who was the denfense attorney of george stinney

Who was the lawyer for George Stinney?

On Apr. 24, 1944, George Junius Stinney Jr.’s trial began at the Clarendon County Courthouse, where more than 1,000 people were in attendance, including his then-30-year-old court-appointed attorney, Charles Plowden, who did very little to defend his client.

Was George Stinney ever exonerated?

"George Stinney, 14-year-old convicted of '44 murder, exonerated". WIS. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. ^ "Here's what to know about George Stinney's wrongful execution in 1944". ^ Jaffe, Andrew (July 24, 1988).

How old was George Stinney when he was killed?

George Junius Stinney Jr.: The 14-Year-Old Boy Who Was Put To Death By The Electric Chair For A Murder Conviction That Was Overturned 70 Years Later George Junius Stinney Jr.: The 14-Year-Old Boy Who Was Put To Death By The Electric Chair For A Murder Conviction That Was Overturned 70 Years Later

Why were George Stinney and his brother arrested?

George Stinney and his older brother Johnny were arrested on suspicion of murdering the girls. Johnny was released by police, but George was held. He was not allowed to see his parents until after his trial and conviction.

When was George Stinney's murder conviction overturned?

George Stinney’s Murder Conviction Overturned. On December 17, 2014, 70 years after George Stinney Jr. was convicted and put to death by electric chair for the murders of Betty and Mary, Circuit Judge Carmen Mullen overturned his murder conviction. In a 29-page order, the judge wrote: “Given the particularized circumstances of George’s case, ...

Where did George Stinney live?

He lived with his family in Alcolu, South Carolina — a small mill town where whites and blacks were divided by railroad tracks. His father, George Stinney Sr., worked at the thriving lumber mill, which allowed for his family to live in company housing, but when George Stinney Jr. was arrested on suspicion of killing two white girls, ...

Why did George Stinney Jr. leave the town?

To avoid being lynched, his family left town, leaving George Stinney Jr. to deal with his murder charges, trial, and execution alone. The next time they saw him, he was lying dead in a coffin with his face severely burned.

How many people were in the George Stinney trial?

George Stinney’s Two-Hour Trial. George Stinney’s trial was held at the Clarendon County Courthouse on April 24, 1944. There were about 1,000 people in attendance, including his 30-year-old court-appointed attorney, Charles Plowden, who did very little to defend his client. He did not cross-examine any witnesses, ...

Where was Stinney executed?

On June 16, 1944, George Junius Stinney Jr. walked into the execution chamber, located at the Central Correctional Institution in Columbia, with a bible in his hand as officers led him to the adult-size electric chair.

Did George Stinney Jr. confess to the murders?

There is no proof that George Stinney Jr. admitted to the murders as investigators did not provide a written statement or audio of the confession.

Did George Stinney Jr. appeal his conviction?

Plowden told the court that they would not appeal the conviction as George Stinney Jr.’s family didn’t have the money for continuation.

What is the word on George Stinney's death certificate?

Done Editing Tags. On George Stinney's death certificate, there exists one powerful word: homicide. Stinney was 14 when he was killed by the state of South Carolina for two murders that he may or may not have committed. Stinney figures to forever be the youngest person executed by the modern-day justice system, ...

Why was the prosecution able to quickly rebut the defense's prime arguments in Stinney's case

The prosecution in Stinney's case was able to quickly rebut the defense's prime arguments because South Carolina law allowed for children - 5'1, 90-pound children - to be tried as adults for their alleged crimes. This practice is especially specious in light of the ice cream story.

What happened to Stinney in the Ice Cream story?

This practice is especially specious in light of the ice cream story. In one breath, the state held Stinney to be as mentally culpable for murder as an adult. In the next breath, it tried to get him to trade his life for a cone of ice cream.

How tall was George Stinney?

George Stinney was just taller than five feet and he didn't weigh 100 pounds. He bravely carried a Bible under his arm as he walked toward the electric chair. Because the electric chair was not designed to kill small children, the prison guards asked him to use his book as a Biblical booster seat.

How long did it take for the Stinney case to be thrown out?

From arrest to execution, the entire process took less than three months.

Who was Charles Plowden?

Charles Plowden was a 30-year old who had no business trying a capital case. His appointment to this position was a farce, and it would make for a suspicious bit of history if we had actually learned from it. Unfortunately, Charles Plowdens are still being appointed today to handle cases just like George Stinney's.

