We never should have witnessed a Zimmerman trial

Fox News ^ | July 14, 2013 | John Lott

[2ndDivisionVet]

The George Zimmerman case should never have been brought. Saturday night after the “not guilty” verdict was delivered, State Attorney Angela Corey justified bringing the case “to put the facts out there.” But criminal cases should never be brought simply to put the facts before the public.

No one should be charged with a crime unless prosecutors themselves really believe that the person committed a crime.

Yet, the prosecution and their own experts’ language consistently showed a lack of certainty. Prosecutors aren’t supposed to bring cases where the best they can say is that something might “possibly” have happened or that there was a “chance” that it did.

Usually defense attorneys are the ones trying to get prosecution witnesses to concede that alternative explanations might be possible. In the Zimmerman trial, even the prosecution couldn’t get definite statements out of their own witnesses.

By the end of the trial, with the prosecution conceding that Travyon Martin was likely on top of Zimmerman, prosecutors were forced to speculate that possibly Martin was about to get off of Zimmerman when he was shot. That, by itself, completely undermined the prosecution's claim that Martin was the one calling for help.

The case was so weak that the local Sanford District Attorney refused to bring charges against Zimmerman. That is why, on the orders of the governor, an outside District Attorney, Angela Corey, had to be brought in to handle it.....

[Standing Wolf]

Angela Corey should be tried for malicious prosecution. Put the facts out there and see what a jury says.

I second that.

[GeronL]

bump

[goron]

A Black Man asks; What is wrong with these Negros?

[lavaroise]

The trial was to provoke race riots.

Did Jeb Bush actually push for it? Just like hs dad pushed for double jeopardy in Rodney King?

[Sacajaweau]

Absolutely correct. This should never have happened.

George took one for us!! The right to bear arms and the GOD GIVEN right of self defense...

Now we know WHY the right to bear arms was put into the Bill of Rights.

One makes no sense without the other.

Still think about the gun not chambering the second shot. Was God protecting George from being shot or George from shooting again and again?

[Sacajaweau]

You don’t walk near these buildings...period....That’s what the sidewalks are for.

[Rides_A_Red_Horse]

After the behavior of the Socialist Leaning Media and the Progressive Liberal Politicians, anybody think George Zimmerman will keep voting Democrat?

[driftless2]

If, like most Martin supporters still believe, Zimmerman had "chased down" Martin and shot him just for walking through Z's neighborhood, throw the book at him.
If he, GZ, had accosted Martin and after a non-physical argument had shot him, throw the book at him
If after arguing, Martin had punched GZ and GZ pulled out his gun and shot him, throw the book at GZ.
If during a fight where both parties were exchanging blows and GZ pulled out his gun and shot Martin, throw the book at GZ.
If after sighting Martin and on returning to his vehicle, GZ was accosted by an angry Martin who knocked him down, straddled him, and continued to punch and slam his head into the concrete, and Zimmerman pulled out his gun and shot Martin, GZ is innocent. The known facts of the case suggest the last possibility is what happened. Case closed.

[tired&retired]

“State Attorney Angela Corey justified bringing the case “to put the facts out there.” But criminal cases should never be brought simply to put the facts before the public.”

“Angela Corey should be tried for malicious prosecution. Put the facts out there and see what a jury says.”

100% agree. And prosecute the judge for judicial misconduct just to get the facts out there.... And Obummer for not being a US citizen, just to get the facts out there.... And Holder for criminal acts... We want the facts... Like Nancy Pelosi said about the Obamacare bill, “We need to do this to see what is inside!!!”

[Red in Blue PA]

I just got back from Starbucks and had a philly radio station on. They had a lawyer “expert” on who claimed half the evidence supported and half supported Martin. The media needs to stop placating their audience with Bullshit and begin telling them the truth.

[Red in Blue PA]

We all need to support George with some type of fund......waiting to see if one is set up. I will happily brown bag my lunch for a year to send him money. Indeed, he did take one for us from a highly politicized and CORRUPT system.

[Cboldt]

-- Sheesh, she's obviously not in defense mode for the malicious prosecution lawsuit yet. --

She added fuel for Zimmerman to prevail in a federal civil rights claim against the state. Corey said that a trial is the correct venue for getting the fact out. Ummm, that's only part of the justification to subject a person to the ordeal of a trial. What has to be present is probable cause. If the facts don't produce probable cause, and it's Corey's job to make that determination, not the jury's, then it is unethical to prosecute, and a deprivation of civil rights.

