The Trayvon Martin Case

[Nepenthe]

I don't condone vigilante justice and would rather he be successfully convicted, at the very least to allow Florida to start redeeming itself. If, however, someone took it upon themselves to kill this sorry sack of shit, I wouldn't shed a tear.

[SenEDDtor Missile]

Words cannot describe how annoyed I am that this douche got off practically scot-free, AND with money for that matter.

At least one can take some small comfort in the fact that he is going to have to look over his shoulder for the rest of his life, because there are definitely going to be some vengeful people out for his head.

Edited July 20, 2012 by Enigmatus

[Old dead account]

I feel that it was god's plan

Yeah right, there's a twinge of insincerity in him voice as he says that. I really doubt he's being sincere with that statement and is just desperate to find any way to justify his actions. But hey, if a vigilante kills Zimmerman tomorrow, they should let them go free because that would just all be god's plan anyway.

[Conando]

>No regrets. Claims it was God's plan.

Well, I think we have a violent psychopath on our hands, people. Florida better step their game up and get this guy behind bars. I know evidence gathering isn't easy, I hope they can do it. Seriously, this guy should definitely not walk after this shit.

[Johnny Boy]

It's was all gods plan? IT WAS ALL GODS PLAN?!?!!???! ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!!!?!!?!!

Ok, as of now I don't care what you anti death penalty people have to say. This asshole is either gonna die in prison or die on the street. May your soul rot in the burning depths of hell you scumbag.

[-Robin-]

Been a little over a year, but the case is at last heading to trial.

The jury has been picked. 6 people in total. All of whom are women.

 

Six women were selected Thursday to serve on the Florida jury that will decide if George Zimmerman is guilty of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.

The jurors were identified in court only by number on the ninth day of selection. Four alternates – two men and two women – were also chosen.

The panel will be sequestered during the trial, which will begin with opening statements Monday at 9 a.m. and is expected to last between two and four weeks.

Zimmerman, 29, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and says he shot Martin, 17, in self-defense after the unarmed teen attacked him during a confrontation in Sanford, Fla., on Feb. 26, 2012.

Jury selection began June 10. By Wednesday, the pool had been winnowed to 40 potential jurors who were asked about crime, guns, self-defense, reasonable doubt and other topics by prosecutors and defense lawyers.

The fact that the final six are all women should not be a “major factor” in the outcome of the trial, legal analyst Kendall Coffey told NBC News.

“But the to the extent it tilts either way, the prosecution should not be unhappy about an all-women jury,” he said.

He said that in general, women’s attitudes about guns and “people engaging in confrontations instead of relying on authorities” might favor the prosecution’s argument that Zimmerman was in the wrong.

“And in a perfect world, the prosecution would want to see a jury of mothers,” Coffey said.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/20/19060246-6-women-chosen-as-jurors-in-george-zimmerman-trial?lite

Edited June 20, 2013 by Joshua

[turbojet]

Well that is unusual. The Prosecution picks from the jury pool and I kind of expected white men all over due to the general reluctance to arrest Zimmerman. 

[Johnny Boy]

Just six jurors? This is going to be interesting.

[-Robin-]

Prosecution has rested its case, and now the Defense is ready to present theirs.

Currently, there's discussion on whether it was Zimmerman or Martin who was screaming in the 911 call just before the shot. The mothers of both parties say it was their son.

On a side note, I'm having a hell of a time at Zimmerman's friend Frank Taffee's incessant desire to butt in everyone's time on the air in these recap court shows. He's a riot, and he's causing riots as well.

[Johnny Boy]

The verdict is coming in today. I must say that both sides put up some pretty convincing arguements.

[Solly]

Expecting a Not Guilty or Manslaughter verdict. Prosecution didn't exactly do the best job, and while Zimmerman's a creep and an imbecile, the defense has made reasonable doubt against 2nd degree murder. There's too much gray area around how the altercation exactly played out, and considering the evidence points toward Martin being on top of Zimmerman the moment he was shot, it'd be sorta hard to completely disprove self-defense.

 

People are gonna flip their shit either way.

[SkyLlama]

I'm also expecting not guilty or manslaughter, but I'm leaning towards not guilty. Guess I'll have to wait and see of course.

 

I'm not so worried about what the result is, but what's going to happen after. I would not want to live in Florida right now. I can only hope things don't get to out of hand, especially in the case of a not guilty verdict.

