Thomas E. Knight

Thomas E. Knight, Jr. (June 19, 1898 – May 17, 1937) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 13th Lieutenant Governor of Alabama from 1935 to 1937, as well as the 19th Attorney General of Alabama from 1931 to 1935. He was a native of Greensboro, Alabama.

Thomas E. Knight
13th Lieutenant Governor of Alabama
In office
January 14, 1935 – May 17, 1937
GovernorBibb Graves
Preceded byHugh D. Merrill
Succeeded byAlbert A. Carmichael
29th Attorney General of Alabama
In office
January 19, 1931 – January 14, 1935
GovernorBenjamin M. Miller
Preceded byCharlie C. McCall
Succeeded byAlbert A. Carmichael
Personal details
Born(1898-06-19)June 19, 1898
Greensboro, Alabama
DiedMay 17, 1937(1937-05-17) (aged 38)
Montgomery, Alabama
Political partyDemocratic
Alma materUniversity of Alabama
ProfessionAttorney

Knight was the prosecutor in the Scottsboro trials in the 1930s; as the Attorney General, he also represented the State before the United States Supreme Court in the three cases stemming from the trials: Powell v. Alabama, in 1932; and Norris v. Alabama and Patterson v. Alabama, both in 1935.[1]

Knight died suddenly on May 17, 1937, in Montgomery, Alabama, due to complications from kidney and liver conditions.[2]

Knight was portrayed by actor Bill Sage in the 2006 movie Heavens Fall, opposing Timothy Hutton, starring as Scottsboro Boys defense attorney Samuel Leibowitz.

Knight was portrayed by actor Ken Kercheval in the 1976 TV movie Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys.

References
  1. "ALABAMA PLANNING NEW INDICTMENTS; Lieut. Governor Knight Awaits Supreme Court Order in Scottsboro Cases". The New York Times. 1935-04-02. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  2. "LIEUT. GOV. KNIGHT DEAD IN ALABAMA; Prosecutor of the Famous Scottsboro Case Is Stricken in Montgomery at 39 WAS ATTORNEY GENERAL The Conviction Obtained in First Trial of Negroes Upheld by His Father, a State Jurist Against Outside Interference Chosen to Prosecute". The New York Times. 1937-05-18. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-09-22.


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