The Monkey Trial Defendant was John T. Scopes, a high school teacher from Dayton, Tennessee. He was charged with violating the Butler Act, which prohibited the teaching of evolution in public schools. The trial, which took place in 1925, was a major event in the history of the United States and was widely covered by the media. Scopes was found guilty and fined $100, but the verdict was later overturned on a technicality.