Zimmerman not guilty in Trayvon Martin death: Florida jury

[cup-O-coffee]

Nobody outside of the USA is surprised at this verdict. Young black kid shot in the back by a wannabe cop. Nothing to see here, move on folks. Is one of the reasons why the USA is held in contempt by the rest of the civilised world.

Why, thank you, God, for that commentary. I am so glad you took the time to descend from on high to set us all straight.

[mopar71]

I thought he was 17 born in February of 1995. He was 6'2" and 175 reported by family. Zimmerman was 5'9" at booking, maybe in shoes, and has reported to be 5'7" and weighed about 175 to 185 in night of incident.

According to the coroner report, Martin was 71" (isn't that just under 6 feet?) and weighed 158 lbs.

[F430murci]

Nobody outside of the USA is surprised at this verdict. Young black kid shot in the back by a wannabe cop. Nothing to see here, move on folks. Is one of the reasons why the USA is held in contempt by the rest of the civilised world.

Haha.

[mopar71]

This is getting ugly. There is no such report proving the victim was "very high" on the night his being slain.

Yes, the child... the poor baby was high on drugs. Did mommy and daddy know that?

I'm sure they did. Trayvon was visiting his father because he was serving a 10-day suspension from school for having drug residue in his book bag.

[NeverSure]

Nobody outside of the USA is surprised at this verdict. Young black kid shot in the back by a wannabe cop. Nothing to see here, move on folks. Is one of the reasons why the USA is held in contempt by the rest of the civilised world.

Oh, now he's shot in the back. Sorry, he was on top of Zimmerman beating him, and Zimmerman shot him from the front, right through the heart.

I'm happy you hold the US in contempt. You may be assured the feeling is mutual.

[cup-O-coffee]

This is getting ugly. There is no such report proving the victim was "very high" on the night his being slain.

Yes, the child... the poor baby was high on drugs. Did mommy and daddy know that?

I'm sure they did. Trayvon was visiting his father because he was serving a 10-day suspension from school for having drug residue in his book bag.

Yes. I know that. Anyone could know that. The funny thing is, people want to open their mouths and spout lies and ignorance without looking first at all those little things that were conveniently not in the trial and at the disposal of the defense. It's really difficult, you know, to try to be fair to Zimmerman when scum like NBC News is pandering a 911 call that has been tampered with by their IT technicians; all in order to make George appear racist.

EDIT: PS, that would really look good at this mythical Civil Suit that the federal government wishes they could engage in... but won't. What gets me is that Sharpton and Jackson aren't put up on a civil suit themselves for mouthing off about things that are flat out racist (libel and slander based on nothing more than the fact that they are too cowardly to admit that they hate anyone who is not black and who does not give a damn about blacks when they behave in this manner). They are simply filled with too much hatred to realize how ironic they sound. I wish the same FBI agents that discovered that Zimmerman was only a busybody and had a "hero complex" and was not racist would do the same with these two sock-puppet clowns. You don't even want to dig into their history. The truths would stagger the imagination with the things they have said and the people they champion. Yeah... Jackson and Sharpton; real model citizens those two are.

[F430murci]

I have no idea about fact, fiction or speculation in the following narrative of Martin's last moments and what was allegedly observed him doing on surveillance cameras.

http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/06/m-what_the_media_choose_not_to_know_about_trayvon.html

Candidly, none of that's relevant to me except the bs political spin the media put on it to grab attention and get people riled up.

The only thing important here is two numbskulls crossed paths. A wanna be gang banger thug tried to kick his arse and got his own arse shot in the process. Parents should teach their kids manners and not to fight. Even if Zimmerman wrong, Martin acted liked a thug.

[SteeleJoe]

It was not that many years ago when everyone in the US was armed with a side arm and a long rifle if mounted. As short 120 years ago. There was a reason that people were armed and that is because you needed to defend your life in a violent world. Many are still armed today for this very reason. If you are going to attack another person with malice and intent, then that person should be able to defend his life. The courts realize this and that is why the laws are on the books. You do the crime, be prepared to pay for it with your life. Some forget this and think of Martin as the victim in this case, regardless of what the court and jury finds. No sense arguing the semantics as there will always be two distinct, polarized views on the topic.

The real question is, what does Holder and the DOJ do? Do they go after Zimmerman with civil rights charges and appease the black community while further alienating the white and hispanic community -or- does he abide by the ruling of the jury and piss off the black community. The POTUS also has political skin in this case after publicly taking a position. Which ever way they lean, they are screwed.

