The future George Zimmerman Acquittal Trial Megathread!

[Rasputin]

Oooh, and article from the American Spectator!  Maybe they should throw something in about how Bill Clinton threw children on train tracks to cover up his drug dealing.

it was fetuses...please fact check

[Valmy]

Had Martin been white and engaged in the same conduct the result would be the same; we'd have never heard about the case because the media couldn't sensationalize it.

Wait...wait...you are saying that the media cares nothing for white people and comes to the aid of black america all the time?

[Valmy]

Oooh, and article from the American Spectator!  Maybe they should throw something in about how Bill Clinton threw children on train tracks to cover up his drug dealing.

it was fetuses...please fact check

[Neil]

Is assaulting a police officer even really a serious crime?  I mean, isn't that just the sort of thing that they charge you with if you don't kiss their asses enough?

[Barrister]

Is assaulting a police officer even really a serious crime?  I mean, isn't that just the sort of thing that they charge you with if you don't kiss their asses enough?

It's a moderately serious offence.

[The Minsky Moment]

This case has never had anything to do with race . . . This case was about an armed and frustrated cop wannabbe  . . . on the hunt for those involved in a string of robberies in his neighborhood.

And how did wannabe cop match up Trayvon Martin as a suspect for "those involved."?
One doesn't have to suppose racist motivation to take note of the fact that race was a relevant factor in the incident.

I agree that the racial angle distracts from the aspect that IMO is most concerning: that a self-appointed vigilante can disobey a clear direction from law enforcement, precipitate a confrontation that he was told to avoid, and use deadly force without suffering any legal sanction as a result.    But at the same time if my melanin count were higher and my latitude lower, I'd be getting on line on my local Sunshine State gun shop as well.

[derspiess]

Had Martin been white and engaged in the same conduct the result would be the same; we'd have never heard about the case because the media couldn't sensationalize it.

Wait...wait...you are saying that the media cares nothing for white people and comes to the aid of black america all the time?

Are you saying that the media did not sensationalize the story based on race?  Hell, when the race details didn't fall the way they wanted, the media manipulated them to fit the narrative they wanted.

See: "he looks black" and "White Hispanic"

[derspiess]

disobey a clear direction from law enforcement,

You and others present this as if he disobeyed direct orders from a cop.  But it was a dispatcher who said "we don't need you to do that."  How much legal weight does that actually carry?  Honest question.

[Barrister]

disobey a clear direction from law enforcement,

You and others present this as if he disobeyed direct orders from a cop.  But it was a dispatcher who said "we don't need you to do that."  How much legal weight does that actually carry?  Honest question.

Dispatcher or uniformed officer doesn't matter much, because there isn't a general duty to 'obey orders from police'.

[Valmy]

Are you saying that the media did not sensationalize the story based on race?  Hell, when the race details didn't fall the way they wanted, the media manipulated them to fit the narrative they wanted.

See: "he looks black" and "White Hispanic"

No.  But they probably would have done so had Trayvon been white.  Suddenly it is a Latino gunning down a white kid.

But I think due to the nature of this particular tragedy it would have been a big deal regardless even if it was same race on same race.  Plj said that we would never even would have heard of this if Trayvon had not been black, as if the media goes around championing the cause of every dead black kid out there and ignoring everybody else.

[Rasputin]

This case has never had anything to do with race . . . This case was about an armed and frustrated cop wannabbe  . . . on the hunt for those involved in a string of robberies in his neighborhood.

And how did wannabe cop match up Trayvon Martin as a suspect for "those involved."?
One doesn't have to suppose racist motivation to take note of the fact that race was a relevant factor in the incident.

I agree that the racial angle distracts from the aspect that IMO is most concerning: that a self-appointed vigilante can disobey a clear direction from law enforcement, precipitate a confrontation that he was told to avoid, and use deadly force without suffering any legal sanction as a result.    But at the same time if my melanin count were higher and my latitude lower, I'd be getting on line on my local Sunshine State gun shop as well.

zimmerman took a black girl to his high school prom; he is far from the stereotypical southern redneck

i believe the combination of the hoodie, the prior break ins and martins being "out of place" that evening combined to make him appear suspiscious to the wannabe without regard to color

[derspiess]

One of my co-workers visited a gun store a few days ago.  He said that while he was there they were doing a brisk business selling to African-Americans.  So at least some good came from all this.   

Look for the usual gun-rights advocates to remain very, very silent about this.

As long as they have had or intend to get some sort of training, and are responsible with the firearm, I think it would be a net positive.

Not sure where you're going with that.

[Rasputin]

disobey a clear direction from law enforcement,

You and others present this as if he disobeyed direct orders from a cop.  But it was a dispatcher who said "we don't need you to do that."  How much legal weight does that actually carry?  Honest question.

the jury says none

i wouldnt have understood it as an order either

"we dont need you to do that" is not the same as "do not follow him any longer."

[Rasputin]

Is assaulting a police officer even really a serious crime?  I mean, isn't that just the sort of thing that they charge you with if you don't kiss their asses enough?

its apparently a school disciplinary infraction in certain parts of the state

[DGuller]

Is assaulting a police officer even really a serious crime?  I mean, isn't that just the sort of thing that they charge you with if you don't kiss their asses enough?

I can't recall a single case of bad cops being caught on tape where the victim wasn't charged for assaulting the offcers' fists with his face/chest/legs/testicles.