Even though the Constitution states that every man is equal under the law, this is not true. People are often prejudiced and discriminated against during a trial. In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, she tells a story of a young girl growing up in a time of racism and hatred. Scout's father Atticus is asked to defend a black man in a rape trial, and he tries his best. Ultimately, Tom Robinson is convicted and sent to prison, all because of the color of his skin. Based on the events told in To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee does not believe that all men are equal under the law. This is shown in the novel when Tom Robinson gets convicted; when he is actually innocent. Tom should not have been convicted because of a lack of evidence against him, untrustworthy witnesses, and evidence in favor of his case. This was a case based on skin color, prejudice, and discrimination.
The First thing that made this conviction unfair, was the lack of evidence against Tom. There was no evidence to collaborate Mr. Ewell's story that Mayella had been raped, except the testimony of Sheriff Tate. Sheriff Tate claimed he arrived at the scene and Mayella had been badly beaten, but he did not even call a doctor to confirm she had been raped. ""Did you call a doctor, Sheriff? Did anyone call a doctor?" asked Atticus. "No sir," said Mr.Tate."(167) This only goes to show that because the accused man was black, the Sheriff did not feel he would need an actual doctor's examination to have the man found guilty of raping Mayella. This shows that all men are not equal under the court system because if it would have been a white man accused of raping her, a doctor would have been called in to examine her and her injuries would have been clearly documented. "Mr.Tate said, " Mr. Ewell came in, very excited he was, and said get out to his house quick, some nigger"d raped his girl.""(167) When Mr.Tate found out it was a back man he seemed to think that there was no need to call a doctor to examine Mayella.