Posted on 05/21/2012 10:53:16 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The release of evidence in George Zimmerman’s murder trial quickly made a mockery of his second-degree murder charges, and threw a further layer of shame upon media and political opportunists who misrepresented a tragic, but fairly straightforward, case of lethal force employed in self-defense.
It is remarkable to take stock of this evidence and realize that it supports every single aspect of Zimmerman’s statement to the police. His injuries are consistent with his account of physical assault by Trayvon Martin. Martin’s gunshot wound occurred at the very short range described by Zimmerman, demolishing fantasies about a racist mall-cop wannabe stalking and murdering an innocent black kid for no reason.
The Smoking Gun highlighted this bit of eyewitness testimony – released to the public by the Sanford police only a few days ago, but known to the prosecution when Zimmerman was charged – tendered to the police only 90 minutes after the shooting occurred, by a resident of Zimmerman’s community who heard the altercation and decided to investigate:
The man recalled seeing “a black male, wearing a dark colored ‘hoodie’ on top of a white or Hispanic male who was yelling for help.” The black male, he added, “was mounted on the white or Hispanic male and throwing punches ‘MMA (mixed martial arts) style.'”
The witness--who was in his living room and about 30 feet away from the confrontation-- said he called out to the two men that he was dialing 911. “He then heard a ‘pop,’” police reported, and saw the black male “laid out on the grass.”
Jim Hoft at Gateway Pundit relates the discovery of video from Trayvon Martin’s YouTube account, removed at some point during the last month, that shows he was actually involved in some sort of underground “fight club.”
Also fatal to the prosecution’s case is the discovery that Martin had THC in his system – he had apparently been smoking pot that night. As related by the local CBS News affiliate:
According to the autopsy report made public record by the Office of the Medial Examiner, the blood from Martin’s chest contained 1.5 ng/ML of THC, a drug commonly found in marijuana. There was about 7.3ng/mL of THC carboxy, the by-product of the body’s metabolism of THC.
Depending on the amount of THC consumed and the frequency in which it is consumed, THC carboxy can stay in a person’s system from somewhere between two weeks to a month, according to WBTV. THC itself can stay in the body for as long as four hours.
This is important because the charging document clearly, and without evidence, accuses Zimmerman of racially “profiling” Martin. On the other hand, Zimmerman told the 911 dispatcher that Martin caught his eye because “this guy looks like he’s up to no good, or he’s on drugs or something… it’s raining and he’s just walking around, looking about.” Only then did the dispatcher specifically ask about Martin’s race, and request a description of his clothing.
Despite the prosecution’s awareness of the autopsy reports and eyewitness testimony, they included none of it in their affidavit against Zimmerman. Criminal lawyer and Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz, who has been beside himself ever since the Zimmerman charges were filed, writes in the New York Daily News that it’s time to drop the charges, but doubts State Attorney Angela Corey “will do the right thing,” because “until now, her actions have been anything but ethical, lawful, and professional.”
As Dershowitz points out, the evidence released in this case means Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law isn’t even a factor in Zimmerman’s defense. Much political hay has been made out of this law, but if Zimmerman was on the ground getting beaten to a pulp, withdrawal from the encounter was physically impossible for him. “A defendant, under Florida law, loses his ‘stand your ground’ defense if he provoked the encounter,” observes Dershowitz, “but he retains traditional self-defense if he reasonably believed his life was in danger and his only recourse was to employ deadly force.”
For that matter, as Dershowitz notes, there is not one shred of evidence to support the prosecutor’s contention that Zimmerman provoked the encounter. Neighborhood Watch patrols are not illegal. There is no evidence that Zimmerman shouted any “fighting words” at Martin.
Dershowitz also mentions a suspicion I’ve harbored since the weird, circus-like press conference at which Corey announced the charges: they’re a political instrument designed to buy time for everyone to cool down, leading to a long trial that dismantles some of the hysteria built up around the Trayvon Martin case. If true, the strategy is understandable… but utterly outrageous. The United States does not do “show trials.” The justice system is not a safety valve for releasing unhealthy levels of political tension. Individual citizens are not pawns to be shoved around in media games by gun-control advocates, race hustlers, or opportunistic politicians. The purpose of law enforcement is to protect the public, not appease certain segments of it.
