James Edwin Horton, Jr.

James Edwin Horton, Jr.. On June 22, 1933, Judge James Horton of Athens set aside the verdict and death sentence of an all-white jury that found Haywood Patterson, an African American, guilty of raping two white women. Patterson was one of nine black youths falsely accused of committing acts of rape in March 1931. They were known as the "Scottsboro Boys." . . Judge Horton's decision to order a new trial for Patterson was a resounding blow to Jim Crow justice. Although northern newspapers called him "Lincolnesque,” Horton simply believed he was doing his sacred duty by upholding the dignity and integrity of the court. . . Horton faced threats on his life and his name became a lightning rod for supremacists who labeled him a traitor for overturning the verdict. . . [Reverse] . James Horton was born Jan. 4, 1878. In 1922, Horton married Anna Hobbs. He served as Judge of Alabama's 8th Judicial Circuit from 1922 until 1934. . . Even though his ruling meant the end of his public career, Horton spent his remaining years farming and raising award-winning Aberdeen-Angus cattle. In 1938 Horton moved the family's home from Athens to Greenbrier, Ala.., and named his farm "Macedon" after their three sons: Mac, Ed and Don. . . NBC's 1976 movie, “Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys,” highlighted the judge's role in the case. . . Horton's judicial philosophy may be summed up in a phrase he learned at his mother's knee: . Let Justice Be Done Though the Heavens May Fall.. . This historical marker was erected in 2016 by Horton Descendants; Limestone County Historical Society; and Athens/Limestone Tourism Council. It is in Athens in Limestone County Alabama