Zimmerman not guilty

[T.D-Bag]

Is it possible that a badly prosecuted case is the direct result of lack of evidence to prove the case?

What is lost here is the multiple bad decisions which led to a tragedy. There are the listed tragedies for George Zimmerman such as staying in his vehicle and not following Trayvon Martin. But why didn't you list the bad decisions of Trayvon Martin? In the 4 minutes from the phone call to the time of the assault, Trayvon had more than enough time to be home and sitting on his couch. Trayvon could had a little less pride and instead of attacking as is alleged asked Zimmerman why is he following him?

Can you at least agree that if Trayvon attacked George Zimmerman in broad daylight out of no where and Zimmerman believed he was in danger of death or serious injury that he would be justified in his use of deadly force?

Again , we dont know who instigated, since only one is left alive. TM had just as much right to SD as the older heavier armed GZ....back to my point earlier... the fight ended no where near the concrete that GZ defense said was a lethal threat. GZ should have taken his punch to the face and QUIT.

[AnnapolisEagle]

You state what I don't know but go on to assume not based in facts something that you know. "Trayvon Martin didn't go looking for trouble that night. George Zimmerman did." I only pasted the first part of your statement so it was in context but what evidence exists to stay definitively that George Zimmerman went looking for trouble that night?

Trayvon Martin went out for skittles and iced tea. During his last phone call, the girl on the other end said he sounded scared because someone was following him.

Zimmerman was an armed man who called police thinking Martin was suspicious and on drugs, then followed him despite a dispatcher's instruction that he didn't have to do that.

Zimmerman followed Martin rather than let officers sort out the matter. Zimmerman set everything in motion. There is no way you can dispute that.

Does that rise to the level of legal responsibility for his death? In the eyes of that jury, no. But if Zimmerman doesn't assume immediately that Martin is a criminal ("these assholes always get away") and pursue him while armed with a gun instead of letting police handle it, Martin is still alive today.


-AE

[McCarthy12]

Yes, they would have to assert the defense and the jury instructions would discuss the elements of that particular defense. I don't believe they invoked SYG.

[tjl88]

Because he called 911 and said he saw "a real suspicious guy. This guy looks like he's up to no good or he's on drugs or something."

He then proceeded to follow TM. If at that point, GZ just listens to the 911 dispatcher after observing and reporting (as neighborhood watch people are instructed to do), TM is much more likely to be alive today.

Those are facts. And I'm allowed to infer a few things from those facts.

As far as i can tell the dispatcher told him they didn't need him to follow TM. GZ said ok and stopped, then he got attacked 4 minutes later. Maybe Martin felt threatened and felt he had to attack Zimmerman but i do not think Zimmerman was out of line to call the police and try to give a location. Especially considering the mindset of the neighborhood with all the crime happening at the time. I'm also not sure i want a guy carrying a gun in my neighborhood that is not trained to handle situations like this.

[slag]

Actually, what I read is that the focus on him understanding SYG was in an attempt to show an inconsistency between an interview he gave and a class he took that covered that statute.

It was also supposed to establish his state of mind and his ambitions and frustrations in the months prior to the shooting, I guess to try to foster the profile the prosecution was trying to paint to get the murder conviction.

But, it doesn't necessarily follow that you can assume they used SYG as their defense just because the prosecution was trying to show Zimmerman understood it.

[chad steele]

Perhaps a more intelligent response would be a fat joke or to throw eggs at eagles fans

You don't take compliments well.

By the way, I wasn't the one throwing clam shells at women.

[Chief]

Plaxico

Got two years for shooting himself.

[CCPete]

I always thought Plaxico shot himself in self defense.

[ishimonster]

The bad decisions of Trayvon Martin

What is lost here is the multiple bad decisions which led to a tragedy. There are the listed tragedies for George Zimmerman such as staying in his vehicle and not following Trayvon Martin. But why didn't you list the bad decisions of Trayvon Martin? In the 4 minutes from the phone call to the time of the assault, Trayvon had more than enough time to be home and sitting on his couch. Trayvon could had a little less pride and instead of attacking as is alleged asked Zimmerman why is he following him?

It's one this to argue over the trial itself but you can't dispute the series of events that led up to the murder. You're right though, the kid was a dumbass - he should have realized that he was black and had no place being outside, he WOULD still be alive if he had realized that. When a wanna-be vigilante with a loaded gun stalked him, he shouldn't have stood his ground, he shouldn't have thought he had rights. He should have realized that he was black.

[rdog5]

Trayvon Martin went out for skittles and iced tea. During his last phone call, the girl on the other end said he sounded scared because someone was following him.

