I’ve been deliberately avoiding this whole thing since it’s apparent that reason flew out the window long ago and rationality is nowhere to be found, but the introduction of Ms. Jeantel is so peculiar that I need to throw a few things out.
First off, Jeantel is a Haitian surname. Really low on the south Florida social pecking order among black people themselves. Haitians freak out American blacks, I’ve seen it many, many times, somewhere between fear and revulsion, as opposed to say the reaction to a devout, hardworking Christian university student who is African. That reaction is resentment verging upon hatred.
So, Trayvon was hanging with Ms. Jeantel, reported to have been his girlfriend if I’m not mistaken? She’s not attractive in the least. She reportedly suggested to Trayvon that Zimmerman might be a rapist. Now, why would that thought enter her mind? Implication appears to be that Trayvon was homosexual. Why would defense want to plant that suspicion among an all female jury? Weakness, sympathy.
Why would they concoct this cursive letter that she herself couldn’t read? Sympathy due to the mockery that they surely knew would come.
Back off mocking her, it’s what they want, imho. She couldn’t have been more mockable if she had been in a skit on SNL. Intentionally.
Given that (Black animosity towards Haitians) could it explain why the prosecution was ok with having no Blacks on the jury? That a jury of white woman would see their star witness as sympathetic. Especially if the defense overreached and treated her too harshly?
6/27/2013 testimony of Rachel Jeantel
WEST: Well, what culture is that, where people describe other people as creepy ass crackers?
JEANTEL: Pervert.
WEST: I'm sorry? Do you understand what I mean by the culture, the culture that you were raised in, the culture that ‑
JEANTEL: The area I was raised, you’re saying to say?
ATTORNEY: Right. I’ll say it this way: The people that you live around and with call white people creepy ass crackers?
JEANTEL: Not creepy but cracker, yeah.
ATTORNEY: So the creepy is the pervert part that you were talking about?
JEANTEL: No.
"Ass cracker" is defined in urbandictionary as "one who engages in anal sex." If that is to be believed, then Jeantel was trying to be polite in court. West was not getting it. From Jeantel's perspective, West was being dense for not getting ghetto slang, and as a witness, it was not her job to respond more than the minimum necessary to answer the question.
Why would defense want to plant that suspicion among an all female jury? Weakness, sympathy.
It is actually the prosecution witness, Jeantel, who used the term, but only in allegedly quoting Martin. If Jeantel is to be believed, Martin was saying that he thought Z was following him because Z was homosexual and sexually interested in him.