"It was not that many years ago when everyone in the US was armed with a side arm and a long rifle if mounted. As short 120 years ago."

You've been watching to many cowboy movies. That wasn't even true in the "wild west", let alone the entire US.

"Some forget this and think of Martin as the victim in this case, regardless of what the court and jury finds."

He may have been a victim and Zimmerman still rightfully acquitted: the jury did not determine that Martin was not a victim, merely that Zimmerman could not be found guilty.

"The real question is, what does Holder and the DOJ do? Do they go after Zimmerman with civil rights charges and appease the black community while further alienating the white and hispanic community -or- does he abide by the ruling of the jury and piss off the black community."

Do you actually believe such simplistic and bigoted nonsense as that?

It's not a matter of whether I believe it or not, it is the fact that the case was politicized with severe racial overtones from the outset. Zimmerman was found guilty by the media the day he was charged with the crime. Blame the culture of the US, not me.

You yourself admitted not being up to speed on the timeline and details of the case. I'll help you out with a timeline.

GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT: HOW THE PRESS PROSECUTED ZIMMERMAN WHILE STOKING RACIAL TENSIONS

Follow link for timeline over events.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2013/07/13/Media-Zimmerman-Coverage-Rap-Sheet

It is a matter of what you believe as I am asking you about YOUR posit. No link can answer my question to you.

And what I said was, I was not as informed about the case as UG - giving him the benefit of the doubt, as he kept citing a "preponderance evidence" without any more detail than that.

[F430murci]

This is getting comical now. Jessie Jackson and the Martin family attorneys are saying that the jury was not fair and not right to have 6 white women judging Zimmerman's guilt or innocence.

Playing this victim the world ain't fair card is getting a bit old. Nut up, be a man, work hard in school, stay out of trouble, don't smoke dope every day and stop trying to beat up fat old white hispanic guys and perhaps the world wouldn't be so hard on you. Has nothing to do with color of his skin, color of Zimmerman's skin or color of the juror's skin and everything to do with the path he lead.

Yep, the Martin family is pushing for DOJ to pursue hate crime so this clearly has been and will always be about race.

[mania]

You know I was an an Obama supporter, but after learning about a lot of what happened here including some allegations of special prosecutor misconduct, I am really starting to question who our president really is and what is going on here.

A President like a judge should never be commenting on any case period.

Especially before a case is even tried!

Obama always talks a good race during campaigns about getting everyone together but, things like this & his comment about

voting to get revenge in the last election, does not coincide with his claims of wanting unity in America.

[SteeleJoe]

"It was not that many years ago when everyone in the US was armed with a side arm and a long rifle if mounted. As short 120 years ago."

You've been watching to many cowboy movies. That wasn't even true in the "wild west", let alone the entire US.

You obviously know nothing of US history is my only response to this.

And a fine response it is, of you are deliberately trying to make me chuckle (and yourself look foolish): while I'd never claim to be an expert, modern history (especially US) has been a hobby most of my life. however, one needn't know much at all to know this rather basic fact. In frontier towns, nowhere near everyone - not even all males - was armed and even fewer in the relatively vast part of the country that was settled and urbanized. Not mention the fact that in many towns, people who did carry weapons were required to turn them in to local law enforcement while in town limits.

[F430murci]

You know I was an an Obama supporter, but after learning about a lot of what happened here including some allegations of special prosecutor misconduct, I am really starting to question who our president really is and what is going on here.

A President like a judge should never be commenting on any case period.

Especially before a case is even tried!

Obama always talks a good race during campaigns about getting everyone together but, things like this & his comment about

voting to get revenge in the last election, does not coincide with his claims of wanting unity in America.

Obama has done about zero right in my eyes since he was reelected. He is either extremely weak or extremely divisive and deceptive. He silence on many things lately is deafening. This is his chance to step up and be the man many Americans counted on him being.

[F430murci]

"It was not that many years ago when everyone in the US was armed with a side arm and a long rifle if mounted. As short 120 years ago."

You've been watching to many cowboy movies. That wasn't even true in the "wild west", let alone the entire US.

You obviously know nothing of US history is my only response to this.

