The Hughes Court (1930–41)

Criminal Justice

What happened to the Scottsboro Boys after the trial?

The Scottsboro Boys went to prison where they were all eventually released. Andy Wright stayed in prison the longest—until 1950. Roy Wright, the youngest Scottsboro Boy, shot his wife and then killed himself. But other Scottsboro defendants managed to overcome the hardships and unfairness to lead productive lives. Clarence Norris, who later cowrote a book entitled The Last of the Scottsboro Boys, lived until the age of 76. He finally received a pardon from Alabama governor George Wallace in 1976.

