What makes Tom Robinson's case different from the other routine cases? (Chapters 1-11)

The most obvious answer to this question is that Tom
Robinson was a black man accused of raping a white woman. This type of case was a highly
unusual one for the times; in many such instances, the black man could well have been
lynched before going to trial (as Tom nearly was himself). The other unusual facts are
that we are led to believe that Tom is innocent of the charges; that Atticus has
sufficiently proved his case; that Bob and Mayella Ewell present contradictory evidence;
and that no doctor's report was made. The end result--a guilty verdict against the
accused black man--is probably the least surprising fact of the
trial.