Personally, I can't understand why any witness to the Trayvon Martin incident could possibly be intimidated to the point where they might change their testimony.
Posted on 05/23/2012 4:52:27 AM PDT by rightwingintelligentsia
Evidence released last week in the second-degree-murder case against George Zimmerman shows four key witnesses made major changes in what they say they saw and heard the night he fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford.
Three changed their stories in ways that may damage Zimmerman. A fourth abandoned her initial story, that she saw one person chasing another. Now, she says, she saw a single figure running.
They were reinterviewed in mid-March, after Sanford police handed the case off to State Attorney Norm Wolfinger. The case changed hands again when Gov. Rick Scott passed it on to a special prosecutor. Zimmerman was arrested April 11 on a charge of second-degree murder.
Here are the key ways in which their stories changed.
(Excerpt) Read more at articles.orlandosentinel.com ...
Hmm interesting
The first comment under the story sums it up nicely. The changes hurt the case against him.
LLS
Yup, the worst thing a witness can do is change their story, it severely damages their credibility. They will be eviscerated on the stand by the defense. Hopefully it won’t even get that far and the charges will be dropped.
Personally, I can't understand why any witness to the Trayvon Martin incident could possibly be intimidated to the point where they might change their testimony.
So, which of their ‘versions’ are lies?
Apparently the ‘hoodies’ got to them and threatened their home and family.
You’re absolutely right. It’s back to the old thing....I don’t want to get involved...
Pure, unadulterated witness tampering...no conjecture here.
You ain't gonna' snitch on Trayvon, are ya', Dawg.
Classic witness tampering. They don’t care which or how many innocent people are hurt. They want a conviction and that’s that and the fraud in the White House has got their back.
...when it comes to threats from the Black Panther Party you can expect “details” to change.
Sounds like some witnesses have been tampered with.
A few questions for the reporters: These are not all quotes. Why is it “Zimmerman” and “Trayvon”? Why not “Zimmerman” AND “Martin”?
Tawana Brawley’s pal is surely at work behind the scenes to insure that the Hispanic interloper gets a fair trial.
Witness 12: A young mother in the townhome community first said she saw two men on the ground but wasn’t sure who was on top; she later said Zimmerman was on top because she recognized his size based on news reports.
Because Zimmerman wasn't the one with the Skittles.
"Witness 2" couldn't see well without contacts and isn't sure what happened except that it was a fistfight. "Witness 12" decided that Zimmerman was on top in the fight - after saying in a previous recorded interview that she couldn't tell who was on top. "Witness 6" is sure the black guy was on top but isn't sure he was throwing punches. "Witness 13" doesn't think George Zimmerman thought shooting another person was a big deal. That's the worst new information.
Where in all that are they going to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Zimmerman was guilty of a crime? In order to convict a defendant in Florida of second degree murder, the State of Florida must prove the following three elements beyond a reasonable doubt: 1. The victim is dead; 2. The death was caused by the criminal act of the defendant; 3. There was an unlawful killing of the victim by an act imminently dangerous to another and demonstrating a depraved mind without regard for human life. They only have enough for #1 of the three. The public evidence is not even sufficient for a civil trial. From what we know, a reasonable person would conclude that it is more likely than not that Zimmerman was acting in self defense.
“I know after seeing the TV of what’s happening,”
Pretty much sums it up.
The only question a decent lawyer needs to ask is, “Were you lying then, or are you lying now?”....
Any decent trial attorney would have a field day with this if any of them came to the stand.
This entire case against Zimmerman is a disgrace. How do these political whores sleep at night.
I would not believe a single word pushed by this farrr left wing rag .
It is also known fact that old commie reporter Jefft Weiner is cordinating PR work with the Martin PR team !
The entire story reads like a phony pr leak
Sh!t, I *wish* one of those Jackwagons would come around my place.
Defense Attorney’s question.........”Were you lieing then or are you lieing now? Which is it?
My inclination would be to believe the first rendention......
“Witness 2” couldn’t see well without contacts and isn’t sure what happened except that it was a fistfight.”
Reminds me of Joe Pesche cross examining the old lady in “My Cousin Vinny”.
I had the same thoughts when I noticed how the media would speak to issues regarding Iraq and Saddam Hussein. They’d refer to him (almost affectionately) as “Saddam” more often than just “Hussein”. I think it’s fair to say that Trayvon Martin is right up there with Saddam Hussein as a media darling.
You can hardly blame these witnesses for being in fear of their lives if they testify in favor of Zimmerman.
Well, at first I thought the white hispanic with the orange jacket was the one on bottom, but after looking at the news report I realized that the white hispanic with the orange jacket had to be on top because he was bigger.
