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Jury weighing Zimmerman's fate asks question about manslaughter option
CNN ^ | 7/13/13 | Mariano Castillo and Greg Botelho

Posted on 07/13/2013 3:17:06 PM PDT by Clint N. Suhks

(CNN) -- After more than 12 hours of deliberation, the six women deliberating George Zimmerman's fate asked the court Saturday evening for clarification on the instructions regarding manslaughter, the judge said.

That couldn't have even been a question a few days ago: Judge Debra Nelson ruled Thursday, over the defense's vehement objection, to include manslaughter as an option for jurors, in addition to the second-degree murder charge. Their third option would be to find Zimmerman not guilty.

The question -- which was read out in court, without the jurors present, shortly before 6 p.m. -- was the first posed by the jury since late Friday afternoon, when they requested an inventory of evidence. Afterward, lawyers from both sides approached Nelson's bench; their comments could not be heard.

How long other juries deliberated for in other high-profile cases One of 1,009 fatal shootings in Florida in 2012, Trayvon Martin's death stood out -- the various threads of the story helping to capture the public imagination.

There was, for instance, the fact that an adult had fired on an unarmed teen, soon after police told him not to follow the 17-year-old. And there was the accusation of racial profiling: that Zimmerman -- the son of a Peruvian mother and a white American father, who identifies as Hispanic -- had singled out Martin, at least in part, because the teenager was black.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption
KEYWORDS: blackkk; florida; georgezimmerman; kangaroocourt; martin; trayvonmartin; zimmerman
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To: LostInBayport

And then the asked Zimmerman, “What’s he doing now?” Basically, asking him to continue surveillance. So, here is a neighborhood watch guy being given conflicting signals and a suspicious-looking character is slinking around in his (Zimmerman’s) regularly pilfered neighborhood.

I wish O’Mara had played up the dangerous streets of America context that was clearly available to him in this case. Zimmerman, the meek, soft—let’s face it, a not very physically threatening presence, going out on evening patrols to protect his neighborhood. Guy had guts.


101 posted on 07/13/2013 4:12:40 PM PDT by MarDav
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To: JayGalt

LOL - I don’t watch CSI but I worked for criminal defense attorneys for over 25 years. And I haven’t watched much of the trial. The fact that Trayvon was banging Zimmerman’s head against the concrete is reason enough for me to agree the shooting was justified, much less if he was going for his gun. Still, I find it curious no blood or DNA was found on Trayvon’s hands or clothing.

I think the jury will come back with manslaughter. I would like a NG but I doubt the jury is that brave.


102 posted on 07/13/2013 4:12:42 PM PDT by ilovesarah2012
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To: Graybeard58

Not life. In Florida the max for manslaughter is 30 years. Judge has discretion to set the penalty for less than 30 years.


103 posted on 07/13/2013 4:12:59 PM PDT by fatnotlazy
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To: USS Johnston

You’re right. Between the Magna Carta, US Constitution and Bill of Rights, we sure tried. It sure got infiltrated and corrupted along the way.


104 posted on 07/13/2013 4:14:27 PM PDT by Carriage Hill (Guns kill people, pencils misspell words, cars drive drunk & spoons make you fat.)
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To: ilovesarah2012

“The defendant’s supporters do not realize that a complete DNA profile can be developed from the DNA contained in a single white blood cell”

Then how do you explain their inability to identify 70 percent of the DNA they did test?


105 posted on 07/13/2013 4:16:10 PM PDT by bitterohiogunclinger (Proudly casting a heavy carbon footprint as I clean my guns ---)
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To: null and void
All they know is:
The judge’s instructions to the jury:

“MANSLAUGHTER To prove the crime of Manslaughter, the State must prove the following two elements beyond a reasonable doubt: 1. Trayvon Martin is dead. 2. George Zimmerman intentionally committed an act or acts that caused the death of Trayvon Martin.”

I suggest #3:

"George Zimmerman intentionally prevented his own murder by defending himself from a violent lowlife, racist, thief, druggie, and thug."

106 posted on 07/13/2013 4:16:16 PM PDT by USS Johnston (Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be bought at the price of chains & slavery? - Patrick Henry)
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To: Clint N. Suhks

I sat on a jury for a murder trial that was something like this. The defendant claimed self defense. The local authorities didn’t have enough evidence to prosecute it, so the state stepped in. Nothing the prosecution presented gave reasonable doubt that it wasn’t self defense. At the end of the trial the prosecution brought in a lot of unsubstantiated nonsense to persuade jurors, and it worked. It was a hopelessly hung jury.


