Scopes Trial 美国著名的世纪审判

ScopesTrial

theScopesMonkeyTrial

Judge法官Prosecution原告，控方Defendant被告Counsel辩护律师Jury陪审团originStateRep.JohnW.Butler,headoftheWorld‘sChristianFundamentalsAssociation(世界基督基要协会),lobbiedstatelegislaturestopassanti-evolutionlaws,succeedinginTennesseewhentheButlerAct

《布勒特法》waspassed.Inresponse,theAmericanCivilLibertiesUnion

（美国公民自由联合会）financedatestcaseinwhichJohnScopes,aTennesseehighschoolteacher,intentionallyviolatedtheAct.ScopeswaschargedonMay5,1925withteachingevolutionfromachapterinatextbook(ACIVICBIOLOGY)thatshowedideasdevelopedfromCharlesDarwin’sbookOntheOriginofSpecies.Thetwosidesbroughtinthebiggestnamesinthenation,WilliamJenningsBryanfortheprosecution（原告）

andClarenceDarrowforthedefense（被告）,andthetrialwasfollowedonradiotransmissionsthroughoutAmerica.DarrowBryanAtfirst,Scopesmentionedthatwhilehecouldn'trememberwhetherhehadactuallytaughtevolutioninclass,hehad,however,gonethroughtheevolutionchartandchapterwiththeclass.Scopesaddedtothegroup:"IfyoucanprovethatI'vetaughtevolutionandthatIcanqualifyasadefendant,thenI'llbewillingtostandtrial.“However,Scopesbecameanincreasinglywillingparticipant,evenincriminatinghimselfandurgingstudentstotestifyagainsthim.起初，斯格普斯说他不记得是否在课堂上讲过进化论，可后来他却鼓励自己的学生为对手作证。Aftereightdaysoftrial,ittookthejuryonlynineminutestodeliberate.ScopeswasfoundguiltyonJuly21andorderedtopaya$100fine.Hisbailof$100waspaidbyPaulPatterson,owneroftheBaltimoreSun.《巴尔的摩太阳报》

Afterthesentencethedefendantspokeforthefirstandonlytimeincourt:Yourhonor,IfeelthatIhavebeenconvictedofviolatinganunjuststatute.Iwillcontinueinthefuture,asIhaveinthepast,toopposethislawinanywayIcan.Anyotheractionwouldbeinviolationofmyidealofacademicfreedom

—thatis,toteachthetruthasguaranteedinourconstitution,ofpersonalandreligiousfreedom.Ithinkthefineisunjust.ThecasewasappealedtotheTennesseeSupremeCourt.Ina3-1decisionwrittenbyChiefJusticeGraftonGreentheButlerActwasheldtobeconstitutional,butoverturnedScopes'convictiononatechnicality:thejudgehadsetthefineinsteadofthejury.Scopes'lawyersappealedtoSupremeCourtofTennessee,challengingtheconvictiononseveralgrounds

First,theyarguedthatthestatutewasoverlyvaguebecauseitprohibitedtheteachingof“evolution”,averybroadterm.Thecourtrejectedthatargument.（法律条文的模糊性，“进化论”是一个广泛的术语）Second,thelawyersarguedthatthestatuteviolatedScopes‘constitutionalrighttofreespeech(言论自由)becauseitprohibitedhimfromteachingevolution.Thecourtrejectedthisargument,holdingthatthestatewaspermittedtoregulatehisspeechasanemployeeofthestate.Third,itwasarguedthatthetermsoftheButlerActviolatedtheTennesseeStateConstitutionwhichprovidedthat“ItshallbethedutyoftheGeneralAssembly（州议会）

inallfutureperiodsofthisgovernment,tocherishliteratureandscience."Theargumentwasthatthetheoryofthedescentofmanfromalowerorderofanimalswasnowestablishedbythepreponderanceofscientificthought,andthattheprohibitionoftheteachingofsuchtheorywasaviolationofthelegislativedutytocherishscience.

Thecourtrejectedthisargument,holdingthatthedeterminationofwhatlawscherishedsciencewasanissueforthelegislature,notthejudiciaryFourth,thedefenselawyersarguedthatthestatuteviolatedtheprovisionsoftheTennesseeConstitutionthatprohibitedtheestablishmentofastatereligion.(不得立任何宗教为州教)Writingforthecourt,ChiefJusticeGraftonGreenrejectedthisargument,holdingthattheTennesseeReligiousPreferenceclausewasdesignedtopreventtheestablishmentofastatereligionashadbeentheexperienceinEnglandandScotlandatthewritingoftheConstitution.Further,thecourtheldthatwhilethestatuteforbadetheteachingofevolution,itdidnotrequiretheteachingofanyotherdoctrine,sothatitdidnotbenefitanyonereligiousdoctrineorsectovertheothers.Nevertheless,havingfoundthestatutetobeconstitutional,thecourtsetasidetheconvictiononappealbecauseofalegaltechnicality:thejuryshouldhavedecidedthefine,notthejudge,sinceunderthestateconstitution,Tennesseejudgescouldnotatthattimesetfinesabove$50,andtheButlerActspecifiedaminimumfineof$100.（田纳西最高法院后来确认这条法令符合宪法，但在技术上推翻约翰的判罪。因为罚款高于当时罚款上限50美元。）

TheButlerActremaineduntil1967whenitwasrepealedbytheTennesseelegislature.州最高法院指示，为了维持田纳西州的宁静与尊严，任何检察官不得以该法再起诉任何人。使得《布特勒法》真正如布莱恩当初所建议的，成了一个非惩治的彻底的“象征性法案”。ThetrialwascoveredbyfamousjournalistsfromtheSouthandaroundtheworld,includingH.L.MenckenforTheBaltimoreSun,whichwasalsopayingpartofthedefense'sexpenses.ItwasalsothefirstUnitedStatestrialtobebroadcastonnationalradio.MenckenisknownforhissatiricalreportingontheScopestrial,whichhenamedthe“Monkey”trial.Hewasakeencheer-leaderofscientificprogress,hewasparticularly