Zimmerman not guilty in Trayvon Martin death: Florida jury

[Publicus]

So he called 911 and complained about the weather?

The number for CNN is 404.827. wxyz -- Ask for Ted Turner

Forget it Jake. It's Chinatown.

[JLCrab]

OK the trial is over. There are calls now for a possible US Federal civil rights violation case or possibly some wrongful death pursuit by the Martin family neither of which seems likely. There are calls now for a boycott of the State of Florida with one of the world's largest tourism industries. Stevie Wonder says he will no longer perform in Florida or in any state with a stand-your-ground law which is about 30+ states (according to Washington Post) including his home state of Michigan.

I can just see some family in Kankakee, Illinois telling their 6 & 4 year olds: Sorry kids -- we aren't going to go to Disney World this summer after all because George Zimmerman was acquitted.

http://t.co/F9W3M3RNBH

Edited July 17, 2013 by JLCrab

[jamhar]

So he called 911 and complained about the weather?

The number for CNN is 404.827. wxyz -- Ask for Ted Turner

Jane answered. They're getting back together! She said she's going to GZ my azz if i dont leave her man alone.

(PS, yep, GZ is now a verb )

[mania]

So he called 911 and complained about the weather?

No but he did make a statement that is was F'ing Cold

I did not listen to the tape nor care to but when I read that I thought...yeah could happen

Anyone ever been in a life or death situation, Many times right afterwards they are in a state of shock.

You feel very cold & many will have trouble talking as their teeth chatter & they shake.

EMT's know to put blankets & warm packs on these folks.

Even simple car accidents if traumatic enough induce this shock/cold

[Publicus]

This is a remarkable scientific survey finding given that Americans tend to give the jury's verdict the benefit of the doubt. Indeed most Americans tend strongly to yield to the jury's verdict.

Yet 21% of Americans say they remain unsure of the verdict, which means they are open to further examination by them of the jury and its deliberations. Only 41% agree with the verdict, while 38% disagree with the verdict. The verdict thus produces a split decision among Americans in general.

While under the US system of justice, the defendant is innocent unless proved guilty, 21% of Americans - those unsure of the verdict - have difficulty accepting that the premise continues to apply to Zimmerman.

This survey was taken before the jury began a public divide over its verdict and deliberations. One juror held out for 30 minutes before agreeing with the other five jurors to vote not guilty. The one holdout believed the murder 2 charge was the accurate charge and that Zimmerman was guilty of murder in the second degree, as charged. The public was unaware of the jury's divisions during the time the polling had been conducted.

George Zimmerman Poll Finds Divide Over Not Guilty Verdict

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/17/george-zimmerman-poll_n_3612308.html

Americans are divided over whether they'd have found George Zimmerman guilty of a crime in the shooting of Trayvon Martin, according to a new HuffPost/YouGov poll. But the survey reveals a stark divide between black and white Americans over the outcome of the case.

Forty-one percent of respondents to the new poll said that they would have voted to find Zimmerman not guilty if they were on the jury, while a combined 38 percent said they'd have found him guilty of one of two crimes, including 15 percent who said they'd have voted to find him guilty of murder and 23 percent guilty of manslaughter. Twenty-one percent said they weren't sure.

Asked which of four words best described their response to the verdict, respondents were closely divided between positive reactions (22 percent were "pleased" and 19 percent were "relieved") and negative ones (27 percent were "disappointed" and 13 percent were "angry").

Black respondents were much more likely than white respondents both to say that Zimmerman was guilty of a crime and to express disappointment or anger over the verdict.

Among black respondents, 75 percent said that they would have found Zimmerman guilty of a crime -- 39 percent said guilty of manslaughter, while 36 percent said guilty of murder. Among white respondents, only 38 percent would have found him guilty of one of the two crimes.

Scott Rasmussen, the right wing pollster, has another poll which is completely one sided and is another one of his outlier polls, as he is so often criticized for by reputable pollsters.

Edited July 18, 2013 by Publicus

[Scott]

A lot of posts and replies have been deleted. You might want to reconsider your posting style if you wish to continue with the forum. You also might want to consider the benefit of posting a reply to an off-topic subject, since once it is deleted, your post will go out with it.

Please stay on topic.

[Ulysses G.]

Polls do not matter. Zimmerman was found not guilty in a court of law. That is all that really counts.

[SteeleJoe]

So he called 911 and complained about the weather?

No but he did make a statement that is was F'ing Cold

I did not listen to the tape nor care to but when I read that I thought...yeah could happen

Anyone ever been in a life or death situation, Many times right afterwards they are in a state of shock.