And a fine response it is, of you are deliberately trying to make me chuckle (and yourself look foolish): while I'd never claim to be an expert, modern history (especially US) has been a hobby most of my life. however, one needn't know much at all to know this rather basic fact. In frontier towns, nowhere near everyone - not even all males - was armed and even fewer in the relatively vast part of the country that was settled and urbanized. Not mention the fact that in many towns, people who did carry weapons were required to turn them in to local law enforcement while in town limits.

Who gives a hoot about frontier towns? WTH are you arguing about? and why?

[Scott]

Keep the discussion civil and on topic, please.

[Publicus]

Nobody outside of the USA is surprised at this verdict. Young black kid shot in the back by a wannabe cop. Nothing to see here, move on folks. Is one of the reasons why the USA is held in contempt by the rest of the civilised world.

This is an important and valid perspective to state and for the TVF Right Wing Caucus to know no matter how much you dislike it and need to dismiss it.

This post further notes the view of the rest of the civilized world that the US is chock full of weirdo right wing gun carrying misfits. It points out the use of disproportionate use of force, i.e., a guy with a gun hunting for a human target that is unarmed to shoot to kill.

The post steps back to take the overall view of a gun society and culture and the off center predators who go on the hunt with concealed weapons to find an unarmed prey to hunt down both for sport and, in this instance, racism.

Additionally, Zimmerman is a pervert who had been molesting and engaged in sexual assault against his younger female cousin over a period of years. Zimmerman is a sick and deranged guy who got away with murder.

[SteeleJoe]

"It was not that many years ago when everyone in the US was armed with a side arm and a long rifle if mounted. As short 120 years ago."

You've been watching to many cowboy movies. That wasn't even true in the "wild west", let alone the entire US.

You obviously know nothing of US history is my only response to this.

And a fine response it is, of you are deliberately trying to make me chuckle (and yourself look foolish): while I'd never claim to be an expert, modern history (especially US) has been a hobby most of my life. however, one needn't know much at all to know this rather basic fact. In frontier towns, nowhere near everyone - not even all males - was armed and even fewer in the relatively vast part of the country that was settled and urbanized. Not mention the fact that in many towns, people who did carry weapons were required to turn them in to local law enforcement while in town limits.

Who gives a hoot about frontier towns? WTH are you arguing about? and why?

A person made a fallacious claim to somehow support his position (I agree, it was ridiculous) and then tried to defend it with an ad hominem.

I replied.

Hope that helps.

[F430murci]

Keep the discussion civil and on topic, please.

Haha, I will put myself in time out and go finish setting up babies room. This is a topic near and dear to me and I know little too much about it from talking to close friend yesterday that is friends with O'mara. I hate to politicians manipulate our legal system, especialy with racially motivated political pressure. Worse than mixing church and politics in my eyes. When I saw how the evidence came out each day, I started seeing this in a completely different light and was very taken back. Then add in the government's suppression and withholding of evidence . . . The system failed everyone and that bothers me.

[F430murci]

Nobody outside of the USA is surprised at this verdict. Young black kid shot in the back by a wannabe cop. Nothing to see here, move on folks. Is one of the reasons why the USA is held in contempt by the rest of the civilised world.

This is an important and valid perspective to state and for the TVF Right Wing Caucus to know no matter how much you dislike it and need to dismiss it.

This post further notes the view of the rest of the civilized world that the US is chock full of weirdo right wing gun carrying misfits. It points out the use of disproportionate use of force, i.e., a guy with a gun hunting for a human target that is unarmed to shoot to kill.

The post steps back to take the overall view of a gun society and culture and the off center predators who go on the hunt with concealed weapons to find an unarmed prey to hunt down both for sport and, in this instance, racism.

Additionally, Zimmerman is a pervert who had been molesting and engaged in sexual assault against his younger female cousin over a period of years. Zimmerman is a sick and deranged guy who got away with murder.

So Zimmerman being a pervert made the wanna be gang banger thug jump him and beat down into the ground. No acceptance of responsibility. None.

I am anti gun also, but I am anti thug. Maybe I have seen too much thuggery and I am sensitive to it. A 12 year old carry a bag of skiddles did not get capped in the back because he looked like a hood. A drug abusing, violent wanna be thug jumped a crazy cracker.

The prosecutor filed a false affidavit, she failed to tell judge that their were photographs, she withheld from court and media photographs of the broken nose and wounds to the back of the head all to get second degree charge to move forward.

The prosecutor (Corley) committed civil rights violations and the prosecutor should be charged with 1983 violations.

This prosecutor is known for these issues . . . I really should not say anything else . . .

