The Martinsville Seven: Race, Rape, and Capital Punishment

Constitutionalism and Democracy

by Eric W. Rise

This book offers the first comprehensive treatment of the case of the Martinsville Seven, a group of young black men executed in 1951 for the rape of a white woman in Martinsville, Virginia. Covering every aspect of the proceedings from the commission of the crime through two appeals, Eric W. Rise reexamines common assumptions about the administration of justice in the South. Although the defendants confessed to the crime, racial prejudice undeniably contributed to their eventual executions. Rise highlights the efforts of the attorneys who, rather than focusing on procedural errors, directly attacked the discriminatory application of the death penalty. The Martinsville Seven case was the first instance in which statistical evidence was used to prove systematic discrimination against blacks in capital cases.

216 pages, Paperback

First published May 22, 1995

Reviews

[Ian Minielly · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was hoping to learn about something tragic in this book and learned people with an agenda were the same 70 years ago as they are today. Why do I write this about this book?

1. I expected to read the police abused the suspects to coerce confessions. This was not the case. The rapists readily admitted to their crime without coercion.
2. While the lady in question made a mistake walking into the wrong part of town at dusk alone even when she was warned to stay out. She believed she lived in a high trust society and learned the hard way not everyone is trustworthy. I did not expect the lawyers and even some citizens to blame her for the rape because she should have known better and not have entered the black side of town. This was reprehensible.
3. The defense lawyers wanted each defendant tried separately instead of one trial for all seven accused because some did not actually penetrate and therefore by definition did not actually "rape" the victim. Then 3/4s of the book is spent with the defendants, the NAACP, and the CRC saying the defendants were railroaded because of the collective guilt increasing with each conviction. They wanted individual trials and then complained about it.
4. Everyone agreed Martinsville and the surrounding area did not stoke racial sentiment before the trial and there was no threat of lynch mobs forming to exact vengeance, then the NAACP and CRC spent half the book saying the accused were innocent and being railroaded and could not get a fair trial in the same area the crime occurred.
5. The degree to which people lied about the victim and the guilty while bussing people in from all over the country to protest the seven rapists being the real victims.
6. The extent of communist support influencing race discussions 70 years ago and today.

I agree the application of the death penalty was not evenly brought against blacks and whites for the same crime. This is/was a problem. But to victim shame, lie, and gas light regarding the perps to try and make changes about the unfair sentencing is/was counter productive. I give the VA Court of Appeals and Supreme Court and governor at the time kudos for not succumbing to bogus public pressure to exonerate the guilty. I sadly do not think the same people would have the strength to stand up to the lies today.

This book was sorely disappointing. I would love to see the death penalty abolished and sentencing fairly applied in all cases without regard for skin color etc. The problem is the people trying to get this change/adjustment spend all their time lying and painting inaccurate pictures and make themselves untrustworthy instead of just showing the facts and making an honest case.