“Three changed their stories in ways that may damage Zimmerman”
The government is on a mission to do all they can to get Zimmerman to placate the black community. After all,Obama, stated Trayvon could look like my son, and Holder, who will not prosecute Black Panthers have consistently shown their contempt of whites.
Vinny Gambini: Whoa. How long you been wearing glasses?
Constance Riley: Since I was 6.
Vinny Gambini: Have they always been that thick?
Constance Riley: No. They’ve gotten thicker over the years.
Vinny Gambini: So, as your eyes become more and more out of whack, as you’ve gotten older, how many levels of thickness have you gone through?
Constance Riley: I don’t know, over 60 years, maybe 10 times.
Vinny Gambini: Maybe you’re ready for a thicker set.
Constance Riley: Oh no. I think they’re okay.
Vinny Gambini: You sure? Let’s check it out.
The one story changing that is interesting is the guy that actually saw the fight. All he did was clarify. He said, basically, that he could not see their mouths move so he just assumed the one getting pummeled was the one screaming for help.
IOW, he didn’t really change his story. ;-)
Oh I can understand it perfectly. After claiming they saw the incident or part of it and it favors Zimmerman, their friends begin telling them to be careful what they say because the blacks have already put a bounty on Zimmerman and they may decide to also come after the witnesses.
These witnesses can see no upside to their testifying, only potential harassment and even worse, physical attacks. When the blacks threatened Zimmerman by pacing a bounty on him and nothing was done about it by the AG it more or less signalled open season on Zimmerman and his supporters.
I can understand lack of certainty here, based on distance, amount of light, rain, etc. So, fill in more evidence, like which of two had a wet back.
Some parts of the testimony end up being conclusions that the person wasn't or isn't in a position to draw. No big deal, that's pretty common in eyewitness testimony.
There is no way to reasonably conclude that it's more likely Zimmerman started it, or that he had physical advantage, or that he wasn't yelling for help. All the doubt against him comes from conjecture, or people not in a position to draw the conclusion, or people who have strong motive to lie for Martin.
Few black witnesses will go against the mob.
Acquittal of Mr. Zimmerman will severely damage the Obama presidential campaign.
President Obumba stepped into the Martin-Zimmerman mess early, and he doubled down by signalling that the FBI was looking for a way to bring federal "hate crime" charges.
Zimmerman has to go to prison for Obumba's sake.
Witness tampering by the prosecution? Felony.
The 2005 mugshot pic of Zimmerman weighing at least 50 lbs. more that he does now may have fooled the woman. She may have seen the bigger man of top, and since Trayvon was almost a little boy in his pics and Zimmerman was big and burly looking in his orange jail jumpsuit, she was fooled by the msm’s bad reporting and Crump’s media maneuvers into thinking GZ was on top.
I'd add that it would be remarkable if 10 witnesses provide accounts that are 100% in agreement on every detail. What the press and Crump are doing is two things. One is shifting the burden of persuasion to opposite of what the law provides. That is, if there is doubt, then it must be Zimmerman is in the wrong, or that the differing accounts can't be easily resolved. The second purpose is to produce "doubt" that Zimmerman's account is fundamentally correct, by producing eyewitnesses and ear-witnesses accounts that don't align perfectly with Zimmerman's story.
Makes for a news story, probably good for three of four day run. But none of these deviations in detail will mean squat to Lester as he decides the immunity motion.
Usually discrediting witnesses helps a defendant, but not when it is the defendant (rather than the prosecutor) has the effective burden of proof. Claims of self-defense make this literally true (an “affirmative defesne”) but even if Zimmerman doesn’t formally take that in practice when a defendant admits killing the jury needs witnesses to persuade them NOT to convict.
Horse crap. Utter horse crap.
rifle: invented, designed by white people
comfy beige sofa: ditto, plus it’s a super white item
flower pot: ditto
flags: african tribes did not have flags
printing technology for poster: invented, designed by white people
paper: african tribes did not have paper
These "witness" fairy tales are now so ridiculous that their very release to the public is a sure sign of desperation on the part of the addled prosecutor who obviously thinks they're of some value to her case.
Mr. Z's attorney, Mark O'Mara, must be beside himself with uncontrollable, unadulterated glee !
Leni
They will keep it alive until after the November election, at which point they will quietly drop the charges.
The entire Saint Skittles narrative is Kabuki theater sponsored by the Ubama reelection campaign.
Or their conscience got to them...
IMO the evidence speaks for itself.
Zimmerman was beaten and had his head slammed against the ground, trayvon martins only injuries were the up close gunshot woulnd and the scrapes on his hands.
it’s clearly self defense.
Is there any physical evidence that doesn’t support Zimmerman’s story?
Exactly.
"One final question. Were you lying then or are you lying now?...No further questions your Honor."
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