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Originally Posted by nik-
I don't even think it matters where the kid was shot. The guy called in, was told not to pursue, obviously initiated contact and then shot the kid.
This isn't self defence, it's starting a fight and murdering someone.
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Even if that's all true and he started the altercation I don't think it would rise to the level of a murder charge.
This is the language in Florida's homicide statue for second degree murder:
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The unlawful killing of a human being, when perpetrated by any act imminently dangerous to another and evincing a depraved mind regardless of human life, although without any premeditated design to effect the death of any particular individual, is murder in the second degree and constitutes a felony of the first degree
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That bolded portion is key, and I think it would be pretty difficult to make that case unless there is a lot more to the story than we have heard. There are other ways to get to murder, mainly through a death occurring in the course of a list of other crimes, but I don't see any that would be applicable to Zimmerman.
This is the manslaughter language:
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The killing of a human being by the act, procurement, or culpable negligence of another, without lawful justification according to the provisions of chapter 776 and in cases in which such killing shall not be excusable homicide or murder, according to the provisions of this chapter, is manslaughter, a felony of the second degree
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It basically says that any killing that doesn't meet the level of murder, and isn't excused, is manslaughter. I think that's where this falls.