107 posted on 07/13/2013 4:17:43 PM PDT by pallis
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To: MarDav

GZ claims he was on the way to the store. Grocery store IIRC.

He only got out of the truck when 911 asked (more than once) for a street address. He went looking for a street sign. Then 911 asked “are you following...” He did get conflicting commands/requests from 911.

None of which matters - TM was witnessed beating GZ. GZ has wounds, TM does not (except for the gunshot wound). Did TM inflict those wounds after being shot? GZ was assaulted and he defended himself.


108 posted on 07/13/2013 4:18:09 PM PDT by Ray76 (Do you reject Obama? And all his works? And all his empty promises?)
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To: ilovesarah2012

I agree. Anyone sitting on my stomach, hips or waist repeatedly banging my head on the concrete after breaking my nose best hope I don’t have a weapon because I would be thinking I heard the flutter of the angels and sending him and them on their way.


109 posted on 07/13/2013 4:18:16 PM PDT by JayGalt
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To: montag813

That’s not the jury’s fault.


110 posted on 07/13/2013 4:19:22 PM PDT by CityCenter (Pleading the 5th is just so 1972.)
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To: ThunderSleeps
Yep. I'm sick to my stomach with all the talking bobble heads on TV talking about ‘Stand Your Ground’ law. If my TV wasn't so expensive, I'd punch it.
111 posted on 07/13/2013 4:19:29 PM PDT by liberalh8ter (The only difference between flash mob 'urban yutes' and U.S. politicians is the hoodies.)
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To: carriage_hill
It sure got infiltrated and corrupted along the way.

Yup. And knowing human nature, the American Founders knew it would. What hurts is...nominating then electing a Communist as President. And an arsonist, subversive governance happily willing to let the SHTF.

112 posted on 07/13/2013 4:20:27 PM PDT by USS Johnston (Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be bought at the price of chains & slavery? - Patrick Henry)
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To: liberalh8ter
I'm sick to my stomach with all the talking bobble heads on TV talking about ‘Stand Your Ground’ law. If my TV wasn't so expensive, I'd punch it.

Is it waterproof? ;-)

113 posted on 07/13/2013 4:21:22 PM PDT by USS Johnston (Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be bought at the price of chains & slavery? - Patrick Henry)
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To: yarddog
IMO the fact that they didn’t declare him not guilty within an hour means the jurors are idiots.

Ditto what you said. Any "conviction" is political in nature and lord knows there are plenty of grounds for appeal in this case.

The judge arbitrarily modifying the charges at the last minute being the most aggregious.

114 posted on 07/13/2013 4:21:31 PM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: ilovesarah2012
It does if Zimmerman said he did but he didn’t. I just want to know the truth.

Whether treyvon had his hand over Z's mouth is completely irrelevant. If you want to konw if that really happened, you can ask after the trial, because the State only used that example to try to protray him as a liar. Not having all kinds of blood on Treyvons hands doesn't mean it didn't happen or that it was not compromised from the mishandling of his hands (evidence). Do you believe his head was banged on a sidewalk? If yes, nothing else matters in this case. IMHO

115 posted on 07/13/2013 4:21:57 PM PDT by Fawn (In a World of Information, Ignorance is a Choice.)
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To: tomkat

Clint N. Suhks has started his own thread, does everyone have to be directed to another thread?


116 posted on 07/13/2013 4:23:19 PM PDT by RetSignman (Immigration border protection is America's version of the Maginot Line)
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To: slumber1

Shoulda moved it out of state.


117 posted on 07/13/2013 4:23:25 PM PDT by lilypad
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To: fatnotlazy
No mandatory minimum sentence in Florida.
118 posted on 07/13/2013 4:24:11 PM PDT by Coldwater Creek (")
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To: Graybeard58
True, but in the juries mind it might seem like a lesser offence.

As miss piggy won't tell them the included penalties until after they render a verdict.

119 posted on 07/13/2013 4:24:50 PM PDT by Not now, Not ever! (Girlfriend suggested I use pelosi in place of swear words, A good idea, I think)
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To: IrishPennant
I'm not concerned in the least if things are on the up and up. Not guilty X 6. Women are logical and methodical...sometimes what one might considered over methodical.

Except when it comes to the future threats of their lives and that of their families. They might feel like george will save lives in the long run. Don't forget how protective women are of their families. Yes, it is totally a selfish thing to do....but we are in the world of me me me.......

120 posted on 07/13/2013 4:25:50 PM PDT by Fawn (In a World of Information, Ignorance is a Choice.)
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