Darrow focused his defense on prejudice. Disagreeing with prosecutor Robert M. Toms that this was a murder case, not a question of race. Darrow compared Breiner to ancient Romans who eagerly rushed to the coliseum to watch lions mangle Christians. That was Clarence Darrow at his best. The Dr. Sweet trial was the beginning of real change.
Blacks can live wherever they want now, as long as they can afford it.
Another impact the trial had on housing was that Frank Murphy was the judge on the Sweet case. And I believe he was so impressed with Clarence Darrow's defense that when he presided over the restrictive convenants case, which prevented blacks from living in certain neighborhoods, he struck it down in 1948. I just didn't want to make him feel bad. He was a very respectable man, a fine man, not too tall, about 5 feet 10 inches tall, and rather stocky. He always had a kind word for his patients.