Zimmerman To Be Charged

[MalFunkShun]

Not Guilty verdict.

It was the right verdict, but still a sad situation.

 

[Thumb]

The prosecution in this case was absolutely terrible. They did not prep their witnesses well, allowed the defense free reign, and who ever idea it was to use the skype thing is a moron who should be mopping courthouse floors from now on.

Pretty sad when a lead defense council tells a terrible knock-knock joke in opening arguments that even the jury reacted disgustedly to, basically had an acquittal handed to him via incompetence.

Idiot redneck everywhere will interpret this verdict as he (Zimmerman) was in the right to shoot Treyvon.

 

[spockmaster]

 

[tigersofjustice]

Well surprising verdict. It will no doubt prompt public outcry for Florida to change their law to something more specific regarding persons who instigate altercations.

He will no doubt be found liable in a civil trial however, but the lucky guy at least gets to walk around free.

 

[tigersofjustice]

Idiot redneck everywhere will interpret this verdict as he (Zimmerman) was in the right to shoot Treyvon.

This is really the problem with this verdict. There will be gun carrying idiots everywhere playing wannabe cop without any regard for their safety or the safety of others.

 

[tigersofjustice]

I did not follow one second of this case, just as I did not waste an ounce of my time on Casey Anthony one. Numerous murders a day, yet people latch onto this because it is a minority being murdered by a Latin-ish neighborhood watch guy. If Martin were white or Zimmerman were black you would have literally NEVER even heard of this case most likely. Media tries turning everything into more than it is and sucking viewers in.

White black issue yes, but I think mostly because of the racial (and age) profiling.

I think it is also big news because it really highlights the mid point or at least something close to it when it comes to self defense. Basically, can you be allowed to kill somebody when you are the one who f'd up and put yourself in a situation to fear for your own life.

 

[MalFunkShun]

Wait, is everyone here except me disagreeing with the verdict?

 

[tigersofjustice]

Wait, is everyone here except me disagreeing with the verdict?

I don't necessarily disagree with it as much as I think Florida's self defense law is confusing at best and completely written wrong at worst. It's a tough case to decide for a jury, it's almost definitely manslaughter in any other jurisdiction.

I would also add that regardless of what the "right" criminal code decision is, Zimmerman was certainly in the wrong and did directly cause Martin's death. He will probably be held civilly liable if the Martin family decides to sue him.

 

[Thumb]

Wait, is everyone here except me disagreeing with the verdict?

I'm not disagreeing with the verdict the jurors made, they had to based on how the trial went.

I'm upset at the outcome, and largely, the mishandled process.

I think George Zimmerman was guilty of Second Degree Murder, but I would have settled for Manslaughter One, but the state was incompetent, and now it will serve as a rallying call for the whack-jobs to take the law into their own hands, including using deadly force whenever they see a "suspicious" person.

Seriously Florida, do the rest of us a favor and break off and float to Cuba, or sink.....whichever is easier for you.

 

[Diggler Cometh]

I'm not disagreeing with the verdict the jurors made, they had to based on how the trial went.

I'm upset at the outcome, and largely, the mishandled process.

I think George Zimmerman was guilty of Second Degree Murder, but I would have settled for Manslaughter One, but the state was incompetent, and now it will serve as a rallying call for the whack-jobs to take the law into their own hands, including using deadly force whenever they see a "suspicious" person.

Seriously Florida, do the rest of us a favor and break off and float to Cuba, or sink.....whichever is easier for you.

It's easiest for us to stand our ground. :cheers:

 

[Thumb]

It's easiest for us to stand our ground. :cheers:

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

I don't necessarily disagree with it as much as I think Florida's self defense law is confusing at best and completely written wrong at worst. It's a tough case to decide for a jury, it's almost definitely manslaughter in any other jurisdiction.

I would also add that regardless of what the "right" criminal code decision is, Zimmerman was certainly in the wrong and did directly cause Martin's death. He will probably be held civilly liable if the Martin family decides to sue him.

He would have been not guilty in Michigan as well:

(1) An individual who has not or is not engaged in the commission of a crime at the time he or she uses deadly force may use deadly force against another individual anywhere he or she has the legal right to be with no duty to retreat if either of the following applies:

(a) The individual honestly and reasonably believes that the use of deadly force is necessary to prevent the imminent death of or imminent great bodily harm to himself or herself or to another individual.

