Posted on 09/20/2012 12:40:38 PM PDT by Uncle Chip
SANFORD - Prosecutors in the George Zimmerman case suggest defense attorney Mark O'Mara is trying to "chum the waters" by digging up Trayvon Martin's school disciplinary records.
In a new pleading, they ask the judge to seal whatever those records show and in the future to keep O'Mara's subpoenas a secret.
O'Mara is entitled to go on a fishing expedition to find out about Trayvon's past, according to court paperwork filed Wednesday by Assistant State Attorney Bernie de la Rionda, but "he is not allowed to chum the waters and then, by innuendo or otherwise, to publish irrelevant items (such as the aforementioned subpoenas) to the media in an attempt to influence public perception or otherwise curry favor with potential jurors."
>snip<
He accused O'Mara of using his law firm's website to publicize the subpoena and implied O'Mara was trying to damage Trayvon's reputation.
(Excerpt) Read more at articles.orlandosentinel.com ...
If 0bama had a son, he'd be like Trayvon, so like father, like son.
No problem when they “accidently” leaked Zimmerman’s records, though.
but “he is not allowed to chum the waters and then,”
This is our legal system at work.
Trayvon was a disaster waiting to happen. George Zimmerman just stumbled into his path.
Don’t they really mean “muddy the waters”?
I don’t see what that has to do with the case anyway. Even if he got all F’s then big deal he is dead and that is what needs to be focused on and see if he was in the wrong for his death or was the other dude who shot him was in the wrong. That is all you really need. When is this trial anyway? It seems to be taking forever.
It was reported or imagined that Trayvon had attached a bus driver. If this is true then it would be pertinent in that it would show that Tray was violent and uncontrolled.
Trayvon had attached a = Trayvon had attacked a
If that is the case than you are right. I thought they just wanted his grades.
That's what the prosecution has been doing to hide all the exculpatory evidence they can.
They are accusing the defense of a fishing [chumming] expedition in the waters that they deliberately muddied up.
No they are looking for real supporting data. I think George’s lawyer is trying hard to do this right.
My sense is that Martin’s DISCIPLINARY record at school may be admissible, particularly if there are negative entries shortly before his confrontation with Zimmerman. Even if the jury does not see the file contents, it can hear from a school official testifying about what misdeeds Martin did, when, and in what manner he was disciplined.
Martin’s GRADES probably are not relevant ... unless the prosecution “opens the door” by suggesting that Martin was a “good” or “hard-working” student. So the prosecution has to be careful not to do that.
_________________________________________
Completely backwards.
A loser wannabe hero on medication with a history of violence roaming the neighborhood with a gun and following anybody he thinks doesn't look right is the disaster waiting to happen.
Thanks for the info and your support for a man that is clearly not guilty or at leat what the defendants are trying to say about him.
I have an official copy:
Walking Class: F
Ghetto Movies: A
Remedial Math: F
Video Games: A
English: F
Ebonics: A
Basketball: C+
I believe their was a post from one of Travon’s friends on his facebook page saying something to the effect of shock t “you hit a bus driver”.
And there was speculation that’s why he was currently expelled or suspended.
______________________________
Oh, then GZ's verified record of violence (verified not 'reported or imagined) is pertinent, right?
You are welcome and George is definitely being railroaded.
Go suck eggs you former JBT.
They are suggesting that getting Martin's school records into the press will just invite a feeding frenzy on the Right to show that Martin was no good and Zimmerman was unlucky to have crossed his path.
-PJ

Ah! American justice........what a complete joke!
you mean he WENT TO SCHOOL??? It must be for the free breakfast and lunch.
Are you trying to see how many lies you can pack into one sentence?
If the records contain nothing but straight A’s and gold stars, would the prosecutor be objecting?
TM’s school records might well provide relevant, objective evidence of a long-term pattern of falling grades, increasing discipline problems, theft, and violence. This decline could be linked to TM’s references to drug use and sale in his e-mails and social media. A compelling presentation of both could at least raise reasonable doubts for jurors that GZ’s suspicions of TM were not unreasonable, and did not require race. IMHO, denial of access to these records would seem to illegally deny GZ a major avenue of defense.
You missed the point. They aren't after his grades, they are after his school disciplinary record.
That record could show a history of violent behavior or other disciplinary issues that would show a pattern of behavior problems. THAT record is VERY pertinent to the case!
Cell Phones [the many uses of]
Marketing products on Social Media
How to be 12 years old forever.
Bus Riding Etiquette
Cold Cocking
Head Banging
Suspensions [what to do during]
Pharmacology 7-11
Not a lie in my post at all. You might not like it but that’s the fact.
Thanks for the NYC liberal view! You can keep it, Florida doesn’t want it.
