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Do you think a person who is inarticulate and uses street slang is less credible as a witness in a criminal trial?
Shouldn't jurors receive a jury instruction something like: even though a person does not speak English (let's say a person speaks only Spanish and needs a translator in court), or speaks English poorly , should not influence your judgment of their credibility.
The reason I say this, is that some black, Hispanic people, or recent immigrants, or people with speech impediments (like Rachel Jeantel), may be seen as less credible in a trial, whether they are defendants, witnesses, or lawyers, when really what does the way they talk have to do with their ability to tell the truth?!!!
Absolutely it does. Like it or not, how articulate a person is in a court of law makes the world of difference. Would you like a police officer to get up on the stand and talk like that woman did? Why not? Its just "ghetto slang?" What if that was the way the police officer was brought up and lived? Would it be ok then?
No, it wouldn't be. So why should it be ok for anyone else? That woman went to school and learned to speak proper English. SHE chose not to listen to her teachers and speak the way she does.
And before you start with the racial BS, I am a black man, who grew up in the worst ghetto's in Oakland. I don't speak Eubonics and I went to the same schools as every other black person who does. I chose to learn how to read and write properly and not speak "ghetto speak."
The simple fact of the matter is this: Black persons who speak this way are disgracing my race and people. If you want to have respect and get somewhere in this world, educate yourself and talk like a normal person. Not like some drunken hood rat this woman is.
I was being court-groomed by a plaintiff lawyer as a witness one time.
He repeated over and over again, to be, DISPASSIONATE.
He said JUDGES absolutely HATE natural expression.
Just like John Good.
If Zimmerman had taken the stand, would he have come off better to the jury speaking dispassionately, or with his fake-concern tone that he displayed to the dispatcher, and during the reenactment?
How one speaks has a huge impact on his or her credibility. It is, of course, context dependent. In the hood, for example, Buckley Jr. would have zero credibility while the gangsta-talking kids get respect. In corporate America it's just the opposite.
We once dealt with a banker from North Carolina who had a terrible southern accent. Terrible is a relative term, as she was from the south and many have the same accent. She confided once that she had to take classes to lose her accent or risk losing her job. Seemed stupid to me because she was responsive and friendly. She was clear across the country and I never met her but had no problem with her accent. I often wondered what she looked like.
Yes, and that may be the case when applying for a job or mortgage.
But in a court of law, even though it might be a factor, it shouldn't be. And I think that should be in the jury instructions. You can't have justice only for the well-educated, well-off, and well-spoken! That is a travesty!
Sorry Rachel's demeanor overshadowed her horrendous speech. Hopefully she takes Tom Joyner up on his offer. I suspect she won't though since that would require work.
Absolutely it does. Like it or not, how articulate a person is in a court of law makes the world of difference. Would you like a police officer to get up on the stand and talk like that woman did? Why not? Its just "ghetto slang?" What if that was the way the police officer was brought up and lived? Would it be ok then?
No, it wouldn't be. So why should it be ok for anyone else? That woman went to school and learned to speak proper English. SHE chose not to listen to her teachers and speak the way she does.
And before you start with the racial BS, I am a black man, who grew up in the worst ghetto's in Oakland. I don't speak Eubonics and I went to the same schools as every other black person who does. I chose to learn how to read and write properly and not speak "ghetto speak."
The simple fact of the matter is this: Black persons who speak this way are disgracing my race and people. If you want to have respect and get somewhere in this world, educate yourself and talk like a normal person. Not like some drunken hood rat this woman is.
Maybe her teachers speak like that, or close to it.
Yes, and that may be the case when applying for a job or mortgage.
But in a court of law, even though it might be a factor, it shouldn't be. And I think that should be in the jury instructions. You can't have justice only for the well-educated, well-off, and well-spoken! That is a travesty!
Mortgages are based on your credit score, income, and ability to pay.
Rachel wasn't the victim, she was a witness and the jurors had to weigh each witness. One of the witnesses could speak perfectly fine, but was adamant that she heard 3 gun shots, she lost credibility as well.
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