(b) The individual honestly and reasonably believes that the use of deadly force is necessary to prevent the imminent sexual assault of himself or herself or of another individual.

(2) An individual who has not or is not engaged in the commission of a crime at the time he or she uses force other than deadly force may use force other than deadly force against another individual anywhere he or she has the legal right to be with no duty to retreat if he or she honestly and reasonably believes that the use of that force is necessary to defend himself or herself or another individual from the imminent unlawful use of force by another individual.?
---------------------------------------------

As long as you're not doing anything illegal at the time, which theoretically Zimmerman wasn't, then you're allowed to use your firearm with deadly force in any of those three situations (getting your head bashed in would count). In reality, there are a lot of states with a similar law and even in states without it, it likely would have been manslaughter. I don't think you could convict him of 2nd degree murder in any state.

 

[Sbee]

Tough case, most likely the right decision given what we heard. There are two sides to the story and wr didnt get to hear one because martin is dead. Zimmerman created the situation by getting out of the car and engaging martin when he shouldn't have, he was told by the operator to stay in the car. He engaged martin and ended up on the ground, then used deadly force.

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[Sbee]

Also, a wrongful death decision ibln the civil trial is all but guaranteed

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[Mitchrapp]

I don't think anyone can say for sure that Zimmerman is guilty of anything. No one knows what might have happened on that day. As far as "in the wrong" how do we know? Maybe Zimmerman was in danger and feared for his life. To say it was murder based on here say is being short sighted.

 

[turok]

Zimmerman did not need to use deadly force vs the weaponless youth in order to successfully defend .himself after chasing him down, confronting and scuffling with Martin. He could have shot and wounded him in a non-lethal area of his body (shoulder. legs, arms ect..) that would have incapacitated him ...JMO.

Apparently the skinny teen somehow managed to beat and bloody the larger and heavier "neighborhood watchman" before being shot and killed?

 

[Sbee]

I don't think anyone can say for sure that Zimmerman is guilty of anything. No one knows what might have happened on that day. As far as "in the wrong" how do we know? Maybe Zimmerman was in danger and feared for his life. To say it was murder based on here say is being short sighted.

Of course we cant say for sure what happened because the only other person who knows what happened is dead. This whole situation is a tragedy with many lives ruined. It never should have happened but Zimmerman chose to engage martin foolishly

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[TheVictors]

Didn't watch the trial, wasn't on the jury and haven't read the police reports.


so I won't pretend to have an opinion or make a statement like, "most likely the right verdict based on what I saw on TV"

Sure as hell wouldn't want to be George Zimmerman, though ...welcome to the world of OJ Simpson, Casey Anthony (buckeye fan) and Richard Jewell.

 

[Sbee]

Didn't watch the trial, wasn't on the jury and haven't read the police reports.


so I won't pretend to have an opinion or make a statement like, "most likely the right verdict based on what I saw on TV"

Sure as hell wouldn't want to be George Zimmerman, though ...welcome to the world of OJ Simpson, Casey Anthony (buckeye fan) and Richard Jewell.

I sure as hell wouldn't want to be trayvon martin or his family either. Welcome to the world of lifelong grief. Funny how some pour out sympathy for the one who killed the young man and show little for th family that had their lives ruined

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[Michchamp]

For the umpteenth time:

Florida's stand your ground law might be terrible, and it might have encouraged Zimmerman's loathsome behavior, but he didn't use it as a defense at trial, so it wasn't the issue/reason he was acquitted.

the jury found his self defense claim persuasive and agreed he was justified in using deadly force here... and that's it.

I think it was the wrong verdict. even if not 1st degree murder, it was a lower degree of homicide without question. you can't go around stalking people like that, and then shooting them, even if they defend themselves. you can't create a violent situation yourself (which is exactly what Zimmerman did) and then resolve it through deadly force.

from the sounds of it, the prosecution did an awful job. the fact that Florida is full of some of the slowest Americans probably didn't help in terms of finding a jury that could see through the sloppy legal work.