State attorney Angela Corey responded by saying, “What the general public has to remember, and the media has to remember, is that there is a lot we cannot release by law.” Zimmerman’s lawyer also cautiously conceded that more evidence may be in prosecutorial hands, as yet unreleased to either him or the public.
That doesn’t change the virtually indisputable fact that Corey deliberately suppressed evidence helpful to Zimmerman when her affidavit was written. At best, that’s very sloppy work. ABC News discusses the sort of cards Corey might be holding:
One key to the case is which of the two men instigated the clash that left Martin dead. The prosecution says Zimmerman initiated the altercation when he "profiled" Martin that night, and then got out of his car to follow him. In the newly released documents, lead homicide officer on the case, Chris Serino of the Sanford Police Department, called the shooting "avoidable" had Zimmerman remained in his vehicle.
What has yet to be seen are two main pieces of evidence: Zimmerman's statement on the night of the incident, and his reenactment of the events of that night, which could prove vital when and if the case is heard in court.
It’s difficult to see how any of that might convince a jury to hand down a “guilty” verdict to Murder Two charges. How does that “stay in your car” principle work? Do you have to stay in your car when you see anyone acting suspiciously in your neighborhood, or do the age, sex, and racial background of the subject matter? Does everyone have to stay in their cars, or only members of certain age, sex, and racial groups?
Or is it simpler for the law to assert that beating someone into the ground and administering an MMA-style thrashing is wrong, even if they looked at you funny?
No, the Racist bait Mongers (Al Dullton (aka Al Sharpton) and Jessie Jerk) will try to say that George forced Trayvon Martin to kick him because George told T that he'll be shoot T if T didn't beat him up!!
The Zimmerman case disintegrates
yes, like a wet paper towel...
Zimmerman should ask Dershowitz to represent him, and turn this into a huge public embarrassment for race-baiting leftists.
All it takes is the rest of the jury to intimidate that one juror
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
This might surprise you, but there are still some people in this nation who have a set.
The defense gets to discard more jurors than the prosecution.
Look for Zimmerman to be defending himself in front of a jury of recent mixed race immigrant stock. The whole racism spew isn't likely to play well.
So, is Zimmerman still going to be a liberal Democrat after all this? What about his politically well-connected family? Reckon they might rethink a few things?
I think she's lying, but I also feel some sympathy for her. Tough spot. Friend is dead, and you know he started it. Snitches get stitches and all that. There's a reason she was not forthcoming.
That really is what it boils down to, MR. It’s unbelievable, but that’s where we are. White animals are less equal than animals of color.
Was John Hayward in Outer Mongolia during the Scooter Libby trial?
One could argue that whatever the outcome, this case has already done irreparable harm to the public's confidence in our judicial system. It has shown how it is easily manipulated for political reasons, and it has shown that prosecutors don't have to adhere to standards of honesty or basic decency.
Maybe it's just a case of turning over a rock and letting us see the cockroaches that were there all the time.
I wouldn’t discount offers of big money either. They have been known to make intelligent and ethical people do stupid things.
bump to read later
That doesn’t surprise me, but jury selection often weeds those people out.
The media is doing its best to taint the jury pool and make it hard to find six people who haven't already decided that Zimmerman is guilty. If the jury consists of six liberals, Zimmerman is toast. But even if the jurors are honest and intelligent, they may be in fear for their lives if they don't produce the verdict that Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and the New Black Panther Party are expecting.
That is what the police really believe. They tell you to find safety in a locked room of your house when your house is invaded. Let the thieves steal and break your stuff while you cower in a corner somewhere. The police will come and take your report so that you can make an insurance claim. The police will NEVER look for your stuff. Police are there not to stop crime but to make the report of it afterwards. Police lie in wait and hide on highways to stop criminals (speeders) not because they worry about safety, it is because speeders PAY! Just remember that when seconds count the cops are only minutes away.
Cops have some value in a society but for a large part they are tax collectors on our highways. Traffic violations are only taxes.