You feel very cold & many will have trouble talking as their teeth chatter & they shake.

EMT's know to put blankets & warm packs on these folks.

Even simple car accidents if traumatic enough induce this shock/cold

I think you are confused about the facts of the case: he made the comment before the confrontation. Life and death? State of shock? Not so much.

[Publicus]

OK the trial is over. There are calls now for a possible US Federal civil rights violation case or possibly some wrongful death pursuit by the Martin family neither of which seems likely. There are calls now for a boycott of the State of Florida with one of the world's largest tourism industries. Stevie Wonder says he will no longer perform in Florida or in any state with a stand-your-ground law which is about 30+ states (according to Washington Post) including his home state of Michigan.

I can just see some family in Kankakee, Illinois telling their 6 & 4 year olds: Sorry kids -- we aren't going to go to Disney World this summer after all because George Zimmerman was acquitted.

http://t.co/F9W3M3RNBH

AG Eric Holder said to the NAACP convention the other day something every black parent knows of, i.e., after the murder of Trayvon Holder felt compelled by the event to sit with his son to caution him of the George Zimmermans of the United States, not only in Florida. Every parent at the convention who heard Holder speak responded with strong applause and personal understanding.

Trying to mock the reality of being a black parent in the United States, or a young black male, constitutes a statement of obliviousness or worse.

[kikoman]

According to the article there wasn't much need in Marley's case as the police did a quick proper job which doesn't seem to have been the case for Trayvon.

Apparently there's something you don't understand. The police can't make an arrest until they have what's called "probable cause" which in layman's terms might be called solid evidence.

It took a long time to unravel what might have happened with Martin. Even then the police didn't see probable cause. They had to bring in a state prosecutor to try the case and that prosecutor never had a chance of a conviction because the evidence to convict wasn't there.

When will people get it that the prosecution had days to present all of the evidence they had, and that then the jury deliberated for 16 hours before deciding that there wasn't enough evidence to convict?

Will people never get it that the prosecution didn't have squat, that they lost, that it's over?

Will those who weren't there either for the shooting or the trial or in the room while the jury deliberated never get it that that don't know squat about really happened?

Homicide detective Serino, wanted to arrest Zimmerman that night for manslaughter, because he did not believe his explanation of what happened and has a signed affidavit to that effect but he was overrules by the states Attorney Wolfinger ( intervention by Judge Zimmerman ???)

The Detective found probable cause for a manslaughter arrest!

In what context do you use the word "Squat" as it has different meanings if it is used as a Verb, Adjective or Noun,

The judge did not allow much of any background evidence on Zimmerman at the trial, but the defense leaked information about Trayvon background before the trial.

Which leaves a question of the fundamental fairness of that trial that the feds can look into, and so much questions of Zimmerman's witness Adam Pollock, testifying under oath that he was physically soft and a nice guy that did not know how to throw a punch., if in fact he was truthful in his testimony. In light of the stories that have surface since the Verdict.

!. Zimmerman held jobs with security firms and as a bar bouncer, at least 7 years before the shooting.

2. Zimmerman's run-in with the law, Interfering with a police officer in preforming his duty

3. Zimmerman's history of violent behavior, his domestic violence against Veronica Zauzo, ex-fiancee.

When the person on trial is the only witness and his version of the events were presented in court as the true facts defining the case, and refused to testify under oath that he version was in fact true., under provisions of the 5th amendment

In that event to have his facts considered as gospel, he must be allowed to be cross-examined!

Trayvon Martin the victim also .protected by legal rights that Zimmerman violated, Trayvon also had a legal right to stand his ground and defend himself.

This verdict left so many question unanswered, and the prosecution offered such a feeble case, did the prosecution adequately pursue their case or were they pressured by the powers to be that intervened the night of the shooting to stop Zimmerman from being arrested.

Only a Federal case and proper investigation will tell.

Cheers:

[geriatrickid]

Sooner or later, Zimmerman's use of two drugs, Temazepam with the side effects of aggression and hallucinations and Adderall whch can worsen behaviour disorders and exacerbate mood swings, combined with his self admitted ongoing treatment by a psychologist is going to rear its head.

Pretty much all drugs have possible, serious side effects that virtually never happen. You are really reaching here.

No, I think it is a legitimate question to ask. How did a mentally ill man obtain a firearm?

He had to have a mental illness diagnosed to receive his prescription didn't he? Are the laws in Florida such that mentally ill people can carry concealed firearms?

