Just wondering....

[frenchmon]

Has anyone been keeping up with the Zimmerman trial? And what are your thoughts?

[JohnMichael]

Guilty! George did everything wrong. If he had stayed in his car like the dispatcher suggested. Knock, knock

[JohnMichael]

At the very beginning the police handled it poorly.

[Hyfi]

Yeah, kinda hard to shoot someone if your not packin and you stayed in your car.

[dean_martin]

When I was home for lunch, CNN was going on about the weight Zimmerman had gained and it's impact on the jury. I didn't have much time to get fully up to speed so I could be wrong about the following:

Apparently the judge originally decided to keep out many of Zimmerman's earlier calls to 911 for other incidents (not related to Trayvon). But I think he has revisited that ruling.

Other tidbits:
The prosecution's opening statement lasted about 30 mins. and defense's opening lasted 2 1/2 hours.
When I was watching, the witness on the stand was on the phone with Trayvon when Zimmerman confronted him. That's the first time I had heard that Trayvon was on the phone with someone.

[frenchmon]

Well it seems like this case could be over already and its day 3. Zimmerman said Trvon banged his head on the concrete. Well where the body lay its to far from the concrete. One witness says she saw the scuffle but could not make out who was who because it was to dark outside. But she did say when they where on the ground, she saw the guy on top that was doing the punching get up and the other guy never moved after that. So during cross, they asked who was the biggest person, and she said Zimmerman. He said how do you know who was bigger it was dark? She said I saw the pictures the next day on tv thats how I know who was bigger. The defense then said so you saw it on tv and determined it was George who was bigger and Martin smaller? (he is trying to impeach her testimony)
She said yes. The defense then showed her pictures of Martin and asked is this one of the pictures? She said yes. Then they said "do you know thats a piecture of Martin when he was 13? (trying to discredit her testimony) Defense said "thats all". Then the prosecutor got back up to rebut. He asked her "who got up...the person on the bottom or the person on top?" She then answered "The guy on top got up" Then the prosecutor said he was done. The reason why that is so important is because Zimmerman said he was on the bottom when he shot Martin. And had to turn him over to get him off of him. If that is so, why did the guy on top get up and walk away?

The next witness called was the girl talking to Martin right before he got shot. She was great...the defense tried to impeach her, but her testimony was powerful. As she was talking to Martin, he said some guy was following him....but the most inmportant part is she said Martin said "get off me! get off me! That shows that Zimmerman was the agressor and not Martin. The only hang up is the jury. Any thing can go wrong with a jury. Its clear in my book....Zimmerman is a murder. Oh and they have about 50 calls where Zimmerman has made those same exact calls to 911. They played 4 of them in court. It seems Zimmerman was on the hunt for black guys in his hood because they have had a rash of break ins over the years. So every black guys in his mind was in one group and all guilty....his words to the 911 guy on the phone was "they always get away" meaning those black guys who come into my hood. Zimmerman was a profiler.

[JohnMichael]

Judging by George's weight gain I would have to say he was robbing Mr. Martin for his skittles.

[bobsticks]

Guilty! George did everything wrong. If he had stayed in his car like the dispatcher suggested. Knock, knock

Simply, this ^^^

[Feanor]

Zimmerman might well get off and that might be the right verdict under the law -- too bad maybe but guilt has to be established beyond reasonable doubt.

How many here have been jury members in a criminal trial? I was, I know that a person might well be guilty but that if proof beyond reasonable doubt just isn't there, verdict must be "Not guilty".

Let's look at the bigger picture. What's a neighbourhood watch volunteer doing carrying a gun? (It wouldn't be permitted in Canada and if watch guy shot somebody he would be charged with murder ipso facto. But Zimmerman was allowed to have a gun: did having one embolden him? I dare say it did.

