Monday, March 18, 2013

What is Tom Robinson's sentence after the trial?

Robinson's sentence is, briefly, death.
When the jury files back into the courtroom, Scout says she notices something that “only a lawyer’s child” would notice, that when the jury convicts someone, they will never look at the defendant; that was the case with this jury and Tom Robinson. The judge polls the jury to be sure that the “guilty” verdict is unanimous. At that point, the sentence is not indicated. The next morning at home, when Atticus speaks with the children, he tells them that there will be an appeal.
In the next few days, they learn from their father that Robinson has been incarcerated on a prison farm 70 miles away. He tells them that in Alabama, rape is a capital offense. This means that his sentence was already set: he will be killed in the electric chair. The only other possibilities are through appeal, in which a higher court will review the case and possibly free him or grant a new trial, or if the governor were to commute the sentence.


At the end of chapter 21, Tom Robinson becomes a victim of racial injustice after he is found guilty and convicted of assaulting and raping Mayella Ewell. In chapter 23, Atticus discusses the outcome of the trial with his son, who argues that the jury did not have to give Tom Robinson the death penalty. Atticus then assures his children that nothing will happen to Tom Robinson until a higher court reviews his case. Atticus also mentions that he believes Tom Robinson has a good chance of winning his appeal and going free.
For the time being, Tom Robinson is imprisoned at the Enfield Prison Farm, which is seventy miles away in Chester County. When Jem asks what will happen if Tom loses his appeal, Atticus tells him that Tom will go to the electric chair, where he will be executed. Tragically, Tom Robinson attempts to escape from the Enfield Prison Farm and is shot dead by the prison guards.

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