[Scott]

Off-topic post deleted.

[Ulysses G.]

It's not over.

The DOJ may indeed file very serious charges and they have every legal right to do so.

Then there are the civil cases which will be easy to win.

Fat chance. He does not work for the government in any way and that is really the only practical way that they could charge him with violating Martin's civil rights (using "color of law").

On top of that, the FBI's own report said that Zimmerman is not a racist and the evidence in the trial backed them up. He mentored black children, he took a black girl to the prom and he did fund raising for a black man in unfortunate circumstances. The DOJ can charge him just for political harassment purposes and waste a lot of taxpayer dollars - what's new - but they will lose for sure and they know it.

He is almost immune from civil charges as he can invoke the stand your ground law if charged and that gives him a great deal of protection civilly. There is no way that Trayvon's parents will win that one either and when they lose they will be responsible for legal charges for both sides under the stand your ground law. There is also the fact that they already collected one million dollars from the housing association and if - by some miracle - they won the lawsuit, that amount would be removed from the settlement.

The rabble-rousers that forced charges against him in the first place - the police and the initial prosecutor opted out, because they knew they couldn't win - need to drop the hate campaign and stop bothering this man now that he has been found not guilty by a jury of his peers.

[Ulysses G.]

Additionally, Zimmerman is a pervert who had been molesting and engaged in sexual assault against his younger female cousin over a period of years. Zimmerman is a sick and deranged guy who got away with murder.

His cousin said that she was 6 and he was eight years old and there is absolutely no evidence that she was telling the truth, so why are you stating it as a fact?

[Baloo22]

Nobody outside of the USA is surprised at this verdict. Young black kid shot in the back by a wannabe cop. Nothing to see here, move on folks. Is one of the reasons why the USA is held in contempt by the rest of the civilised world.

This is an important and valid perspective to state and for the TVF Right Wing Caucus to know no matter how much you dislike it and need to dismiss it.

This post further notes the view of the rest of the civilized world that the US is chock full of weirdo right wing gun carrying misfits. It points out the use of disproportionate use of force, i.e., a guy with a gun hunting for a human target that is unarmed to shoot to kill.

The post steps back to take the overall view of a gun society and culture and the off center predators who go on the hunt with concealed weapons to find an unarmed prey to hunt down both for sport and, in this instance, racism.

Additionally, Zimmerman is a pervert who had been molesting and engaged in sexual assault against his younger female cousin over a period of years. Zimmerman is a sick and deranged guy who got away with murder.

I see it's whacky-doodle time!!!!

I realize that you cannot stop yourself from spouting whacky blah-blah like "the US is chock full of weirdo right wing gun carrying misfits. It points out the use of disproportionate use of force, i.e., a guy with a gun hunting for a human target that is unarmed to shoot to kill." Fortunately for the sane people of the U.S.; the jury in the case did not see it that way. The jury, after seeing the evidence and following the law, has determined that Mr. Zimmerman is not guilty of both murder and manslaughter.

As for your loony name-calling of Mr. Zimmerman as a "pervert"; I missed the convictions of Mr. Zimmerman for sexual assault. Of course, I'm sure that you will cite his convictions for us to examine. As far as I have been able to find, he has not even been charged with such crimes, let alone convicted. Of course, in your world, you don't even bother with such things as trials and innocent until proven guilty. Simple allegations are enough for you.

[F430murci]

Murder guilt or innocence is not dependent on the social problems of the victim.

Says who; and what does that have to do with stopping someone from beating the living daylights out of you, with no apparent indication that they are going to cease and desist until you are dead or permanently brain damaged?

How could it be possible that Zimmerman did not know that the person administering assault on him was so screwed up on drugs? Who is to say that the beating would have gone on until Zimmerman was unconscious and worse even?

Dispense with the before and after. Let's talk about the beating, because the FBI has already proven with their experts that Zimmerman was not a racist up until he was being hand-beaten into a pulp. Maybe he should have just lay there a bit longer so the photos would satisfy others, but personally if I were to do the same to any one of you I am certain you would be reaching for the first thing you could get your hands on.

OMG, I cracked up on you picture thingy of Chuck Norris. That is who we need patrolling our streets. That animated gif is about what Zimmerman saw when Martin punched his "cracker" face in the nose.

[Loptr]

Nobody outside of the USA is surprised at this verdict. Young black kid shot in the back by a wannabe cop. Nothing to see here, move on folks. Is one of the reasons why the USA is held in contempt by the rest of the civilised world.