Zimmerman was an armed man who called police thinking Martin was suspicious and on drugs, then followed him despite a dispatcher's instruction that he didn't have to do that.

Zimmerman followed Martin rather than let officers sort out the matter. Zimmerman set everything in motion. There is no way you can dispute that.

Does that rise to the level of legal responsibility for his death? In the eyes of that jury, no. But if Zimmerman doesn't assume immediately that Martin is a criminal ("these assholes always get away") and pursue him while armed with a gun instead of letting police handle it, Martin is still alive today.


-AE

If TM goes to his residence instead of a position where he can attack another person he is alive today.
If TM hangs up and calls 911 he is alive today.
If TM hangs up and calls his dad he is alive today.
If TM physically attacks a man without provocation who also has a legal right to be where he is and do what he was doing which by the way there is no proof of pursuit or of following, then he paid the ultimate price.

Why do you judge all of GZ actions as negative and TM as pure? Why infer to one side all the time? Many small changes on both sides could have easily avoided a 17 year old young man from dying. When presented with all the facts a jury decided he acted in self-defense. This was a group of specially selected competent people who were determined through voir dire to be of the correct moral values to judge him.

If TM attacked GM without the 911 call in broad daylight and GM shot him would that be justified?

[rdog5]

It's one this to argue over the trial itself but you can't dispute the series of events that led up to the murder. You're right though, the kid was a dumbass - he should have realized that he was black and had no place being outside, he WOULD still be alive if he had realized that. When a wanna-be vigilante with a loaded gun stalked him, he shouldn't have stood his ground, he shouldn't have thought he had rights. He should have realized that he was black.

Injecting race when it isn't not proven to be part of this serves no benefit. The funny thing is you judge GZ without taking into account all the facts but condemn him for his actions where you think he judged TM for racial motivation?

[J_Cuz31]

Injecting race when it isn't not proven to be part of this serves no benefit. The funny thing is you judge GZ without taking into account all the facts but condemn him for his actions where you think he judged TM for racial motivation?

Do you believe that if Zimmerman was black he would have been allowed to skate after shooting dead a 17-year-old white kid who punched him in the nose?

If you don't then the aforementioned statement is utter horseshit.

If you do then you're a goddamned idiot.

I know, it's a classic catch-22 brought about by a ridiculous premise which is, in this case, that race, "is not proven to be part of this."

[ishimonster]

Injecting race when it isn't not proven to be part of this serves no benefit. The funny thing is you judge GZ without taking into account all the facts but condemn him for his actions where you think he judged TM for racial motivation?

I condemn him for his actions because he, a 28 year-old man with a loaded gun, wrongfully confronted and shot an unarmed, 17 year-old kid. I'm sorry but the truth is that this tragedy and trial from the beginning has always been about race. The fact of the matter is that if GZ was black and Trayvon white, GZ would be doing life and all of Trayvon's "sins" would have been instantly forgiven...

[AnnapolisEagle]

If TM goes to his residence instead of a position where he can attack another person he is alive today.
If TM hangs up and calls 911 he is alive today.
If TM hangs up and calls his dad he is alive today.
If TM physically attacks a man without provocation who also has a legal right to be where he is and do what he was doing which by the way there is no proof of pursuit or of following, then he paid the ultimate price.

Why do you judge all of GZ actions as negative and TM as pure? Why infer to one side all the time? Many small changes on both sides could have easily avoided a 17 year old young man from dying. When presented with all the facts a jury decided he acted in self-defense. This was a group of specially selected competent people who were determined through voir dire to be of the correct moral values to judge him.

If TM attacked GM without the 911 call in broad daylight and GM shot him would that be justified?

Zimmerman instigated the situation. He's the prime mover in all this.

And I don't give a shit about the jury. I've already told you that I don't believe they necessarily fucked up the verdict.

What I'm telling you is that Zimmerman set everything in motion. Without any cause, he pursued an unarmed kid. There was a scuffle, Zimmerman was losing, drew his gun and fired.

I'm not talking about a jury verdict, I'm talking about blame. If Zimmerman isn't a vigilante, none of this ever happens.

-AE

[Drama Queen]

Exactly. He was a want-to-be asshole that was getting his ass kicked so he decided to use deadly force... let's get real... that fuckin' KID wasn't going to kill him.

You want to carry a gun and play Cops and Robbers than fine, but using deadly force should have consequences.... I'm tired of walking through all of the law bullshit... let's talk some common sense and discuss why and how the current laws failed us.