Edited July 13, 2013 by SkyLlama

[Nepenthe]

I've felt the altercation was mostly moot because I don't believe that being caught in, starting, or even losing a fist fight means you have free reign to point a fucking handgun to someone's chest and pull the trigger. It's asinine to me that we as a country have to actually argue about whether a fucking 17-year old punching someone means he rationally opens himself up to the punishment of being blown away, especially in circumstances where we know for most of the time he was not the aggressor. He was the one running away scared for God's sakes, not Zimmerman. The whole thing doesn't convince me Zimmerman could've reasonably perceived his life to be in danger either, and this is regardless of the facts that Zimmerman is wholly at fault for the way that night turned out because he ignored protocol and emergency operators in a need to play cowboy. His mild injuries and the lack of DNA evidence on Martin were never consistent with a struggle that one would reasonably consider life-threatening. He deserves 2nd degree for his sheer idiotic negligence, but I would be satisfied if he served some jail time for manslaughter. An acquittal would be a disgraceful miscarriage of justice, to which I hope the response would be that the Martin family sues him to high Heaven in a civil suit. He doesn't deserve to get away with it a second time.

I also kinda wish people would stop entertaining the notion of acquittal riots as if African Americans are that unhinged. Trust me, we're normal folks too and will move on with our lives if it turns out that way, even if some of us will be bitter.

[Solly]

I also kinda wish people would stop entertaining the notion of acquittal riots as if African Americans are that unhinged. Trust me, we're normal folks too and will move on with our lives if it turns out that way, even if some of us will be bitter.

I don't think that was the implication. People aren't worried about riots because they think African Americans are unhinged, or that they would even be the ones to start potential riots; they're worried about riots because this is a big case, emotions are running high, and people really really (understandably) hate George Zimmerman.

[Linkabel]

No offense Nepenthe, while I understand why you said that, I don't think no one implied that it was just going to be African Americans rioting and more of people in general rioting (which while there's going to be a reaction regardless what the verdict is I don't think there's going to be full blown riots.)

[Nepenthe]

This implication that people need to be exceptionally careful or else something will pop off only seems to crop up most often when a case involves an African American that was wronged either through crime or an imperfect court system, and I confront it all the time online and offline. But the only thing I heard in the Casey Anthony trial for instance is that only she herself would be the target of violent revenge in case of an acquittal, nothing about neighborhoods needing to be on watch for general rowdy behavior. I understand that that's not what was meant, but that kind of language irks me because of the implications of it when butt up against common American perceptions of blacks and how we can get "uppity". Things will be peaceful; they were peaceful when Zimmerman was walking around free, a much graver injustice. There's no need to be afraid or tense.

[Linkabel]

As someone that works in a newsroom I can say that people did think there was going to be riots after her verdict and like Zimmerman now, that the possibility of the verdict being not guilty then both defendants would be in danger. In fact, even in the Arias trial there was fear of some rioting happening here for a while too. So again, while I understand why you say that I really don't see it. Also, this case is just a can of worms related to racial attitudes not just between whites and blacks but also hispanics and pretty much every other race/ethnicity that are on both sides of the fence on this case.

[Nepenthe]

It is the racial tension you simultaneously note and downplay that is paramount in the implication that rioting will be had with an acquittal, because the victims in this case are African American and, by virtue of being African American, there exists the implication that we tend to get violent at perceived social justice, as does exist the cultural implication that black men are thugs and, with Trayvon being a black man, has been paramount in the character assassination that has been leveled at him by Zimmerman supporters and out-and-out racists. Because of America's less than stellar report card with minorities, different statements and words carry different meanings and connotations depending on the people involved. All I ask from people is to remember that kind of context when making statements about the social stability of places in America.

[Linkabel]

Like I said I get that, and honestly I think everyone here gets that. My initial thought was that I don't think the previous members here meant it the way you said it.

[Nepenthe]

Well, of course not! I didn't mean to say he did it out of malice, but that shouldn't excuse potentially being offensive anyway. I'd wager most things that are offensive nowadays are done without intent, even subconsciously, but that shouldn't prevent opportunities for discussion about them.

[DGam'r]

I really hope nothing breaks out depending on what Zimmerman's verdict is. But I have a bad feeling he isn't going to be guilty and HELL will break loose if his verdict isn't not guilty.

[Johnny Boy]

I really hope nothing breaks out depending on what Zimmerman's verdict is. But I have a bad feeling he isn't going to be guilty and HELL will break loose if his verdict isn't not guilty.

Well the jury asked a question about manslaughter. If I were the defense attorneys I'd be pretty worried about that.

[DGam'r]

Well the jury asked a question about manslaughter. If I were the defense attorneys I'd be pretty worried about that.

They might be worried about that and made up another lie to defend Zimmerman probably

[Nepenthe]

Both sides have rested their case so no, the defense cannot continue setting a narrative.

[Badnik Mechanic]

So here in the UK this is getting utterly no exposure at all... with the exception of late night BBC news.

 

At around 1am, BBC news for some reason becomes ABC news, and of course Zimmerman is on it. So I've only got a basic trivial understanding of the case.

 

Gotta say though, speaking from a British perspective... how is this guy not guilty of murder?

 

If this had been commited in the UK, even if you put aside the UK's stance on gun ownership, there is no way Zimmerman would be found not guilty... maybe, manslaughter, but odds are, you're looking at at least 1 degree of murder.

 

So i'm really curious as to which way this one is gonna go.