The future George Zimmerman Acquittal Trial Megathread!

[OttoVonBismarck]

Actually there's no evidence sufficient for the purposes of determining a criminal trial that Zimmerman tried to detain Martin or initiated a fight with Martin. Zimmerman's claim is that while he did initially follow Martin against the advice of a dispatcher, the physical altercation began when Martin attacked him from cover and started beating him up. I don't actually think it's knowable how the confrontation started given the lack of any living witnesses other than Zimmerman to the beginning of the fight, so I don't see how a jury could convict Zimmerman of manslaughter on the basis that Zimmerman started the confrontation. All we have evidence of is Zimmerman put himself in position for a confrontation to occur, against the advice of a police dispatcher. That's not actual evidence of initiating a physical confrontation, though, nor is it intrinsically illegal in Florida to follow someone through a neighborhood.

Based on my "common sense" view of things, I don't think either of these scenarios make sense:

A: Martin being near his home and aware of weirdo Zimmerman following him, goes back in the opposite direction of his home and hides in wait for Zimmerman then jumps him.

B: Zimmerman losing control of Martin after trying to "detain" him.

What I imagine probably actually happened is at some point Zimmerman and Martin directly cross paths, most likely Zimmerman yells something at Martin and asks him to explain what he's doing. I think from there it quickly turns into a shouting/anger fest and someone throws a first punch. I honestly have no idea who, and doubt we'll ever know. Martin wins the fist fight, so Z decides to shoot him.

[11B4V]

I can hardly be expected to answer your question if you don't even know what the question is.

I'll take your refusal to answer and dodge a simple question, as conceding you were talking out your ass.

You are so deluded you keep changing the question.  Believe what ever the fuck you want.  Christ, and they call me nuts.

you're a peach. You answered sarcastically "planck length to 48 billion light years away", so you know what the question is asking.

Yeah, I answered the second.  Honestly I don't know what kind of answer you want from that one either.  If it's how far away I would flash the gun, that really depends on my mood.  Depending on my mood I may not get out of the car, shoot up in the air and demand his shoes or just run at the guy with tire iron (which is really more my thing).

You just answered it, thanks. BTW dont ever get a carry permit or even open carry a gun. As matter of fact, just stay away from them. Go tell someone responsible if one see one just lying around. I dont want you to get hurt.

[Razgovory]

You were asking what I would do all this time?  What the hell for?  I'm insane.  Crazy stuff is what I do.  That's crappy metric for anything.

[11B4V]

and Raz, my thoughts on GZ and Trayvon's actions that night. I dont think I have stated it in this thread to date.

GZ: Dude was as fucked up as a football bat from the word go. Neighborhood watch, Observe and Report. GZ put himself in this situation because of his stupidity.

Trayvon: should have just run kid. Thug life is what cost you yours. Sad but true.

Bad judgement + Bad Judgement= Fucking Tragedy.

[11B4V]

You were asking what I would do all this time?  What the hell for?  I'm insane.  Crazy stuff is what I do.  That's crappy metric for anything.

Nah, you an alright Joe.

[The Minsky Moment]

But the evidence clearly demonstrated that Zimmerman provoked a confrontation in a manner that could reasonably viewed by Martin as threatening.

Are you basing this conclusion on the facts you've already mentioned, i.e. Zimmerman following Martin, Zimmerman agitated, and Zimmerman carrying a gun, or was there some important evidence that I missed?

I ask because that to me does not clearly demonstrate that Martin reasonably felt threatened.

Including in agitated are the specific comments about the "punks" who "always get away" as the 911 dispatcher was telling him not to follow (I am eliding some the choices words used)

The clear implication is that he disregarded the instructions not to follow because his concern that the suspect not "get away"

I think it likely  that Zimmerman confronted Martin he did so in way intended to prevent him from getting away

Not proof beyond a reasonable doubt likely but regular likely

I disagree with you and think that would be reasonably interpreted by the other person as very threatening.

[Razgovory]

and Raz, my thoughts on GZ and Trayvon's actions that night. I dont think I have stated it in this thread to date.

GZ: Dude was as fucked up as a football bat from the word go. Neighborhood watch, Observe and Report. GZ put himself in this situation because of his stupidity.

Trayvon: should have just run kid. Thug life is what cost you yours. Sad but true.

Bad judgement + Bad Judgement= Fucking Tragedy.

I'm not sure the kid was in the the "Thug life".  He was just some highschool kid.  He wasn't doing anything wrong, and I think he felt endangered by a guy stalking him and did what he could to defend himself.

[11B4V]

and Raz, my thoughts on GZ and Trayvon's actions that night. I dont think I have stated it in this thread to date.

GZ: Dude was as fucked up as a football bat from the word go. Neighborhood watch, Observe and Report. GZ put himself in this situation because of his stupidity.

Trayvon: should have just run kid. Thug life is what cost you yours. Sad but true.

Bad judgement + Bad Judgement= Fucking Tragedy.

I'm not sure the kid was in the the "Thug life".  He was just some highschool kid.  He wasn't doing anything wrong, and I think he felt endangered by a guy stalking him and did what he could to defend himself.

Why didnt he run?

[sbr]

and Raz, my thoughts on GZ and Trayvon's actions that night. I dont think I have stated it in this thread to date.

GZ: Dude was as fucked up as a football bat from the word go. Neighborhood watch, Observe and Report. GZ put himself in this situation because of his stupidity.

Trayvon: should have just run kid. Thug life is what cost you yours. Sad but true.

Bad judgement + Bad Judgement= Fucking Tragedy.

I'm not sure the kid was in the the "Thug life".  He was just some highschool kid.  He wasn't doing anything wrong, and I think he felt endangered by a guy stalking him and did what he could to defend himself.

Why didnt he run?

Why should he have to?

[Eddie Teach]

Why should he have to?

No gun.

[Admiral Yi]

Why should he have to?

Presumably because he felt threatened.

[Razgovory]

and Raz, my thoughts on GZ and Trayvon's actions that night. I dont think I have stated it in this thread to date.

GZ: Dude was as fucked up as a football bat from the word go. Neighborhood watch, Observe and Report. GZ put himself in this situation because of his stupidity.

Trayvon: should have just run kid. Thug life is what cost you yours. Sad but true.

Bad judgement + Bad Judgement= Fucking Tragedy.

I'm not sure the kid was in the the "Thug life".  He was just some highschool kid.  He wasn't doing anything wrong, and I think he felt endangered by a guy stalking him and did what he could to defend himself.

Why didnt he run?

Who knows?  Maybe he wasn't the running sort.  Maybe he was too brave.  Maybe he thought fighting was the best chance of survival.  Teenagers make all kinds of bad decisions.  We can look back now and know that running would have been the best solution.  Harder when someone come up on you on a dark and stormy night.

[Admiral Yi]

The best solution would have been to say stop following me or I'll call the cops.

[DGuller]

The best solution would have been to say stop following me or I'll call the cops.

No, it would not have been.  If someone is following me, and I think that the threat of me calling the cops would dissuade them, then I won't feel threatened in the first place.  I can, however, put myself in an immediate disadvantage by getting within the talking distance to the guy stalking me.

[11B4V]

The best solution would have been to say stop following me or I'll call the cops.

No, it would not have been.  If someone is following me, and I think that the threat of me calling the cops would dissuade them, then I won't feel threatened in the first place.  I can, however, put myself in an immediate disadvantage by getting within the talking distance to the guy stalking me.