You might ask yourself why they didn't release the recordings nearly a month earlier.
Regarding "stand your own ground' law, you addressed that law as it might affect Zimmerman's claim ~ but Martin has a claim as well. He didn't provide the cops with a statement. He's dead.
I am flabbergasted you would ask such a question given the statement of the Sanford City Manager on the case:
"The Sanford Police Department has conducted a complete and fair investigation of this incident. We have provided the results of our investigation to the Office of the State Attorney for their review and consideration for possible criminal prosecution."
The case was and is still under investigation. Releasing the tapes would appear to complicate such an investigation. You don't want to release such information until you have had a chance to interview everyone you can. I am concerned that the substance of the girl friend's reported conversation with Martin could have been influenced by the release of the tapes. Her conversation was not recorded.
Regarding "stand your own ground' law, you addressed that law as it might affect Zimmerman's claim ~ but Martin has a claim as well. He didn't provide the cops with a statement. He's dead.
It was really a case of self-defense not "stand your ground." Zimmerman was on his back with his head being slammed against the pavement. Somehow, the weapon went off. Zimmerman's media advisor, Joe Oliver, suggested in an interview that there could have been an accidental discharge of the weapon. If you want to create a scenario, when Martin was on top of Zimmerman, he discovered the weapon in Zimmerman's waistband and tried to grab it, which is why Zimmerman was screaming for help. During the scuffle over the weapon, it went off.
I am sure that the forensic information will give us a better indication of what happened including who shot the weapon and how close to Martin was the muzzle. We can engage in all the speculation we want, but we don't have the facts that the police do. And they determined that the physical evidence and witness testimony supported Zimmerman's version of events.
Zimmerman could be the one dead today, not Martin. I wonder whether Martin's version of events would prove that he acted in self-defense. I am sure Al Sharpton, Farrakahn, Jackson, Obama, Spike Lee, et. al., would be defending this poor black boy. Would you be defending Zimmerman?