Argued on October 10, 1932, and decided on November 7, 1932, Ozie Powell, Willie Roberson, Andy Wright, and Olen Montgomery v. the State of Alabama, known as Powell v. Alabama, was the first case to follow from the Scottsboro Nine trials of 1931. As such, it clarified questions of criminal law regarding the rights of the accused and proper pre-trial procedure. The main issue centered on the extent to which a legal level playing field, referring to adequate, if not equal, attorney representation, was required under the Constitution.