And then there's "Stand Your Ground Law" that permits deadly force without first attempting to evade a violent confrontation. If Zimmerman confronts Martin who then attacks him, who's to say Zimmerman didn't shoot in self-defence? Only physical evidence that proves beyond reasonable doubt that Zimmerman was not, in fact, dangerously threatened, otherwise he must be acquitted.

Incidentally racism might have been a factor with Zimmerman but it's unprovable and I don't see it would have much legal weight. Rather it's two bad laws: (1) the right to carry a loaded gun in public, and (2) stand-your-ground that are the essential causes of Martin's death.

[JohnMichael]

And then there's "Stand Your Ground Law" that permits deadly force without first attempting to evade a violent confrontation.

Incidentally racism might have been a factor with Zimmerman but it's unprovable and I don't see it would have much legal weight.

I agree that concealed carry along with Stand Your Ground is a bad idea. I also think George Zimmerman has a history of prejudice based on his calls to dispatcher's. His comment that they always get away says vigilante to me. A combination of hate, a gun and a law that empowers people to become afraid to justify behaviors is a lethal combination. If he was afraid he could have stayed in his car and driven away. To me his actions showed he was acting out of prejudice.

[Hyfi]

You know what is more interesting? all the photos of GZ directly after the incident showed no signs of a broken nose or cuts to the back of his head, which would surely have left blood on his clothing as head wound bleed good. Then the next day he is wearing large band aids on his head.

If the back of his head had been smashed into the pavement as claimed, there would have been cuts and blood at the time of the incident. Seems to me as soon as he contacted his lawyer, they concocted the story and scuffed up his head a bit to try and back it up.

[JohnMichael]

I thought that was fake when I first saw the coverage. What bothered me from the beginning is why it took so long for George to be questioned let alone be charged.

[Feanor]

I agree that concealed carry along with Stand Your Ground is a bad idea. I also think George Zimmerman has a history of prejudice based on his calls to dispatcher's. His comment that they always get away says vigilante to me. A combination of hate, a gun and a law that empowers people to become afraid to justify behaviors is a lethal combination. If he was afraid he could have stayed in his car and driven away. To me his actions showed he was acting out of prejudice.

It's also a fact that the race card has been played by Martin's family and the media. Very likely racism was a factor with Zimmerman, but my point is that bad gun & stand-your-ground laws would have made the scenario almost as likely if Zimmerman and Martin had both been black, both white, or both whatever.

[Hyfi]

Bottom line is that the dispatcher told him to stay in his car and leave the kid alone. End of story. Gun laws mean nothing here. Failure to follow simple instructions was the main problem.

Stand your ground does not mean carry when you're not supposed to be, confronting someone when you're told not to, and then shooting that person sounds way far from standing your own ground. I am thinking it is supposed to mean that if someone breaks into your home, you can shoot first and ask questions later, not attack and shoot and then claim otherwise.

[Feanor]

Bottom line is that the dispatcher told him to stay in his car and leave the kid alone. End of story. Gun laws mean nothing here. Failure to follow simple instructions was the main problem.

Stand your ground does not mean carry when you're not supposed to be, confronting someone when you're told not to, and then shooting that person sounds way far from standing your own ground. I am thinking it is supposed to mean that if someone breaks into your home, you can shoot first and ask questions later, not attack and shoot and then claim otherwise.

It remains to be seen whether Stand-you-ground will be invoked in this case. Of course Zimmerman ought to have followed police instructions. I suggest because he was carrying a gun he was emboldened to confront Martin instead of following instructions.

This is the significance of too many people with guns: that it provokes rash behavior leading to death 'way too often.

[markw]

The media has Zimmerman tried, convicted and executed already. They love to take these stories and race-bait the self-loathing liberal masses into a frenzy. Look at those Duke University LaCrosse players a few years ago.

And, while we're at it, hoccum there's no mention of this little incident by the mass media? It sure looks like a much more heinous crime to me. Perhaps the baby that was shot in the face was the wrong color? More interestingly, it seems that according to this later article that helping the perps conceal their crime is a real family affair.