Shooting of Trayvon Martin - Page 479

On July 16 2013 05:00 Plansix wrote:

I don't know the Florida legal system well, so I couldn't say. I have seen cases dismissed outright due to res judicata that were endlessly appealed and became a small level of immortal. Now to be fair, we were dealing with true-believer-legal-aid attorneys in that case, and they could give to shits because the court will never give my client legal fees. I could also see a judge killing it before it even got started too. I just don't trust them to do that when issues become this political.

On July 16 2013 05:08 dAPhREAk wrote:

i have never seen a self defense immunity statute litigated, but i have seen other immunity statutes litigated and because its a legal issue they are commonly addressed at the beginning of the case. even if the court refused to hear the issue, O'Mara/Zimmerman can just file an interlocutory writ and bring it to the court of appeal. i wouldnt presume courts are going to ignore the law because a certain segment of the public has its panties in a twist. this is the judicial branch, and pardon my bias, but they arent pussies like the executive branch.

On July 16 2013 05:05 dAPhREAk wrote:

thats not exactly what he said.

you usually dont seek immunity until someone files a lawsuit against you (i.e., by demurrer or motion to dismiss or Florida equivalent). however, i dont think the statute is equivocal:

"If someone believes that it's appropriate to sue George Zimmerman, then we will seek and we will get immunity in a civil hearing," O'Mara said in a post-verdict press conference.

On July 16 2013 05:36 DeepElemBlues wrote:


http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/14/19467814-whats-next-for-george-zimmerman



That is exactly what he said. You're getting ahead of yourself sir. No doubt that statute will be invoked, but Zimmerman does not have immunity right this second. No ruling has been made on that. O'Mara is assuming the inevitability of a wrongful-death suit and a consequent successful filing for immunity.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder confirmed today that the Justice Department was continuing to investigate the February 2012 shooting death of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin, following a state jury's acquittal of shooter George Zimmerman.

Holder said Martin's death was tragic and unnecessary, and that the department would act "consistent with the facts and the law," according to remarks he made at a convention of Delta Sigma Theta, a black sorority.

On Sunday, supporters and civil rights demonstrators turned out at rallies across the country to condemn racial profiling after the acquittal.
Zimmerman, cleared late on Saturday by a Florida jury of six women, still faces public outrage, a possible civil suit and demands for a federal investigation.

With civil rights activists clamoring for federal civil rights charges, the Justice Department is evaluating whether it has enough evidence to support prosecution of Zimmerman in federal court.

"It was such a shame. The whole case nearly destroyed George from day one ... . That they put a racism spin on this prosecution just hurt him very deeply," said John Donnelly, a close friend of Zimmerman who testified in the trial.

Critics contend Zimmerman, 29, who is white and Hispanic, wrongly suspected Martin, 17, of being a criminal because he was black. Zimmerman called police to report a suspicious looking person, then left his car with a fully loaded Kel Tec 9mm pistol concealed in his waistband.

A fight ensued in which Zimmerman suffered a bloody nose and head injuries, and Zimmerman shot Martin once in the heart.

The teenager had no criminal record and was staying in the neighborhood at the home of his father's fiancee. He had been walking back from a convenience store where he had bought candy and a soft drink.

Protests around the country

Saturday's not-guilty verdict was decried by civil rights leaders and protests were organized in several cities, including Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento and here in Chicago.

At least 150 people gathered outside the Daley Center in Chicago on Sunday to protest.

Thousands of protesters chanting "No justice, no peace" gathered in New York City on Sunday to protest the acquittal, which prompted rallies across the country.

"I feel if we don't step it up, we're in trouble," said Prince Akeem, 20, of the Bronx. "It's young blacks being targeted and we have to stand up, stand up to the cops."

About 1,000 to 2,000 of the demonstrators abandoned the protest site at Union Square to march in the streets toward Times Square, slowing or stopping traffic. Police attempted to funnel the crowd into controlled lanes but were unable to.

Police attempted to halt the march about eight blocks short of Times Square, which was already packed with tourists, but the demonstrators made their way around the officers.