You just proved that you know nothing about the case. Shot in the back? At least do cursory investigation before participating in the discussion. You might find the medical examiner's testimony as to cause of death particularly interesting.

[uptheos]

In USA (Florida) what was the process getting down to 6 women from 211 people?

Why are people saying it was unfair to have 5 white women........weren't the jurors selected fairly and acceptable to both parties, before the trial?

[Loptr]

It is a matter of what you believe as I am asking you about YOUR posit. No link can answer my question to you.

And what I said was, I was not as informed about the case as UG - giving him the benefit of the doubt, as he kept citing a "preponderance evidence" without any more detail than that.

Ok, I do not believe the death was racially motivated. Yes, I believe that the case was politicized from the very beginning and the powers that be will are weighing their options so as to minimize political risk. Be that play one ethnic group off against another or simply defer. US politics is nasty, although you are trying to associate my observation and analysis of these events with my own personal views. Which is obviously quite cynical of a gubbamint that has lied to me since I was a small child in nappies.

Oh snap, I love late breaking news. FLASH: The DOJ has put a halt on any civil rights case against Zimmerman due to a "block" placed on it by the FBI. Quite convenient that Holder can lay blame on the FBI for no civil rights case.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/07/12/155918/more-evidence-released-in-trayvon.html#.UeNPFUGTiSp

After interviewing nearly three dozen people in the George Zimmerman murder case, the FBI found no evidence that racial bias was a motivating factor in the shooting of Trayvon Martin, records released Thursday show.

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/07/12/155918/more-evidence-released-in-trayvon.html#.UeM9mT7DVoY#storylink=cpy

[Loptr]

From the Washington Post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2013/07/14/zimmerman-lawyer-to-move-asap-against-nbc-news/

Zimmerman lawyer to move ‘asap’ against NBC News

Last night’s not-guilty verdict in the George Zimmerman trial will enable the neighborhood-watch volunteer to resume his case against NBC News for the mis-editing of his widely distributed call to police. Back in December, Zimmerman sued NBC Universal Media for defamation over the botched editing, which depicted him as a hardened racial profiler.

Now we know how Zimmerman is going to cash in on all this. Rightfully so as the media found him guilty on day 1.

[Ulysses G.]

He will make a ton of money and justifiably so. He was wronged by both a dishonest media and a corrupt justice system. A malicious prosecution case is pretty much assured as the prosecution purposely withheld evidence about Trayvon's criminal activities. Any civil case against him will have very little chance of winning because he can invoke the stand your ground law in defense which gives him lots of protection. He deserves some good luck for a change and things are looking up.

[NeverSure]

In USA (Florida) what was the process getting down to 6 women from 211 people?

Why are people saying it was unfair to have 5 white women........weren't the jurors selected fairly and acceptable to both parties, before the trial?

Yes, they call a lot more people than they need. Some may actually sit on other trials.

But a sort of lottery is held and a few are chosen - perhaps 12 or 15 or so. Then they are interviewed and each side has the opportunity to object to any and they are dismissed. There is a limit to objections, but this goes on until 6 jurors and a couple of alternates are chosen, agreed to by both sides. The alternates sit with the jurors so that if one juror should, say, get sick, an alternate will take her place and the trial can go on.

[cheeryble]

Florida Prosecutor Angela Corey argued that the tragic case was a test of Florida's gun laws as well as social boundaries."This case has never been about race, nor has it ever been about the right to bear arms," Corey said. "But Trayvon Martin was profiled. There is no doubt that he was profiled to be a criminal. And if race was one of the aspects in George Zimmerman's mind, then we believe that we put out the proof necessary to show that Zimmerman did profile Trayvon Martin.

This is an outrageous statement by the prosecutor, a public official, which should result in her immediate dismissal.It is non-acceptance of the results of the system she's supposed to be there to defend and is incitement to racial hatred. She should know better......and is paid to know and behave better.....and therefore is worse then the rabble outside the court.

"But the right to bear arms is a right in which we all believe. I especially believe in that will right. What we want is responsible use when someone feels they have to use a gun to take a life," Corey added, saying: "They have to be responsible in their use, and we believe that this case all along was about boundaries."

A moronic statment. Again, this prosecutor is obviously not intelligent enough to realise that when you deal with statistical numbers of people your are statistically certain to get "exceptions".....and who wants "exceptions" when that means lead going through flesh?