State v Zimmerman

[Svartalf]

Prosecutors are lawyers, and they are there to get a conviction, not to see justice.

Of course they are disgusting.

[Coito ergo sum]

Prosecutors are lawyers, and they are there to get a conviction, not to see justice.

Of course they are disgusting.

They are there to see that justice is done. I'm not generalizing to all prosecutors. I'm referring to these prosecutors. Unfortunately, these folks are not the only bad apples.

[Svartalf]

Good apples seem to be a damn rarity among the US prosecution systems.

[Seth]

I think Z is being prosecuted because he shot and killed a kid.

It's not okay to leave your house armed to go patrol your streets and to then follow people you find suspicious.

It's not only ok, it's perfectly legal and highly desirable. If more people paid as much attention to what is going on in their neighborhoods and took action to prevent crime, crime in that neighborhood would drop drastically, making it safer for children and everyone else. If you live in a gang-infested part of Chicago or LA, you and your neighbors should form a citizen's militia and arm yourselves with semi-automatic sporting rifles, shotguns and handguns and start regular patrols of the neighborhood during which you report any and all suspicious activity to the police. And then when the police respond, you should back them up with your arms. And if attacked or fired upon by gang-bangers, you should return fire with overwhelming force and terminate the threat.

A few months or even weeks of doing so will cause criminals to go elsewhere or be dead, and the community will be safer and happier.

Some of you are pretending the aggression started when Martin went for Z, that's not true. It started when Z targeted Martin because he found him suspicious.

Wrong. It's perfectly lawful and reasonable for a resident of a private, gated community to follow and observe anyone they do not recognize, and to call the police if they are acting suspiciously. You seem to assume that just because Martin had been to the 7-11 for snacks that he could not possibly be casing homes for an opportunity at a little target of opportunity burglary or future lawbreaking on his way to his relatives house.

I said it doesn't matter why M came back and it doesn't.

Yes, it most certainly does matter. Intent is important.

You can make any claim you want as to why. He had as much a right to go back to where he was as Z had to still be there.

Yes, he did. What he did not have a right to do was attack Zimmerman from behind and then try to kill him.

Why wasn't Z obligated to leave?

He did "leave." He lost contact with Martin and returned to his truck as directed by the dispatcher (not that anyone is obliged to follow the orders of police dispatchers to begin with) and was attacked from behind in a surprise assault by Martin.

He shouldn't have been following the kid in the first place after all.

He had every right to follow the kid.

During this entire discussion some of you have made it all about what M should have done making it seem at times like he was obligated to behave a certain way. Why not Z?

Because Zimmerman lawfully exercised his rights without infringing on Martin's rights. Martin had NO reasonable expectation of privacy while walking about in the common areas of a private, gated community where he was not known to be a resident, so Zimmerman's following him was perfectly lawful and reasonable.

Why is Z not obligated to behave in a certain way, and in failing to do so to the point of instigating a situation that leads to the shooting death of another, why shouldn't he be prosecuted?[/quote]

Because following someone through your neighborhood whom you do not recognize and who seems to you to be acting suspiciously is a lawful and highly desirable activity that suppresses criminal activity. Since Zimmerman did not physically attack Martin at any time, and because Martin turned back and sought out Zimmerman after breaking contact with him and then unlawfully assaulted him and placed him in fear of his life and safety, Martin broke the law and Zimmerman reacted exactly as the law allows and used deadly force to protect himself. As the mounting evidence shows, Zimmerman acted in perfect accordance with the law and Martin had a long history of being a street fighter and belligerent towards non-blacks.

It was clear from the beginning that Zimmerman lawfully exercised his right to self defense, which is precisely why the police, who investigated the incident, refused to charge him with a crime. He wasn't charged until weeks later, after a hue and cry from the black community alleging racism on the part of the police, and he was charged by the DA, not the police, who is merely trying to cover his ass for the next election.

[mistermack]

You are too fucking stupid to live, and one of the biggest dumbasses on the internet.

I live very well, thanks. And I'm fully aware of my intelligence level, and it's not genius, but it's well above average.

But then, that average has been pulled right down, by dumb cunts like you.

Nothing wrong with being stupid. But you wallow in it.