He isn't mentally ill and you don't have to be mentally ill to receive those drugs. You are reading too many poisonous left wing blogs. Aren't you the one who was so concerned about "smear" campaigns?

Oh, so are you saying, he just waltzed into the corner GP and asked for the script?

Adderall is a potent drug and is controlled in the state of Florida. Adderall contains a combination of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine. I believe your generation referred to them as "uppers".

Adderall is listed under the schedule II drugs. Adderall is supposed to be prescribed only for the "psychiatric illness" for which it is an approved medication. Prescribing class II drugs "off label" in Florida is a no-no.

I am not reading "poisonous left wing blogs" Rather, I paid attention to the evidence as it related to the pathology testimony.

Are you denying that Zimmerman stated that he was already under the care of a psychologist when it was suggested he seek counseling subsequent to the event?

The NY Times offered a nice recap of testimony;

Officer Timothy Smith of the Sanford Police Department, the first officer on the scene, testified that Mr. Zimmerman, although he complained of dizziness, ultimately declined to be taken to the hospital.

The day after the shooting, when he visited a physician’s assistant, Lindzee Folgate, he did not complain of headaches, dizziness or blurred vision, she said. Ms. Folgate told jurors that he did not need stitches but that his nose was “likely” broken. She added that she could not be sure without an X-ray.Ms. Folgate also said that Mr. Zimmerman had been seeing a psychologist and suggested that he pay a visit to talk about the traumatic incident.

My understanding of a psychologist's activity, is that the psychologist treats various forms of mental illness and can provide therapy for those with social integration issues.

Dale Archer, M.D., is a clinical psychiatrist and author of The New York Times bestseller, Better Than Normal: How What Makes You Different Can Make You Exceptional. He offered this observation in his column in Psychology Today (not a left wing poisonous blog)

Zimmerman had called 911, 46 times during those 15 months, one of them being on April 22, 2011 to report a suspicious 7 year old black boy. A 7 year old boy? Clearly Zimmerman's was paranoid, angry and perhaps fearful. When he saw a young black male walking with a hoodie, his mind associated this with the prior burglaries and immediately jumped to the conclusion "guilty!" At that point what is a "neighborhood watch captain" to do? Why, be the hero, of course.

Ok, so there's George Zimmerman, who obviously sees a threat everywhere, taking Temazepam and Adderall, and who is allowed to carry a concealed weapon. He was legally carrying the weapon. Hence the question I asked is how a man like that was allowed to obtain a concealed firearm permit. Apparently, no one in Florida seems too concerned. And btw, the two drugs prescribed are for psychiatric illness. They are not prescribed for other ailments such as constipation, or acne, or bladder incontinence.

I find it troubling that the questionnaire for the concealed firearm permit in Florida doesn't ask the question about mental illness. A possibility of an exclusion arises under question 29 that asks if the applicant was " involuntarily committed to a mental institution". If I understand Florida law correctly, a person under the care of a mental health professional and who is prescribed some powerful drugs is not excluded from obtaining a concealed weapon permit, let alone prevented from owning a firearm. I think that says a lot and explains why Zimmerman's mental health history was not allowed as evidence in the trial.

[geriatrickid]

An interesting part of the autopsy report for Treyvon Martin was the inventory. $10 and a watch with a plastic strap.

Not much to work with if he was a burglar was it?

[Ulysses G.]

Homicide detective Serino, wanted to arrest Zimmerman that night for manslaughter, because he did not believe his explanation of what happened and has a signed affidavit to that effect but he was overrules by the states Attorney Wolfinger ( intervention by Judge Zimmerman ???)

This is incorrect. Serino not only felt that there was not enough evidence to arrest Zimmerman, but also felt that he was pressured by friends of Trayvon's father to make an arrest anyway.

Telling the FBI that he was concerned that people inside the police department were leaking information, Serino cited Sgt. Arthur Barnes, officers Rebecca Villalona and Trekelle Perkins “as all pressuring him to file charges against Zimmerman after the incident,” an FBI report said. “Serino did not believe he had enough evidence at the time to file charges.”

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/07/12/2892510/detective-in-zimmerman-case-said.html#storylink=cpy

He also testified under oath that he believed Zimmerman was telling the truth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoPhJP5TmJo

Edited July 18, 2013 by Ulysses G.

[Ulysses G.]

An interesting part of the autopsy report for Treyvon Martin was the inventory. $10 and a watch with a plastic strap.

Not much to work with if he was a burglar was it?