In Los Angeles, more than 200 protesters in Leimert Park engaged police in a brief standoff. The protesters surrounded at least three patrol cars and repeatedly chanted "Trayvon Martin!

About a dozen other officers in riot gear stood by a block away. Some protesters chanted epithets at the officers, according to the Los Angeles Times.

After about 10 minutes, the demonstrators let the officers drive through the crowd. The police eventually left and the demonstration continued peacefully.

In Boston, about 500 racially mixed protesters left their demonstration site in the Roxbury neighborhood and started marching in the streets alongside police escorts on motorcycle and on foot. "They've been very orderly," Boston police superintendent William Evans said.

'Hurt, sad' in Sanford, Florida

Around Sanford, some residents expressed relief at the verdict, while others said they failed to see how Zimmerman could have been acquitted.

"You said he's not guilty, but why would you say he's not guilty?" 28-year-old Robyn Miller said. "It's crazy."

Obama, who once said, "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon," called for a peaceful response to a case that polarized the U.S. public from the beginning, raising issues of racial profiling and gun control.

"We are a nation of laws and a jury has spoken," the first black U.S. president said in a statement. "I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son."

The jurors who deliberated for 16 hours over two days found Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter. All six women, who were sequestered for the three weeks of testimony, declined to speak to reporters and their identities were still sealed by the court.

In Sanford at the largely black Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church, pastor Valarie Houston dedicated a Sunday morning prayer service to Martin.

"I am hurt. I am sad. I am disappointed and my heart is overwhelmed with pains," Houston said. "I thought in my heart that justice would be served."

After the verdict, the focus seemed to be shifting to rallies and events in the upcoming days, and an examination of both Florida law, and whether the U.S. Department of Justuce should conduct a civil-rights investigation, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

The Sanford Pastors Connection group has announced it will hold a public community prayer service Monday afternoon at New Life Word Church to encourage peace and unity, a city spokeswoman said. Sanford Mayor Jeff Triplett, City Manager Norton Bonaparte and Police Chief Cecil Smith are scheduled to attend.

Another group has called for a statewide day of action in Florida for Trayvon. Dream Defenders said it would demonstrate outside the Capitol building and other locations Tuesday in response to the Zimmerman verdict and other civil-rights issues.

Case under review

Zimmerman, who showed little reaction when the decision was read, was unshackled from a monitoring device he had been wearing while on bail. He previously only left home in a disguise and body armor, his lawyer said.

His brother said he would remain out of public view for some time. Friends said the former neighborhood watch volunteer had recently spoken about the possibility of entering law school.

The tense drama that climaxed with the verdict had been building for more than a year, since police initially declined to arrest Zimmerman for shooting Martin, whose gray hooded sweatshirt has become a symbol of injustice for protesters.

The acquittal will weaken any wrongful death civil lawsuit that Martin's family might bring. Zimmerman's lead defense lawyer, Mark O'Mara, predicted Zimmerman would seek and win immunity from a civil suit.

A Justice Department spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday it would determine whether "the evidence reveals a prosecutable violation of any of the limited federal criminal civil rights statutes within our jurisdiction."

President Barack Obama is not playing a role in determining whether or not the Justice Department will pursue federal charges for civil rights violations against George Zimmerman, the Florida man acquitted of murder over the weekend, a spokesman said Monday.

Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin, a black teenager, last year. On Saturday a jury determined he acted in self-defense, despite the fact Martin was unarmed.

The case has inflamed racial tensions and civil rights groups have called on the DOJ to pursue action. A petition effort has been initiated by the NAACP and protest marches, mostly peaceful, have sprung up in cities across the country. The department said Sunday it was continuing an investigation into the matter that was initiated in 2012.

[READ: Obama Urges Calm After Zimmerman Verdict]

"Cases are brought on the merits and the merits are evaluated by the professionals at the DOJ," said White House spokesman Jay Carney during his daily press briefing. "The president expects it will be handled the way it should be at the DOJ."

Obama released a statement Sunday on the verdict, calling for calm but also asking Americans to reflect on the circumstances around the killing.