[Seth]

I told you so:

Crime
Ex-Police Chief Claims He Was Pressured and Then Fired for Not Arresting George Zimmerman: ‘They Just Wanted an Arrest’
Jul. 10, 2013 9:07pm Jason Howerton

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Ex Police Chief Claims He Was Pressured and Then Fired for Not Arresting George Zimmerman

(Credit: Getty)

Former Sanford, Fla., police chief Bill Lee on CNN Wednesday claimed he was fired last year because he refused to arrest George Zimmerman just to appease an outraged public. Hey says there wasn’t enough evidence to warrant an arrest in the killing of Trayvon Martin, a fact that didn’t matter to some city officials.

When he refused to make the arrest, Lee claims he was fired from his position after just 10 months on the job. Officials argued they let Lee go because the public and elected officials had lost trust in him.

“I had one of the city commissioners come to me on two different occasions and say, ‘All we want is an arrest.’ And I explained to them, ‘Well, you just can’t do that, you have to have probable cause to arrest somebody.’ And it was related to me that they just wanted an arrest, they didn’t care if it got dismissed later. And you don’t do that,” Lee told CNN’s George Howell.

When asked how Zimmerman was able to remain free for 40 days after shooting Martin, Lee said the evidence just wasn’t there.

Lee argued he did not get a “fair shake” in the Zimmerman case, despite upholding his oath of office.

“I’m happy at the end of the day I can walk away with my integrity,” he added. “I’m at peace with it on most days. I’m a man of faith. But it stings.”

[FBM]

Gallstones, this is a reminder that this post contains a personal attack on another member, which is in violation of the rules that we all sign off on when we join. Please keep such criticism directed at ideas instead of people. Thank you.

[FBM]

mistermack, this is a reminder that this post contains a personal attack on another member, which is in violation of the rules that we all sign off on when we join. Please keep such criticism directed at ideas instead of people. It does not matter that you were responding to a personal attack. Thank you.

[Coito ergo sum]

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government ... ot-testify

Defense rests. Zimmerman stands mute.

Judge questionably grills Zimmerman about whether he had decided to testify.

Another WTF moment in this case.

The judge should dismiss the charges. They should never have been brought in the first place, IMO. However, it will go to the jury, and I hope that they use their heads and acquit the guy. I think the jury had gobs of reasonable doubt after the prosecution rested. So, unless they find that the defense proved the prosecution's case, this is a no-brainer.

He walks. If he is convicted, it will be, IMO, a travesty of justice. A travesty. A mockery. Of a sham of a travesty of a mockery.

[Tero]

Too bad we did not get a 911 call from TVN when the stalker appeared and M decided to stand his ground, even though unarmed. Chicken Z only came out of the truck because he was armed.

[Coito ergo sum]

Too bad we did not get a 911 call from TVN when the stalker appeared and M decided to stand his ground, even though unarmed. Chicken Z only came out of the truck because he was armed.

Stand your ground, once again, only applies once someone has attacked you.

Too bad, indeed, that we did not have Martin calling 911. I wonder why he didn't. If I saw some creep staring at me from a truck while I was minding my own business, I'd pick up my cell and call 911 and report him. Martin had plenty of time to do so, as did Zimmerman.

It also stands to reason that if Zimmerman really did "stalk" Martin because he wanted to kill himself a negra -- why would he call the police on himself?

[Tero]

He was gonna capture one of those assholes that always get away. Teens are fair game to shoot, if a criminal act is committed. Acting weird was a promising start, but unlikely to be an up and coming teen burglar.

[Coito ergo sum]

He was gonna capture one of those assholes that always get away. Teens are fair game to shoot, if a criminal act is committed. Acting weird was a promising start, but unlikely to be an up and coming teen burglar.

So? That neighborhood was getting victimized by assholes.

Teens are not fair game to shoot.

Your last sentence makes absolutely no sense.

[Tero]

>>Jurors in the George Zimmerman case will be allowed to consider the lesser charge of manslaughter when they begin their deliberations on whether the neighborhood watch volunteer murdered Trayvon Martin or shot the unarmed teenager in self-defense<<

What would be the smallest prison term for that?

[Coito ergo sum]

>>Jurors in the George Zimmerman case will be allowed to consider the lesser charge of manslaughter when they begin their deliberations on whether the neighborhood watch volunteer murdered Trayvon Martin or shot the unarmed teenager in self-defense<<

What would be the smallest prison term for that?

Since a firearm was used, it would be a minimum of 9 1/4 years, plus up to 30 more years in prison, up to 30 years of probation and/or up to a $10,000 fine.

I think in Florida, though self-defense would be a defense to manslaughter.

The danger for Zimmerman is that the manslaughter charge gives the jury an option to nullify the law and enter a "compromise" verdict.