On Jul. 21, 1925, the Scopes Trial concluded with the jury finding John Stopes guilty. One year later, the Tennessee Supreme Court reversed the Dayton court decision on a technicality — the court determined that the fine should have been set by the jury, not the judge. Rather than send the case back for further action, the Tennessee Supreme Court dismissed the case.

On May 25, 1925 John Thomas Scopes, a biology teacher in Dayton, Tennessee was arrested for violating the Butler Act which prohibited the teaching of evolution in any Tennessee state-funded school and university. The American Civil Liberties Union took up the case and America’s most famous criminal lawyer, Clarence Darrow defended Scopes and William Jennings Bryan, represented the prosecution.