Chapter 19: Will jury believe Tom?

In chapter 19, Tom Robinson suggests that Mayella Ewell actually tried to kiss him. "She reached up an' kissed me 'side of th' face."(260) He tries to turn the case around, but the jury will probably not believe him. Right now, in the trial, it is the word of a crippled Negro man vs. an innocent young white girl. Who do you think an all white jury would believe?

Tom Robinson tries to go too far in trying to turn the court on Mayella. Head to head, with the facts aside, Mayella would win by a long-shot with her innocent sobbing and pleading. Also, Tom is a big strong man, how is the jury supposed to believed Mayella could hold onto him so he could not get away? Do you think Tom should have stopped at saying he did not rape her? (even if the latter facts were true)