Shooting of Trayvon Martin - Page 501

On July 17 2013 10:21 dAPhREAk wrote:
you guys have reached a new level of irrelevant.

George Zimmerman "didn't do anything unlawful" and was "justified" in shooting 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, according to one of the jurors who acquitted Zimmerman.

The woman, known as Juror B37, spoke exclusively to CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360." Part 1 of the interview aired Monday, and part 2 aired Tuesday night.

"I wanted to find him guilty of not using his senses, but you can't fault anybody," she said. "You can't charge him with anything because he didn't do anything unlawful."

The juror said Zimmerman "started the ball rolling" and could have avoided the situation by staying in his car.

"But he wanted to do good. I think he had good in his heart, he just went overboard," she said.

Asked later whether she thought Zimmerman was within his rights, the juror was unequivocal: "He was justified in shooting Trayvon Martin."

'We can't give them the verdict that they wanted'

The woman was part of a six-person, all-female jury that found Zimmerman not guilty.

As the first juror to speak about the case, she offered insight into what happened behind closed doors.

The jury was initially split -- three and three along the line of guilt -- she said. Juror B37 was among those who believed Zimmerman was not guilty from the start.

There was one holdout, the juror said.

"She wanted to find him guilty of something, but couldn't because of the way the law is written. He wasn't responsible for negligible things that he had done leading up to that point," she said, stressing that she and the other jurors took their responsibility seriously.

"I don't want people to think that we didn't think about this, and we didn't care about Trayvon Martin, because we did. We're very sad that it happened to him," she said.

The juror said she cried after the verdict and before it was read.

At one point during the interview, she struggled to speak as her voice cracked with emotion.

To Martin's parents, the juror said she would tell them that she is terribly sorry for their loss.

"I feel bad that we can't give them the verdict that they wanted, but legally, we could not do that," she said.

'I hope he gets some peace'

Just as she believes Zimmerman was guilty of not using common sense, the juror thinks Martin was not without fault.

"I believe he played a huge role in his death," she said about the teenager.

"He could have ... When George confronted him, and he could have walked away and gone home. He didn't have to do whatever he did and come back and be in a fight," she said.

The juror had no doubt that Zimmerman feared for his life.

"I believe he (Martin) hit his head on the concrete. I think he was probably trying to slam it, I don't know how hard George's head hit on the concrete. It hit hard enough to get damaged -- bruising, swelling. I think it's, you know, it was definitely enough to make you fear, when you're in that situation," she said.

Asked about what role race might have played in the trial, which grew into a national debate about gun laws and race in America, the juror said it did not matter.

Zimmerman did not target Martin, who was African-American, because of the color of his skin, she said.

The juror believes he profiled him because of the suspicious way he acted.

"I don't think race had anything to do with this trial. I mean just because he was black and George was Spanish or Puerto Rican, I don't think it had anything to do with this trial. But I think people are looking for things to make race play a part," the juror said.

She added that she hopes Zimmerman will be able to move on.

"I hope he gets some peace," she said. "I hope his family can live a normal life after a while. I don't know how he's ever gonna do that, but I hope he can. He'll never forget, but I hope he can."

On July 17 2013 10:29 dAPhREAk wrote:
its interesting how the jurors considered the exact same things discussed in this thread (over and over and over and over again) about how zimmerman could have avoided the situation by not getting out of his car and that they felt zimmerman was stupid in what he did, but ultimately didnt do anything illegal.

On July 17 2013 09:36 Jisall wrote:


I'd hit it all day

On July 17 2013 10:29 dAPhREAk wrote:
its interesting how the jurors considered the exact same things discussed in this thread (over and over and over and over again) about how zimmerman could have avoided the situation by not getting out of his car and that they felt zimmerman was stupid in what he did, but ultimately didnt do anything illegal.

On July 17 2013 10:50 LegalLord wrote:

There is nothing illegal about either keeping an eye on someone or having a gun.

On July 17 2013 10:56 ZapRoffo wrote:

I'm talking should, trying to make the world a better place, not what is or isn't legal by the law right now. So you think it would be dandy if George Zimmermans started popping up in every neighborhood and you would feel really safe?

On July 17 2013 10:49 ZapRoffo wrote:
I feel like something has to be addressed though, I really don't feel safe having people like George Zimmerman out in my neighborhood carrying a gun and having what he does be considered completely lawful. Untrained people with guns following anyone they don't like the look of around? That's something that should be legal? I mean hopefully people learn from how much trouble it caused for him, but then he got a lot of notoriety too, and if there are borderline crazy people that might follow, they might like that.

On July 17 2013 11:03 dotHead wrote:

Most neighborhoods, and residential areas where I live have a "town watch", it's pretty common in the US. If anyone attacked any of those people, and ended up getting killed because of it. I don't see how I would feel any less safe.

On July 17 2013 11:20 ZapRoffo wrote:


It's not normal (but apparently it is legal) for neighborhood watch to actively follow anyone, or to even think about engaging someone while carrying a gun.

I mean I just think about how it could easily happen to me--I am friends with some neighbors and sometimes cut through their yard, and sometimes I wear hoodies also, and if it were raining I would have the hood up. So some other self-appointed neighbor sees that and starts following me around (and he has a gun), and I have no idea if he's some creepy murderer or what. Totally would make me feel like I live in a safe neighborhood, and it totally never could turn into a bad situation.

On July 17 2013 11:25 dAPhREAk wrote:

i suggest you not punch the guy and slam his head against the concrete, and then you will probably be okay.

this isnt a one sided affair. zimmerman may have acted incorrectly, but the situation could easily have been diffused. easily.

On July 17 2013 10:56 ZapRoffo wrote:

I'm talking should, trying to make the world a better place, not what is or isn't legal by the law right now. So you think it would be dandy if George Zimmermans started popping up in every neighborhood and you would feel really safe?

On July 17 2013 11:36 Taf the Ghost wrote:


You seem to be under the strange assumption that Zimmerman had his gun out and brandished. It was on his person, yes, but if it was brandished, he wouldn't have gotten his head pummeled into the ground. Though we then might have had an actual "Stand Your Ground" case.

On July 17 2013 11:50 ConGee wrote:


If he had brandished it and ended up shooting Martin, that would fall under manslaughter (correct me if I'm wrong daphreak)? If it happened like that, there's no question that he should have then be convicted of something at the very least.

On July 17 2013 11:50 ConGee wrote:


If he had brandished it and ended up shooting Martin, that would fall under manslaughter (correct me if I'm wrong daphreak)? If it happened like that, there's no question that he should have then be convicted of something at the very least.