Because citizens have gotten tired of being robbed blind they have set up neighborhood watches. These people stop crimes in progress. It used to be that neighborhood watches would see something unusual and call the cops. The cops would eventually respond but by the time they came all they could do would be to make a report.
Trayvon Martin is dead because Obama was elected. What you say? When Obama was elected the nation went crazy for fear of not being able to obtain guns and went on a buying spree that is still ongoing. Zimmerman was one of those people.
Trayvon Martin was a hood. He was a druggie, was part of a fight club and a thief. Fortunately for society Mr. Martin made a mistake. He picked on someone who brought a gun to a fist fight.
In this country we for some reason think it is a crime to racially profile. How stupid that is. Five out of every 100 black men are in prison, nearly two of every 100 hispanics are incarcerated and only .75% of while mails are imprisoned.
No, I'm not a racist, but I'm not an idiot. Since I don't know which of the 5, 2 or .75% is in society I will try to be prepared. I will also realize that my chances of being mugged in black society are much higher than Latino and that being in Latino society my chances of being mugged are twice that of white society. Think about that, your chances of meeting a criminal of color are nearly 10 times that of meeting a white criminal.
The prosecution and now the Federal government are dead set on convicting Mr. Zimmerman of a hate crime. They are doing this because they think that we are stupid enough to believe that Mr. Zimmerman is white. Mr. Zimmerman is less white than our president.
Hate crimes need to go the way of the Dodo bird. They only protect queers and minorities. A crime is a crime. The reason it is committed should have nothing to do with it's seriousness, to have a hate crime says that some people are more valuable than others. It sickens me to think that queers are more valuable than straights.
I don't worry too much about Mr. Zimmerman. I would but I think his lawyer will make him a rich man after settling with NBC and ABC. I hope he goes after Jessie Jackson et al also.P
One wonders if Obama possibly called her up and said that if he had a son, he’d look like Trayvon. But if I suggested that the POTUS would actually get involved in a local case under the jurisdiction of the Sanford PD, people would think I’m exaggerating or just a racist. /s
Hopefully a judge will not put her in that position by letting her testify in chambers/off the record. Think you are correct in the snitches/stitches scenario
I've been wondering about this. And from other discussion in all the internet posts, I understand that the prosecutor is a very aggressive prosecutor. But this case is surely a no-win case. So one has to look beyond the immediate facts. And I think I've discovered the rationale.
The case is not about Travon Martin or George Zimmerman either one. Its purpose is to spur national and public dialog about the use of firearms for self defense as not being necessary; it's about the use of extreme, deadly force when someone is under attack as opposed to some sort of proportionate response to such attacks.
One only has to look at the evolution of the no gun policies in Gret Britain to see where it's headed.
“Since Mr. Zimmerman is 1/8 black, could he at least roll down his window or stick one foot out?”
If I understand this case correctly, he could roll down the window, but ONLY if he doesn’t make eye contact with Martin. Making eye contact would qualify as a non-verbal assault, giving Martin justification for dragging his white-hispanic rear out of the car and beating his white-hispanic head against the pavement.
After all, isn’t that really what Zimmerman is charged with? Even the prosecution wrote the charges to the effect that Z watched M, “and a struggle ensued”. She hasn’t claimed that Z attacked M, or that Z pushed M, or that Z started the fight, except through confronting by watching.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/page/florida-state-attorneys-office-affidavit-probable-16127488
The prosecutor doesn’t say Z started a fight, but one “ensued” - the capsule just blew, so to speak. It was an act of God, like a hurricane or earthquake. It just happened. It is the natural thing that happens when a white-hispanic watches a black. Eye contact. That is all it takes.
I don’t think the purpose is to spur dialog.
The purpose is to set a precedent in the courts, making sure anyone with concealed carry goes to prison if they try to protect themselves.
The thugs are getting worried. Too many people are getting permits. Too many thugs are getting killed.
Has anyone tried to explain how a school kid could afford a mouth full of gold on his teeth? Unless, of course, he was selling the drugs he was also using?!
Crack pipes aren't usually found in school backpacks either. The 'parents' don't want anyone to know why the thug was expelled from school so many times. It doesn't fit their Trayvon was an angel media hype.
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