Did the Stinney trial take notes?

No notes were taken, and the investigators emerged after a few hours with a confession that may or may not have taken place. Stinney's trial was a circus, and the injustice continued with the appointment of his attorney. He was given a 30-year old tax planning attorney who had never tried a capital case.

The Case

In a court affidavit from 2013, a man by the name of Francis Batson recalls taking part in a search party to locate Betty June Binnicker and Mary Emma Thames, ages 11 and 7, who were determined missing in March of 1944.

The Penalty

David Bruck, a law professor and attorney specializing in death penalty cases, wrote of Stinney’s execution in 1985 for the Washington Post. Bruck was compelled to pen the article after the state of Texas executed Charles Rumbaugh Jr. for a crime he committed as a minor.

Who was George Stinney's attorney?

Th jury was all male, all white and prone in those days to convict Blacks. George Stinney’s court appointed attorney was Charles Plowder, a tax commissioner campaigning for election to local office, rendering him unlikely to take a pro defense stand, thereby eliminating his chance at election.

What happened to George Stinney Jr?

In April of 1944, George Stinney Jr., a 14-year-old African American boy from Alcolu, SC was convicted of brutally bludgeoning to White girls to death. He was sent to the electric chair on June 16, 1944. The families of the two girls, Mary Emma Thames, 7, and Betty June Binnicker, 11, believe justice has been served. 70 years later, the family of Stinney wants to re-open case, claiming there is new evidence and the teen did not get a fair trial. USC law professor, Kenneth Gaines, breaks down the case from a legal perspective, looking at the challenges both sides face and examining the role of race.

How long did the Plowden trial last?

The entire trial lasted only 2 and ½ hours. The all-male, all White jury took less than 10 minutes to deliberate, returning a guilty verdict.

What was George's daily chore?

One of his daily chores was to take the family cow out to graze, bring her back, give her water and put her in the barn for the night. George and his sister did this chore and while taking the cow to the pasture, the girls came by and asked if they knew where they could find some maypops.

Who are the two girls in the Stinney case?

The families of the two girls, Mary Emma Thames, 7, and Betty June Binnicker, 11, believe justice has been served. 70 years later, the family of Stinney wants to re-open case, claiming there is new evidence and the teen did not get a fair trial.

Who was the youngest person to be executed?

John C Abercrombie. On June 16, 1944, George Junius Stinney, Jr became the youngest person in America to be executed when at the age of 14 he was electrocuted by the state of South Carolina. His trial was only 2 hours and the jury deliberated only 10 minutes before he was sentenced to die at the hands of the state.

Who killed Binnicker?

Deputies charged George Stinney Jr. with killing both girls. However, for reasons unknown, Stinney was tried only for the murder of Binnicker. 83 days after the deaths, with no appeals, George Stinney Jr. was electrocuted by the State of South Carolina. **.

What did Jim Crow supporters say about Stinney?

Stinney's supporters said racism , common in the Jim Crow era South, meant deputies in Clarendon County did a little investigation after they decided Stinney was the prime suspect. They said he was pulled from his parents and interrogated without a lawyer.

Who was the only black person in the courtroom during his one day trial?

Stinney was the only Black person in the courtroom during his one-day trial. The prosecutor arguing against him was Ernest "Chip" Finney III, the son of South Carolina's first black Chief Justice.

What is the youngest person executed in the US?

South Carolina law has a high bar for new trials based on evidence that could have been discovered at the time of the trial. At 14, he was the youngest person executed in the United States in the past 100 years. South Carolina did not have a statewide law enforcement unit to help smaller jurisdictions until 1947.

Who was the black man executed in South Carolina?

Geroge Stinney is Executed. George Stinney Jr. *On this date in 1944, a 14-year-old Black youth executed by South Carolina. George Stinney was found guilty of killing a 7-year-old and an 11-year-old white girl in a trial that lasted less than a day in the tiny Southern mill town of Alcolu, S.C. The town was segregated by race.

Did John Stinney confess to the murder of the girls?

Lawyers working on behalf of Stinney's family had sworn statements from his relatives accounting for his time the day the girls were killed, from a cellmate saying he never confessed to the crime, and from a pathologist disputing the findings of the autopsy done on the victims.