A burglar does not need a lot to case houses for future crimes. I have no idea what Trayvon was up to that night, but this Miami Herald report does raise questions.

Instead the officer reported he found womens jewelry and a screwdriver that he described as a burglary tool, according to a Miami-Dade Schools Police report obtained by The Miami Herald. Word of the incident came as the familys lawyer acknowledged that the boy was suspended in February for getting caught with an empty bag with traces of marijuana, which he called irrelevant and an attempt to demonize a victim.

Trayvons backpack contained 12 pieces of jewelry, in addition to a watch and a large flathead screwdriver, according to the report, which described silver wedding bands and earrings with diamonds.

Trayvon was asked if the jewelry belonged to his family or a girlfriend.

Martin replied its not mine. A friend gave it to me, he responded, according to the report. Trayvon declined to name the friend.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/26/2714778/thousands-expected-at-trayvon.html#storylink=cpy

[Publicus]

Polls do not matter. Zimmerman was found not guilty in a court of law. That is all that really counts.

Public Opinion and confidence in the jury system matters very much. Justice is at the center of the legitimacy and viability of every society.

The Public Wants Answers, Not Excuses, From The Zimmerman Jury

http://3chicspolitico.com/

The jury excused murder, forsaking all physical and forensic evidence on the basis that Zimmerman had been previously abused; i.e., crime in his community justified his killing an unarmed 17-year old human being who was committing no crime.

Juror B37 has given an interview to CNN’s Anderson Cooper. Four other jurors have issued a statement saying that they did their job according to the law. Please do not insult our intelligence. They did not understand the law in order to perform their duty accordingly. They submitted a question to Judge Nelson to clarify manslaughter. Judge Nelson asked them to provide a more specific question. Not one of the six jurors could do that, so they defaulted to finding a verdict of not guilty. The jury could not perform their job according to law since they failed to understand it

.

Some might say that the George Zimmerman jury owes America no explanations of how it reached its decision. Some might say that if asked, a vague response, such as there was no evidence, should put questions to rest. No. Not in this case.

I would add the writer then presents seven questions the jurors must answer to the public.

http://3chicspolitico.com/

[Ulysses G.]

Most legal experts said the jury ruled the only way that they could if they were to follow the law. Second guessing them is pretty useless.

[F430murci]

Alternate juror has been doing interviews all night.

[JLCrab]

As per the beliefs of the US citizenry:

US News and World Report

June 28, 2012

Either Americans don't trust their government, or they have a lot of respect for aliens' stealthiness.

Thirty-six percent of Americans think aliens have visited Earth, and almost 80 percent believe the government has kept information about UFOs a secret from the public, a new survey finds.

The survey, conducted ahead of National Geographic's new series Chasing UFOs, asked 1,100 Americans 18 and older for their extraterrestrial opinions.

[F430murci]

As per the beliefs of the US citizenry:

US News and World Report

June 28, 2012

Either Americans don't trust their government, or they have a lot of respect for aliens' stealthiness.

Thirty-six percent of Americans think aliens have visited Earth, and almost 80 percent believe the government has kept information about UFOs a secret from the public, a new survey finds.

http://bigfootisanalien.com/

The survey, conducted ahead of National Geographic's new series Chasing UFOs, asked 1,100 Americans 18 and older for their extraterrestrial opinions.

Big foot is an alien cause the Internet and Professor Potsi say say and 69.3456 % of Americans said so in in Bigfoot Weekly's Digest readers poll.

http://bigfootisanalien.com/

Seriously, if mods delete this, they need to delete about 98.3675642689( % of Pub's stupid polls and headlines that do nothing but make scrolling in my iPhone impossible.

Edited July 18, 2013 by F430murci

[JLCrab]

OK the trial is over. There are calls now for a possible US Federal civil rights violation case or possibly some wrongful death pursuit by the Martin family neither of which seems likely. There are calls now for a boycott of the State of Florida with one of the world's largest tourism industries. Stevie Wonder says he will no longer perform in Florida or in any state with a stand-your-ground law which is about 30+ states (according to Washington Post) including his home state of Michigan.

I can just see some family in Kankakee, Illinois telling their 6 & 4 year olds: Sorry kids -- we aren't going to go to Disney World this summer after all because George Zimmerman was acquitted.

http://t.co/F9W3M3RNBH

AG Eric Holder said to the NAACP convention the other day something every black parent knows of, i.e., after the murder of Trayvon Holder felt compelled by the event to sit with his son to caution him of the George Zimmermans of the United States, not only in Florida. Every parent at the convention who heard Holder speak responded with strong applause and personal understanding.

