Trayvon Martin case: use of Stand Your Ground law or pursuit of a black teen?

[Barrister]

The lead homicide investigator in the shooting of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin recommended that neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman be charged with manslaughter the night of the shooting, multiple sources told ABC News.

But Sanford, Fla., Investigator Chris Serino was instructed to not press charges against Zimmerman because the state attorney's office headed by Norman Wolfinger determined there wasn't enough evidence to lead to a conviction, the sources told ABC News.

Police brought Zimmerman into the station for questioning for a few hours on the night of the shooting, said Zimmerman's attorney, despite his request for medical attention first. Ultimately they had to accept Zimmerman's claim of self defense. He was never charged with a crime.

Serino filed an affidavit on Feb. 26, the night that Martin was shot and killed by Zimmerman, that stated he was unconvinced Zimmerman's version of events.

Zimmerman, 28, claimed he shot Martin, 17, in self defense.

One complicating factor in the investigation was that the first detective to interview Zimmerman about the shooting was a narcotics officer rather than a homicide detective.

The State Attorney's office said only "no comment" when asked about the affidavit today.

How the fuck is the fact the first detective to interview Zimmermam a nacotics officer a "complicating factor"?  It's not at all uncommon for the first officer on scene to be a front line cop.

And while interesting, how much does it matter what the lead investigator thought?  Ultimately it is the prosecution who, well, prosecutes.

[MadImmortalMan]

So, will this be Rodney King v2 when Zimmerman gets acquitted?

[grumbler]

How the fuck is the fact the first detective to interview Zimmermam a nacotics officer a "complicating factor"?  It's not at all uncommon for the first officer on scene to be a front line cop.

And while interesting, how much does it matter what the lead investigator thought?  Ultimately it is the prosecution who, well, prosecutes.

What is interesting is that it appears that there was, indeed, a homicide investigation, contrary to the impressions left by the earlier reports.

While it may be true that most prosecutors (like any professional who accepts government salary levels) are probably not very good lawyers, they still should get the benefit of the doubt; an informed decision by the prosecutor (absent evidence of malice or malfeasance) is good enough for me.

[Admiral Yi]

So, will this be Rodney King v2 when Zimmerman gets acquitted?

Lesser order of magnitude but I would expect some wilding.

[Caliga]

having lived in baltimore and in jacksonville, without any equivocation, baltimore is the far more racist and race conscience place

I've tried to explain this sort of thing to this lot, but they refuse to accept it.  It seems that a lot of people around here are bigots.

[Razgovory]

Zimmerman's actions are justified I suppose.  He saw the kid and recognized him as someone with multiple suspensions.  Martin was suspended because of having a screwdriver ( apparently that's a burglary tool), and Zimmerman had no other option but to shoot him.

Weak.

No shit.  The question is 'why did you post it, in the first place?'

And the answer is 'because I did not post that', dipshit.

dont feed the troll; raz gets off on changing what you actually post so he can defeat the straw man

Oh noes!  The Objectivist is mad!

[Valmy]

having lived in baltimore and in jacksonville, without any equivocation, baltimore is the far more racist and race conscience place

I've tried to explain this sort of thing to this lot, but they refuse to accept it.  It seems that a lot of people around here are bigots.

In Kentucky?  Rasputin is right on this one.  I have spent alot of time in Baltimore and DC and man the black-white relations are tense there.  I was always glad to get back to Texas where black people are nice.  Plus the Latinos (and there are zillions of various Asians as well) are by far the largest minority group so it changes the dynamic.

[CountDeMoney]

having lived in baltimore and in jacksonville, without any equivocation, baltimore is the far more racist and race conscience place

I've tried to explain this sort of thing to this lot, but they refuse to accept it.  It seems that a lot of people around here are bigots.

In Kentucky?  Rasputin is right on this one.  I have spent alot of time in Baltimore and DC and man the black-white relations are tense there.  I was always glad to get back to Texas where black people are nice.  Plus the Latinos (and there are zillions of various Asians as well) are by far the largest minority group so it changes the dynamic.

That's because down in the South they know their place.  Up here, they're all uppity.
And it's hot in the South.  Makes them slower.

[Razgovory]

having lived in baltimore and in jacksonville, without any equivocation, baltimore is the far more racist and race conscience place

I've tried to explain this sort of thing to this lot, but they refuse to accept it.  It seems that a lot of people around here are bigots.

In Kentucky?  Rasputin is right on this one.  I have spent alot of time in Baltimore and DC and man the black-white relations are tense there.  I was always glad to get back to Texas where black people are nice.  Plus the Latinos (and there are zillions of various Asians as well) are by far the largest minority group so it changes the dynamic.

People tend to feel less threatened by minorities when there are less of them in the area.

[Barrister]

While it may be true that most prosecutors (like any professional who accepts government salary levels) are probably not very good lawyers,

I am wise to your jedi mind tricks.

[Habbaku]

People tend to feel less threatened by minorities when there are less of them in the area.

  I tend to feel less threatened when the minorities are smaller than me.  Thank God Katmai doesn't live around here.

[Habbaku]

Which is unlikely since there are no basements in the South.

[Barrister]

People tend to feel less threatened by minorities when there are less of them in the area.

  I tend to feel less threatened when the minorities are smaller than me.  Thank God Katmai doesn't live around here.

I feel really bad that I laughed at this.  Kat really isn't that big.

[Razgovory]

No but Habbaku is really small.

[katmai]

People tend to feel less threatened by minorities when there are less of them in the area.

  I tend to feel less threatened when the minorities are smaller than me.  Thank God Katmai doesn't live around here.

Just for that I'm trying to get on Walking Dead season 3.