If she thinks using a jury to do her job represents the way the criminal justice system is supposed to work, then she is going to cost the state of Florida money damages again and again and again.

[Cboldt]

-- The media needs to stop placating their audience with Bullshit and begin telling them the truth. --

That has never happened, and never will happen. The press is full of moronic half-wit agitators.

[Red in Blue PA]

Well then, I hope they are forced to pay for the doctored 911 tape. George should own Rockefeller Center after that case. I would not settle that.....bring that before a jury.

[Cboldt]

Settlement or not is a business decision for Zimmerman too. It'll go to trial if he holds out for big enough damages. He's got a very strong case, and most capable defamation advocates.

If you were in his shoes, how much money would you decide is "enough" to make it worth skipping the trial? I'd say somewhere around 50 million dollars.

The case carries a good chance for punitive damage award, which means enough to deter that sort of conduct in the future. Punitive damages is as close to "criminal conduct" as the civil court system has. And NBC (and other press outlets, AP comes to mind, CNN too) have crossed the line in such a way as to deliberately set up an innocent person for a year of torment from a corrupt prosecutor and criminal court. They ought to be deterred from that sort of conduct.

[hiredhand]

Zimmerman should sue every public office holder who weighed in on the matter prior to the verdict. There's more than ample evidence that his arrest and trial were politically motivated. After the public office holders, he needs to initiate law suits against the race baiters such as the Shakedown Brothers, Sharpton and Jackson, as well as elements of the media.

...and he needs to do it while it's still fresh in the public mind. ...just to "...put the facts out there.” ...which is the same reason State Attorney Angela Corey took him to trial to start with. She abused our Judicial System as a "media distribution system". However, Zimmerman on the other hand, has a good case against her and others now through the same Judicial System. Let's see how she likes it when she's the one under the "light". Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee should also sue to be reinstated.

Never have I seen so corrupt a justice and media system so bent on the demonization and destruction of an individual, denied of their prize in such a way. For sure their weekend has sucked and I for one am very pleased that they were DENIED from culminating the evil that they started. I believe that what we've all just witnessed is simply a result of the "reflection" of the types of people who voted in our current vile national leadership. These types of things are exactly what we should expect. Nobody should be surprised. When thieves manage a storeroom, the inventory will either be a running lie, or be impossible to balance. It's a character issue... a heart issue... and it flows from the top down.

But mark my words, what I hope for probably won't happen. Another invented crisis will soon overshadow this issue. A few might see through it, but the masses of blind, willfully stupid people will simply latch onto the next crisis and that will become their focus. Wait and watch for it, because with the real potential of the violent shit-storm that's very likely to come against those who took Zimmerman through this ordeal, they're going to want the focus away from them, and quickly. Something will happen that simply distracts most people.

As for those who have threatened rioting and bloodshed in the streets... that would be a most unwise thing at this point. They've been talking about it for weeks... which effectively means that they've lost any element of surprise. Not to sound prideful or arrogant, but I believe that an appropriate response to their threat at this point would be -

BRING IT

[thanatz]

Good summary of the possibilities from driftless2. What this contempt for the facts suggests to me is that the prosecution was arguing that GZ intended to shoot TM regardless of what the latter did, and the fact that TM attacked GZ before he got around to shooting him in cold blood was not relevant to GZ’s already having the evil intent necessary for a 2nd degree murder conviction. Convoluted logic? Yes. Putting hypothetical concerns above demonstrable facts? Yes. Constitutionally absurd? True. BUT — this is where you end up when you criminalize states of mind, as in “hate crimes,” and use general, morally-couched accusations (”racial profiling”) to excuse specific, statutory offenses (trespassing and assault and battery in TMs case).

[Travis McGee]

[hiredhand]

:-)

[randita]

Zimmerman needs enough money to be able to safely live somewhere incognito for the rest of his life. He should also have enough to employ 24/7 armed protection for himself and his loved ones - at least for the near future.

If I was one of the jurors, I wouldn’t feel so safe either. It’s only a matter of time before a disgruntled court employee releases their names and addresses. They’d probably be better off just going public now and hiring 24/7 protection for themselves and their loved ones. They can send the bill to the state of FL.