Trying to mock the reality of being a black parent in the United States, or a young black male, constitutes a statement of obliviousness or worse.

I do not see where I am mocking anyone's version of reality. I just go with the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynahan's comment:

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but not their own facts.

[F430murci]

OK the trial is over. There are calls now for a possible US Federal civil rights violation case or possibly some wrongful death pursuit by the Martin family neither of which seems likely. There are calls now for a boycott of the State of Florida with one of the world's largest tourism industries. Stevie Wonder says he will no longer perform in Florida or in any state with a stand-your-ground law which is about 30+ states (according to Washington Post) including his home state of Michigan.

I can just see some family in Kankakee, Illinois telling their 6 & 4 year olds: Sorry kids -- we aren't going to go to Disney World this summer after all because George Zimmerman was acquitted.

http://t.co/F9W3M3RNBH

AG Eric Holder said to the NAACP convention the other day something every black parent knows of, i.e., after the murder of Trayvon Holder felt compelled by the event to sit with his son to caution him of the George Zimmermans of the United States, not only in Florida. Every parent at the convention who heard Holder speak responded with strong applause and personal understanding.

Trying to mock the reality of being a black parent in the United States, or a young black male, constitutes a statement of obliviousness or worse.

I do not see where I am mocking anyone's version of reality. I just go with the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynahan's comment:

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but not their own facts.

Unfortunately, that is a blurred line for some.

[SteeleJoe]

OK the trial is over. There are calls now for a possible US Federal civil rights violation case or possibly some wrongful death pursuit by the Martin family neither of which seems likely. There are calls now for a boycott of the State of Florida with one of the world's largest tourism industries. Stevie Wonder says he will no longer perform in Florida or in any state with a stand-your-ground law which is about 30+ states (according to Washington Post) including his home state of Michigan.

I can just see some family in Kankakee, Illinois telling their 6 & 4 year olds: Sorry kids -- we aren't going to go to Disney World this summer after all because George Zimmerman was acquitted.

http://t.co/F9W3M3RNBH

AG Eric Holder said to the NAACP convention the other day something every black parent knows of, i.e., after the murder of Trayvon Holder felt compelled by the event to sit with his son to caution him of the George Zimmermans of the United States, not only in Florida. Every parent at the convention who heard Holder speak responded with strong applause and personal understanding.

Trying to mock the reality of being a black parent in the United States, or a young black male, constitutes a statement of obliviousness or worse.

I do not see where I am mocking anyone's version of reality. I just go with the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynahan's comment:

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but not their own facts.

Unfortunately, that is a blurred line for some.

And again I will say:

Indeed. On both sides of the issue.

[JLCrab]

As long as opinions are abound, here is my opinion as a resident of The State of Florida and specifically in the greater Orlando area where these events occurred:

I do not like the notion that someone can carry a concealed weapon and shoot an unarmed person who had no prior intent to cause the armed person any bodily harm, and walk away Scott-free without any suspended sentence, probation, temporary revocation of the permit to carry the concealed weapon etc.

But given the law in Florida that the main determinant is whether someone had legitimate fear of his life or body harm, that proved to be an insurmountable hurdle for the prosecution and would probably prove so in any future case.

There were several black tenants of the apartment complex including the father's girlfriend so seeing a black man should have in and of itself caused no suspicion; it was the behavior of the deceased victim which set these events in motion according to the outspoken juror -- not the sighting of a person of a given race.

.. and I guess I'll stop there.

[Publicus]

Geriatric:

I suppose you are content making anyone with ADD or children with ADD make themselves feel worse or defective.

If you want use the mental illness definition to create a subset of undesirables, you also have to include everyone who has or have had the following (which are all defined as mental illnesses):

- Anxiety;

- PTSD (take all of the soldiers guns away and almost everyone that has suffered a traumatic event or accident);

- fear of bugs, snakes, high places, speaking in public, dread of public speaking and any of hundreds of other phobias;

- OCD (that one fits about everyone on here in one way or another);

- depression (happens to most when they get old and their hormones get jacked or cannot do the deed with little blue pills anymore);

- bipolar; and

- SAD or seasonal Affective Disorder (if you feel a little blue during the winter, kindly turn your guns in).

Geriatric can speak for himself if he chooses to in respect of your post.

My own response is that you attempt to put words into the mouth of the poster. You attempt to overstate the matter, to exaggerate it. What the poster you quote said does not necessarily extend into the long train of other matters that you try to create.