"We are a nation of laws, and a jury has spoken," Obama said. "I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son. We should ask ourselves if we're doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence that claims too many lives across this country on a daily basis."

Carney said the country's first African-American president would leave the decision to pursue further charges against Zimmerman, which would apply if there was evidence the encounter was racially motivated, to the department headed by the country's first African-American Attorney General, Eric Holder.

"This is a decision made by the Justice Department and that is not something the president involves himself in," Carney said, adding the president released a statement over the weekend to address the tragedy of the death of a teenager, not publicly press for action.

"I think the president's statement reflects his views about the verdict, the tragic loss of Trayvon Martin … and the fact that his loss reflects and symbolizes the loss we see daily in this country," Carney said. "It would be inappropriate for the president of the United States [to weigh in] on what the Justice Department should do."

Holder, addressing the black sorority Delta Sigma Theta's national convention Monday, said he and the DOJ have concerns regarding the circumstances surrounding Martin's death, and confirmed the department has an open investigation into the matter. Without tipping his hand, the attorney general said, "We must not – as we have too often in the past – let this opportunity pass."

[ALSO: Justice Department to Investigate Trayvon Martin Case]

"I believe that this tragedy provides yet another opportunity for our nation to speak honestly about the complicated and emotionally-charged issues that this case has raised," he said. "Moreover, I want to assure you that the department will continue to act in a manner that is consistent with the facts and the law."

Both Holder and Obama have said regardless of the outcome of this specific case, the country needs to do more to reduce gun violence.

"We are resolved, as you are, to combat violence involving or directed at young people, to prevent future tragedies and to deal with the underlying attitudes, mistaken beliefs and stereotypes that serve as the basis for these too common incidents," Holder said.

On July 16 2013 07:11 dAPhREAk wrote:
so, will a black president, already criticized for his handling of race relations when he wrongfully accused a white officer of racism against a black professor, and a black attorney general going to take the drastic step of filing, and most likely losing, a federal civil rights charge against zimmerman? will the FBI backtrack on its original report that racism was not involved? or will the media and government let sleeping dogs lie? and a rhetorical question, will al sharpton continue to be the face of race baiting in america?

and should i keep updating the OP or just leave it be?

On July 16 2013 07:11 dAPhREAk wrote:
so, will a black president, already criticized for his handling of race relations when he wrongfully accused a white officer of racism against a black professor, and a black attorney general going to take the drastic step of filing, and most likely losing, a federal civil rights charge against zimmerman? will the FBI backtrack on its original report that racism was not involved? or will the media and government let sleeping dogs lie? and a rhetorical question, will al sharpton continue to be the face of race baiting in america?

and should i keep updating the OP or just leave it be?

On July 16 2013 04:25 dAPhREAk wrote:

sickening mob justice. should just lynch zimmerman and get it over with.

On July 16 2013 07:39 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:
From my understanding of the law and the (probably inaccurate) things I've read, he is immune to civil suits if the Stand Your Ground law is implemented as his (new?) defense. I believe it's SYG that protects in this case. However, since he didn't invoke SYG during the criminal trial (he just pleaded not guilty via self-defense), there's a tiny chance that he can't use SYG this time around? Or can he still use it anyway? Can someone clarify if, under the law, he's already protected by SYG (or immune some other way) even if he didn't use the SYG defense before?

On July 16 2013 07:08 dAPhREAk wrote:
Feds still probing Trayvon Martin shooting: Holder


http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-george-zimmerman-20130715,0,3767690.story

On July 16 2013 07:39 Sabu113 wrote:


I would love to see some to kill a mocking bird meme take root.

On July 16 2013 07:47 Millitron wrote:

This is so dishonest. Of course he hand no criminal record, he was a minor. Doesn't mean he wasn't a criminal.

On July 16 2013 07:50 Shiori wrote:

Huh? Was Martin ever convicted of a crime? If not, then is he not innocent of having committing a crime until proven guilty? I mean, I guess not being convicted doesn't mean you're not a criminal, but it certainly doesn't mean you are.