Since when is sticking to the known facts liberal? I thought the opposite was true and sticking to verified facts was a conservative virtue. You are confused.
How to wear your pants low...
Auto detailing an old car
History of Ghetto Noise (aka music)
Which facts are you sticking to? From what I know I’d have shot the SOB twice!
It’s total bullcrap. Link to his “violent past” for example.
In 2005, Zimmerman, then 20, was arrested and charged with resisting officer with violence and battery of law enforcement officer, both which are third-degree felonies. The charge was reduced to resisting officer without violence and then waived when he entered an alcohol education program. Contemporaneous accounts indicate he shoved an officer who was questioning a friend for alleged underage drinking at an Orange County bar.
In August 2005, Zimmermans ex-fiancee, Veronica Zuazo, filed a civil motion for a restraining order alleging domestic violence. Zimmerman counterfiled for a restraining order against Zuazo. The competing claims were resolved with both restraining orders being granted.
Yes, I know. I was waiting for him to post those stories. The first one demonstrating his loyalty to friends and the incompetence and corruption of the police. The second story not indicating much at all.
Well he has to try something because he is beginning to look dumber than a bag of rocks.
LOL Beginning? He’s looked like a lying lib troll all along.
And of course the state will make the most of publicizing those two events while trying to deny the defense's uncovering of Trayvon's love for street fighting.
One thing I'm wondering about is his dental work. His teeth at 12 years old looked perfect and he seemed to smile a lot. However in his older pictures he keeps his mouth closed a lot but when he does open it it appears that his teeth are in disarray -- grill or no grill.
Is it possible that he got teeth knocked out in one of his MMA fights and behind those closed lips and grill is a lot of dental reconstruction.
I can go with that.
Yep I seem to remember a video of a fight with him in it, that was out shortly after the story broke.
Seems the prosecution is trying it’s damnest to keep Zimmerman from getting a fair trial. In this case, it is important to show why a kid was aggressive enough to go after Zimmerman. With those records, the defense can possibly show that Martin was affected enough to be somewhat irrational at the time of the attack. Those records should be released. If anything, it may bolster the case against Zimmerman if it doesn’t help him. My guess is the prosecution already knows what is in them and that is why they are fighting to keep them private.
Seems the prosecution is trying it’s damnest to keep Zimmerman from getting a fair trial. In this case, it is important to show why a kid was aggressive enough to go after Zimmerman. With those records, the defense can possibly show that Martin was affected enough to be somewhat irrational at the time of the attack. Those records should be released. If anything, it may bolster the case against Zimmerman if it doesn’t help him. My guess is the prosecution already knows what is in them and that is why they are fighting to keep them private.
Based upon this DNA evidence they believe that two other people were accomplises of GZ that night. Everyone over there is all excited about this new evidence and have finally found the swabbing gun that TM was ganged up on.
Yes -- it took three people to lift the gun out of the holster and then hold the gun and pull the trigger. How the three managed to do that would be an amazing contortionist feat.
Wow never heard that one.
No, O'Mara is merely trying to correct the Democrat newsrooms' disinformation campaign about Trayvon. His "reputation"? Really? Who determines that? Just yeaterday I saw a Democrat newsroom story about Trayvon and, naturally, they used the old photo of Trayvon as a smiling, innocent 13-year-old to accompany the story. Heaven forfend they should use any of the thug photos of Trayvon that are available all over the place.
It was reported and verified that Zimmerman had attacked a LEO. This is true and it is pertinent in that it shows that Zimmerman is violent and uncontrolled.
There is nothing to argue.
The defense has every right to subpoena Trayvon Martin's school and social media records and to use them to rebut the prosecution's claim that TM was just going to the store for Skittles and Tea for his little bro when they were actually the ingredients for a street concoction that he enjoyed and that had probably caused the degradation of his liver at his young age as is found in his autopsy report.
The defense has every right to subpoena those records to rebut the prosecution claim that TM was not the aggressor that night with evidence that he enjoyed MMA fighting.
The defense has every right to rebut the family's claim that TM was a good student on his way to airline pilot training by pointing out that he had missed 53 days of school over 6 months and was suspended 3 times and that his grades had suffered because of it.
The defense has every right to rebut the image that TM was a 12 year old looking cherub at the time of his death with pictures from his facebook and twitter accounts that show him as a older teenager with a thuggish gangsta appearance that he relished.
The defense has every right to rebut the saintly innocent good student image of Trayvon with the reality of his school suspensions, vandalism, marijuana possessions, truancies, possession of jewelry that was not his, and whatever else the chum brings to the surface.
Obviously, the school records are very incriminating.
The judge will have a hard time not releasing Martin’s records when the court has already released Zimmerman’s. Zimmerman’s records actually more protected by law...had he law been followed.
The prosecution knows Trayvon Martin was a Ghetto Thug
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