Instead, try making your own arguments based on the merits and the facts as best we know them at this point in time.

Edited July 18, 2013 by Publicus

[geriatrickid]

Deleted posts edited out

I'm glad you asked the question. The two drugs combined are not used to treat "mild" cases. They are potent.

That's quite a shopping list of conditions you have there. I don't think George had SAD. If he was bipolar or was depressed he would have been taking different medications. That leaves, anxiety, fear, and perhaps some forms obsessive compulsive behaviour. The pattern of repeatedly calling 911 to report suspicious characters , including a 7 year old afro American child does suggest that Zimmerman saw danger where most people would not.

Now if the fellow was suffering from panic attacks and fear, do you really think it is a wise move to allow someone like that to be walking around with a concealed firearm? Does common sense tell you that? I doubt he was bipolar or depressed. Do you think depressed or bipolar people should be armed? The medical guidelines do recommend that patients presenting with depression and violence related PTSD be disarmed. Not an easy task to do in the USA I know, but the military handbook does emphasize securing firearms from personnel that are diagnosed as PTSD. . However, this is a tangent. Zimmerman was not a soldier. He wasn't an EMS or police worker either. He was just an obese fellow that was reportedly frustrated with being obese.

I have a feeling that maybe someone gave amphetamines to Zimmerman to deal with his obesity. It is an off label use, but people want to lose weight fast and amphetamines can give lethargic people a bit of a boost. Whatever, the mental health state was, it was not allowed as evidence. I don't think that will be the scenario should other charges be brought where self defense will not be available as key defense. IMO, Zimmerman could defend himself against new charges using the side effects of the drugs. However, the fact remains that this man was on some potent drugs and was under the care of a psychologist (at least that is what he stated), and he was carrying a gun. We'll have to agree to disagree on the issue of whether or not the mentally ill should be allowed concealed weapon permits.

Edited July 18, 2013 by Scott

[Ulysses G.]

I am not reading "poisonous left wing blogs" Rather, I paid attention to the evidence as it related to the pathology testimony.

One drug is for temporary insomnia. One is for ADHD and they can be used for mild cases as well as more severe ones. Why would you suggest that Zimmerman was using the drugs illegally? There is no evidence of that at all. They were prescribed by his doctor.

[JLCrab]

Thank you. I only mention the civil rights as now there are calls for an investigation as to whether under US federal law the late victim's civil rights were violated. From the NY Times 15JULY2013 article on the B37 juror interview:

The fact that Mr. Martin was black did not drive Mr. Zimmerman to suspect and follow him, she said. It was the overall situation — he was cutting through the back, the townhouse complex had been hit by a rash of burglaries, and Mr. Martin appeared to be walking aimlessly in the rain, looking in houses, she said.

July 15, 2013|Scott Powers, Staff Writer, Orlando Sentinel

Declaring that the George Zimmerman acquittal was a "tragic miscarriage of justice," a national organization of civil-rights lawyers joined the call in Orlando on Monday for the U.S. Department of Justice to pursue federal civil-rights charges against him in the slaying of teenager Trayvon Martin.

BTW interesting graphic of sequence of events: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/04/02/us/the-events-leading-to-the-shooting-of-trayvon-martin.html

Edited July 18, 2013 by JLCrab

[Scott]

A significant number of posts have been deleted, mostly for off-topic remarks, but a few were inflammatory. Replies have also been removed.

[SteeleJoe]

As long as opinions are abound, here is my opinion as a resident of The State of Florida and specifically in the greater Orlando area where these events occurred:

I do not like the notion that someone can carry a concealed weapon and shoot an unarmed person who had no prior intent to cause the armed person any bodily harm, and walk away Scott-free without any suspended sentence, probation, temporary revocation of the permit to carry the concealed weapon etc.

But given the law in Florida that the main determinant is whether someone had legitimate fear of his life or body harm, that proved to be an insurmountable hurdle for the prosecution and would probably prove so in any future case.

There were several black tenants of the apartment complex including the father's girlfriend so seeing a black man should have in and of itself caused no suspicion; it was the behavior of the deceased victim which set these events in motion according to the outspoken juror -- not the sighting of a person of a given race.

.. and I guess I'll stop there.

Quality.

Except, in regards to last bit: 1) racism isn't logical 2) I don't assume jurors know if racism was a factor ( or even that the defendant does) 3) Zimmerman wasn't charged with racism.

* But thanks to the poster's subsequent explanation, I understand why it is mentioned.

[Scott]

Replies to deleted posts removed.