Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Would George Zimmerman have been acquitted in every state?
American Thinker ^ | July 14,2013 | Rick Moran

Posted on 07/14/2013 6:34:00 PM PDT by Hojczyk

One of the great strengths of our federal system is that individual states are allowed to define things like self-defense according to local community standards. In a continental country, a one size fits all legal code couldn't possibly work. People, to state the obvious, are different.Your average Floridian has a far different opinion about guns in society than your average New Yorker. Even issues like personal safety might vary from state to state,

I'm pretty sure if the Zimmerman-Martin incident had occurred in Illinois, a good prosecutor would have convicted George Zimmerman of manslaughter. My understanding is that self defense in Illinois is predicated on the level of force necessary to protect oneself. Since Trayvon Martin did not have a gun, the prosector's argument would be that Zimmerman used an unacceptable level of force to protect himself. And an Illinois jury could easily have seen it that way.

Similarly, I imagine in Texas, or Louisiana, or some other Southern state, Zimmerman would have had a better chance of being acquitted. That's the point that Cohen misses. Florida's self defense statute may be "outlandishly broad" to him but I would imagine to most people in Florida, it sounds about right.

Cohen's rather dramatic interpretation of the facts as we know them - that Zimmerman went "looking for trouble" and that neighborhood watch participants are "vigilantes" - is more evidence of a regional bias at work in the author's writing. Perhaps citizens in New York are more comfortable waiting for police to show up and save their property - or their lives - than in empowering their neighbors to proactively prevent crime. Given the draconian restrictions on guns in New York, that attitude would seem to work for local residents and is an acceptable, if incomprehensible to many, opinion to hold.

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


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: blackkk; florida; georgezimmerman; trayvonmartin
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-47 next last

1 posted on 07/14/2013 6:34:00 PM PDT by Hojczyk
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Hojczyk

Does it matter?


2 posted on 07/14/2013 6:36:46 PM PDT by gov_bean_ counter (Romans 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hojczyk

3 posted on 07/14/2013 6:37:24 PM PDT by JoeProBono (Mille vocibus imago valet;-{)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hojczyk
Or for that matter
What difference, at this point, does it make?
4 posted on 07/14/2013 6:38:27 PM PDT by gov_bean_ counter (Romans 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hojczyk

5 posted on 07/14/2013 6:39:34 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (I'll raise $2million for Sarah Palin's next run. What'll you do?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hojczyk

In a lot of states Zimmerman would never had been charged.


6 posted on 07/14/2013 6:40:18 PM PDT by HANG THE EXPENSE (Life's tough.It's tougher when you're stupid.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hojczyk

In Texas, he never would have even been arrested.


7 posted on 07/14/2013 6:40:23 PM PDT by Licensed-To-Carry (Hey Obama! It's all your fault now, you own it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gov_bean_ counter
Exactly.

So much time and verbage (brain energy) is wasted by trying to determine if X=Y and why or why not.

We have a nation to reclaim and NOW is the time to strike.

8 posted on 07/14/2013 6:41:44 PM PDT by knarf (I say things that are true ... I have no proof, but they're true.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Hojczyk

up most of the north hell no, he;d be gone but thankfully we have gun carry, stand your ground and self defence


9 posted on 07/14/2013 6:42:57 PM PDT by manc (Marriage =1 man + 1 woman,when they say marriage equality then they should support polygamy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hojczyk

Probably California, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Michigan, and New Jersey.


10 posted on 07/14/2013 6:45:45 PM PDT by yarddog (Romans 8: verses 38 and 39. "For I am persuaded".)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hojczyk

In illinois he would be dead. Like in Chicago.


11 posted on 07/14/2013 6:46:16 PM PDT by buffaloguy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hojczyk
It always depends on the jury.

Get six Melissa Harris-Perrys on the jury and he's toast, even if you have video of Trayvon bashing Zimmerman's skull into the concrete.

12 posted on 07/14/2013 6:47:40 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Who knew that one day professional wrestling would be less fake than professional journalism?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: buffaloguy

Forgot about Illinois, oh and also Hawaii.

Actually Southern Illinois is pretty conservative but is so outvoted by Chicago etc.


13 posted on 07/14/2013 6:49:57 PM PDT by yarddog (Romans 8: verses 38 and 39. "For I am persuaded".)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Hojczyk
"Zimmerman-Martin incident had occurred in Illinois, a good prosecutor would have convicted George Zimmerman of manslaughter."

In Illinois, GZ would not have even been armed, and the Martin goon would certainly would have worked him over pretty good, if not worse. And Trayvon, the poor little dear, would have gotten of easy, if not just plain walked.

More "Just-Us."

14 posted on 07/14/2013 6:52:18 PM PDT by YHAOS
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hojczyk
Not here in the Gay State.A jury of 12 times 12 would have voted,unanimously,to convict on all counts within an hour.
15 posted on 07/14/2013 6:52:31 PM PDT by Gay State Conservative (The Civil Servants Are No Longer Servants...Or Civil.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hojczyk
I'm pretty sure if the Zimmerman-Martin incident had occurred in Illinois, a good prosecutor would have convicted George Zimmerman of manslaughter.

That's pure BS. The facts were all on Zimmerman's side.

Zimmerman lost track of TM who then jumped him and proceeded to beat him. Unless "thuggery from the bushes" is legal in other states, then there's no negligence of any kind here on Zimmerman's part.

Zero

16 posted on 07/14/2013 6:56:24 PM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! True supporters of our troops pray for their victory!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hojczyk

Would TM have been convicted in every state of aggravated assault?


17 posted on 07/14/2013 6:57:09 PM PDT by Hotlanta Mike ("Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish - too much handling will spoil it." Lao Tzu)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


FR is funded solely by the freedom loving folks
who love and use it.

WE ARE FREE REPUBLIC!
You are Free Republic.
There are no outside influences.
No advertisers.
Just us, all of us.
Please Contribute Today!

18 posted on 07/14/2013 7:01:25 PM PDT by RedMDer (When immigrants cannot or will not assimilate, its really just an invasion. Throw them out!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Hojczyk

Well just last night NY proved the state gestapo cannot be trusted to respond to a situation in a timely manner and at the same time restrict our rights to self defense.

We had the occasion to call the NY Storm Troopers at 3:30am this morning about a situation in the neighborhood. We live in a small town SE of Buffalo and the doughnut muncher on the phone said no car was available for an hour or so.

So the same communists who would restrict our right to self defense cannot provide police response in under an hour.

Fortunately this was not a situation requiring more than 7 bullets.


19 posted on 07/14/2013 7:08:57 PM PDT by Wurlitzer (Nothing says "ignorance" like Islam! 969)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hojczyk

Would he have ever been charged anywhere but Florida?


20 posted on 07/14/2013 7:16:10 PM PDT by Venturer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-47 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson