only man in these parts who can keep a jury out so long in a case like that. And I thought to myself, well, we're making a step—it's just a babystep, but it's a step (Chapter 22).
No comments:
Post a Comment