Black teen shot and killed by neighborhood watch in Orlando gated community

[Mccree]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

Based on that mockery of a trial anything less than not guilty would be an incredible joke.

Now to go after the prosecutors who broke the law and kept evidence out of the defense hand. Especially despicable that they fired the "whistleblower" who only wanted to follow the law.

Haven't followed too closely but what's that about breaking the law?

[taco.vidal]

The point is that although Zimmerman is not guilty and hence no going to prison, his life won't be normal. The mention of Trayvon's death was to not minimize it in comparison to Zimmerman's fate.

Originally Posted by Acey

One of those seems quite a bit worse than the other.



They probably should.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Florida cannot find a good prosecutor to save their lives it seems. Bungled prosecution from the beginning.

While the prosecutors looked incompetent (and ended up being criminals), I don't know if they bungled the case. A good prosecutor might have had a chance at conviction, but it would have been an injustice based on the law.

At no point was there, without reasonable doubt, enough evidence to say that Zimmerman wasn't acting in self-defense and when the prosecutor witness are caught lying, what else could be done? Zimmerman might not be innocent, but there was no way he should have been found guilty.

Glad that media manipulation and public outcry (and not to mention the president saying Trayvon would look like his kid...) didn't ruin someones life entirely and he was given a "fair" trial. Now hopefully he bankrupts NBC.

[Vulcan]

Well I can see the law saying he is not guilty but he provoked the situation. Sometimes people should just mind their own business.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Zimmerman would be wise to leave the state for a while. His address is all over Twitter right now, I can't imagine people will leave him alone there.

[Acey]

Originally Posted by taco.vidal

The point is that although Zimmerman is not guilty and hence no going to prison, his life won't be normal. The mention of Trayvon's death was to not minimize it in comparison to Zimmerman's fate.

God forbid Zimmerman won't have a normal life after tracking a kid and shooting him. What a terrible outcome for him.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by Mccree

Haven't followed too closely but what's that about breaking the law?

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013...-defense-fired

They withheld evidence, a big no-no and of course fired the guy who blew the whistle.

[Minnie]

Florida - where the new license plate motto is "Where you LITERALLY can get away with murder" or "The Kid Killing State" and the plate comes notched...

[Senator Clay Davis]

That lady from the DA sure seemed to be smilling a lot considering they lost.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

The prosecution has presented no evidence at all that George Zimmerman approached and confronted Trayvon Martin.

The only eyewitness account is from George Zimmerman who says he was approached and confronted by Trayvon Martin.

But let's for a moment say Zimmerman did approach and confront Martin . . . . .

There's a moment in the Zimmerman trial where defence lawyer O'Mara asks the lead detective in the case a series of questions which, paraphrased, sounded something like this:

O'Mara - "Detective, is it illegal to be suspicious of someone?"

Detective Sorino: "Not to my knowledge sir."

O'Mara - "Detective, is it illegal to follow someone?"

Sorino - "Not to my knowledge."

O'Mara - "Is it illegal to approach someone and talk to them?"

Sorino - "Not to my knowledge sir"

O'Mara - "Is it illegal to follow someone, approach them and ask them what they are doing in your neighbourhood?"

Sorino - "Not to my knowledge sir."

Case in point. I live at the end of a dead-end road on my country acreage. There are two other residences behind me or further up the hill above me and a turn-around for the school-bus. The view is rather fantastic so periodically people will drive up our dead-end road and park for a few minutes, overlooking my house. Hunters also park there in season.

If some teenage males in hoodies in a half ton linger on the turnaround in their vehicle, overlooking my house, am I committing a crime by 1) being suspicious they MIGHT be scoping my house for a later nocturnal visit and 2) have I committed a crime if I were to walk up to their vehicle, knock on their window and ask them why they are parked there?

Yes or no to those two questions.

Again, the prosecution has presented zero evidence confirming George Zimmerman walked up to Trayvon Martin and asked him what he was doing in the neighbourhood. The only confirmation we have is that Zimmerman followed Martin for a while.

The prosecution has also deliberately avoided the use of the term "racial profiling." Both sides concede Zimmerman profiled Martin as a potential thief.

Cowperson

No but it could be incredibly stupid. Since we're into made up scenarios, maybe a rip off drug deal is going down and you just put yourself in the middle of it.

[taco.vidal]

Sounds like you haven't reviewed the facts as presented and are rather speaking based on emotion.

Originally Posted by Acey

God forbid Zimmerman won't have a normal life after tracking a kid and shooting him. What a terrible outcome for him.

[CaptainCrunch]

Pretty much the only verdict that the jury could reach.

the prosecution had everything going for it. They had a great jury, a sympathetic judge that gave them a way out, and a dead black teenager. Instead they completely messed up their witness list and lost control of their witnesses. Broke the law and bungled the case on the recreation in the court room.


It was the right verdict based on the part of the trial I followed.

I'm interested to see what the sanctions against the prosecution will be. I would expect that members of that prosecuting team will be looking for jobs next week.

The jury made the right decision.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

That lady from the DA sure seemed to be smilling a lot considering they lost.

What else is she going to do, the jury made the right decision. They couldn't even convict on manslaughter because there was reasonable doubt.

She's smiling because she has to practice for her job interviews.

It the prosecutors manage to avoid suspension by the Bar Association.

[Acey]

Originally Posted by taco.vidal

Sounds like you haven't reviewed the facts as presented and are rather speaking based on emotion.

Sounds like I entirely understand that the jury's hands were tied here and the verdict was correct based on the trial, but I think you worded that post absolutely horribly and there's no possible way I'd have sympathy for the free life Zimmerman will live even if I was white.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

No but it could be incredibly stupid. Since we're into made up scenarios, maybe a rip off drug deal is going down and you just put yourself in the middle of it.

Yep, but incredible stupid decisions are not against the law. Zimmerman made a mistake following Martin, but he broke no law and didn't deserve to be beaten to death. He had a right to defend himself if Martin attacked him.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Pretty much the only verdict that the jury could reach.

the prosecution had everything going for it. They had a great jury, a sympathetic judge that gave them a way out, and a dead black teenager. Instead they completely messed up their witness list and lost control of their witnesses. Broke the law and bungled the case on the recreation in the court room.


It was the right verdict based on the part of the trial I followed.

I'm interested to see what the sanctions against the prosecution will be. I would expect that members of that prosecuting team will be looking for jobs next week.

The jury made the right decision.

Pretty sure that is not something going for them. Dead white girl? Think we got a conviction.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by Acey

Sounds like I entirely understand that the jury's hands were tied here and the verdict was correct based on the trial, but I think you worded that post absolutely horribly and there's no possible way I'd have sympathy for the free life Zimmerman will live even if I was white.

Zimmerman is part Peruvian, part white and part black. Media bias got to you, the guy was a minority, not white.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

Zimmerman is part Peruvian, part white and part black. Media bias got to you, the guy was a minority, not white.

The whole whipping up of the racist allegations by Martin's family lawyer who's a bit questionable was the worst part of this trial.

Zimmerman was the furthest thing from white and a racist as it gets.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Pretty sure that is not something going for them. Dead white girl? Think we got a conviction.

If the same facts were presented with the same witnesses, I doubt you get a conviction.

[transplant99]

If people would just step back and look at the actual evidence that was presented in the court of law and not in the court of media/public opinion...i do believe one would have to agree that there was no way a conviction could have been secured on the murder charge...there was quite literally almost zero evidence to substantiate it. None.

The fact that the jury was able to condsider lesser charges and still didnt convict shows that fact in spades.

Its really an unfortunate situation to be sure, but this was the only way this could have ended based on the way the justice system works.