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Issues in juvenile delinquency
Issues in juvenile delinquency
Issues in juvenile delinquency
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More handpicked essays just for you.
Issues in juvenile delinquency
Issues in juvenile delinquency
Issues in juvenile delinquency
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Mayella feels guilty after lying under oath in court. Mayella lied about Tom Robinson raping her because she doesn't want her dad to beat her up if she tells the truth. PARTIES Members of the jury, the state will review the evidence against Mayella Ewell who let her greed influence her decision to lie under oath. While her father Bob Ewell forced her to lie about the case so he wouldn't be
Opening statement for Mayella Ewell Good afternoon, my name is Alex, and it is my pleasure to represent Maycomb County and to serve as a prosecutor in this important case. My theory of why Mayella Ewell lied in court is she thought she could get away with it because she is white and my reason for claiming guilt is because the Ewells and Tom's stories do not match up. On August 26, 1935, the defendant in this matter lied inside the courtroom under oath about what really happened on the evening of November 21st. On the evening of November 21st, 1934 “Mayella Ewell said that she invited Tom inside to bust up a chifferobe but she said he snuck up behind her and was taking advantage of her.
Opening Statement for Mayella Ewell Mayella Ewell lied under oath and committed perjury because she was ashamed of kissing a black man and she was scared of her father. Mayella lied under oath by saying she gave Tom Robinson a nickel to break up a dresser for her and then he raped her. What really happened was that she invited him inside and she tried to kiss him. Here is the evidence that shows that Mayella was not telling the truth. “So he come in the yard an’ I went in the house to get him the nickel on ‘fore I knew it he was on me” (Lee 241).
This act of hers has left Tom in jail, and his children and wife alone. We hope you listen carefully and thoughtfully to seek the truth of Mayella Ewell's crime. Now, jury members, I will go over the evidence while the county reviews it. Mayella Ewell was under oath on August 21st, over the case of Tom Robinson when she lied. She is said to have called Tom over to bust her chiffarobe, when he had gotten on top of her, then attacked and taken advantage of her.
While this was occurring Tom ran out of the house because he was confused. The Ewells came up with a story stating that Tom raped Mayella and they went to court for it. Eventually, it was found out that Mayella lied to hide the embarrassment of trying to kiss an African American man along with trying to make herself feel better. Bob Ewell wanted to accuse Tom to cover his own tracks in abusing his daughter. Yet, with all this information and evidence Tom’s verdict was guilty.
Opening statement for Mayella Ewell Good afternoon, my name is Lauren, and it is my pleasure to represent Maycomb County and to serve as a prosecutor in this important case. Mayella Ewell lay under oath. Mayella Ewell lied because she feared what her father would do to her if she told the truth. Bob Ewell beat his daughter and in court, she was scared of telling the truth.
Is in perfect condition to beat Mayella using the dominant left side of the body. Having seen Bob seduce Tom and giving her a gruesome beating the only way to save oneself is to blame a low-class black man. Bob is a man of low morality and ethics, having taken an innocent man and setting up to destroy this man’s life solely to be not classified as an unethical moran and not having raised the children properly; which is not the case as by framing this innocent man he is proving thyself as unethical. Despite getting to know the truth of the case the white male jury still had the nerve to rule Tom guilt with the charges of Tom raping and beating Mayella. “The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom, be he any color of the rainbow, but people have a way of carrying resentment to the jury box.”(Lee
Harper lee creates a trial similar to the Scottsboro trial in her book To Kill a Mockingbird. Lee was a kid when the trial became popular so it would make sense to mimic the trial. It could have been a way to express her opinion on the unfairness of the trial. Mayella Ewells is similar to Ruby Bates because they both violated the social principle of segregation. Mayella Ewells tempted Tom Robinson by kissing him “She reached up an’ kissed me” Robinson told Atticus Finch when giving his testimony.
Then Bob Ewell showed up, Tom was scared and ran, not knowing what else to do because it is bad for a black man to be alone with a white woman. Mayella Ewell took the easy way out by choosing to accuse Tom Robinson of something he had not done so that she could cover up what she had done, kissing a black man without his consent. At the end of the case, I hope you use the evidence given and the facts to return to a quilty case on the charge of perjury. Members of the jury, the County will review the evidence against Mayella Ewell, who took the easy way out and lied during court, which ended up costing Tom Robinson’s life. During the trial, “Mr. Gilmer waited for Mayella to collect herself: she had twisted her handkerchief into a sweaty rope; when she opened it to wipe her face it was a mass of creases from her hot hands” (Lee 205).
On the topic of the trial, Mayella Ewell can be seen almost exposing Bob Ewell for potentially being an abusive father at home, and also being the one who beat her up, instead of Tom Robinson who is originally the one accused for beating Mayella up. Atticus is asking Mayella questions about her father, and when he asks her if her father is easy to get along with, she says, “he does tollable, ‘cept when–”. (Lee 245). She stops speaking after she says “‘cept when”, in an attempt to not say something that she didn’t mean to say. It seems like Bob Ewell might’ve forced Mayella to lie, so that Bob Ewell wouldn’t seem like the bad guy.
Opening Statement for The Jury Good morning, I am Erin Thesing, the prosecutor in this case. Tom Robinson was sentenced to prison for the rape of Mayella Ewell. However, while on the stand, the witnesses told three different versions of the story. This should have at least given the jury a reasonable doubt. However, the jury was lazy and decided to just go with the easiest decision for them.
“‘She [Mayella] reached up an’ kissed me [Tom] ’side of th’ face. She says she never kissed a grown man before an’ she might as well kiss a nigger”’ (260). Instead of actually being a chore for Tom, it was an opportunity for her to seduce a man. By the time when Bob Ewell came into the scene, Mayella made up a story in which Tom was actually the one who raped her so that Bob can follow up on her not being affected by the eyes and words of society. Using this story, Bob sued Tom and won a case in which Tom was accused of being guilty even when the judge himself knew that he was innocent.
When Mayella, and Bob Ewell, lie to the jury, they do it to make themselves look good. They went out of their way to make an official case about the scenario. Therefore it put Tom Robinson’s own life on trial for something he did not commit. Bob, got to do The only reason Mayella, and what they did, was because of the racial discrimination during that time. Everything that took place in the courtroom shows the loss of childhood innocence and extreme racial prejudice.
When Bob Ewell saw what had happened he came in and started beating Mayella. Weeks later they decided to take this to court. Mayella was a stout woman with a florid face for being on her fathers side, shooting out spurious clams about what happened that day. In the courtroom, It was hard because of the undue amount lies being told, but I proved Tom is innocent because of
The saddening thing is, that the whole scenario started because Mayella attempted to seduce Tom, and her father found out. Filled with rage, Mr. Ewell beat his daughter, he found it unacceptable that his daughter fancied a black man. Then, he claimed that Tom raped his daughter to cover everything up. There are even cases such as Tom’s happening to this day, such as the case of Miguel Angel Peña Rodriguez Vs. Colorado. The jury was corrupted by bias thoughts which resulted in an unfair trial.