The future George Zimmerman Acquittal Trial Megathread!

[garbon]

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.

Pretty much my take on it as well.

Sucks that Zimmerman is going to get away with killing someone, but barring a justice system MUCH more tolerant of risking putting innocent men in jail, there is no way to avoid outcomes like this at times.

Yeah.

[garbon]

I need to stay off facebook today. I don't need to read about how this is just another example of the violent oppression of people of color to shore up the safety, health and wealth of white people...

[The Brain]

There went my next post.

[11B4V]

I need to stay off facebook today. I don't need to read about how this is just another example of the violent oppression of people of color to shore up the safety, health and wealth of white people...

You must have some weird social contacts.

[CountDeMoney]

I need to stay off facebook today. I don't need to read about how this is just another example of the violent oppression of people of color to shore up the safety, health and wealth of white people...

You must have some weird social contacts.

They're just different than yours, kinda like how your contacts and their LULZ AL SHARPTON IS A MONKEY LOOKIT DEM LIPS posts would be weird to garbon.

[11B4V]

I need to stay off facebook today. I don't need to read about how this is just another example of the violent oppression of people of color to shore up the safety, health and wealth of white people...

You must have some weird social contacts.

They're just different than yours, kinda like how your contacts and their LULZ AL SHARPTON IS A MONKEY LOOKIT DEM LIPS posts would be weird to garbon.

Arent you overdue for the kitty euthanasia down at the shelter CountDeStangl

[garbon]

I need to stay off facebook today. I don't need to read about how this is just another example of the violent oppression of people of color to shore up the safety, health and wealth of white people...

You must have some weird social contacts.

They're just different than yours, kinda like how your contacts and their LULZ AL SHARPTON IS A MONKEY LOOKIT DEM LIPS posts would be weird to garbon.

[garbon]

Apropos of nothing, this film is apparently drawing in large crowds.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/14/trayvon-martin-case-closes-fruitvale-station-opens_n_3594340.html

Trayvon Martin Case Closes, 'Fruitvale Station' Opens All In One Racially-Charged Weekend

While the name Emmett Till made its way up Twitter's list of trending topics Saturday night and a jury of six women determined that George Zimmerman was justified in killing 17-year-old teenager Trayvon Martin, another young black man's tragic fate unfolded once more on a national stage.

"Fruitvale Station," the story of Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old Oakland man who was fatally shot by a transit agency police officer in the early morning hours of New Year's Day 2009, opened in theaters on Friday, prompting heart-wrenching parallels to the Trayvon Martin case.

"In that courtroom, and in the coverage of the events within it, a young black man's death has prompted speculation, assumptions, and judgment about his life. And in theaters across the country, 'Fruitvale Station' considers those same questions about Oscar Grant," The Atlantic's Jason Bailey wrote Friday in his review of the film.

Bailey's comparison of "Fruitvale" and the near 17-month-long Martin case is one that others say touch some of the rawest nerves and raise thorny, intractable issues of law and order, violence and race.

But the film's director, 26-year-old Ryan Coogler, admits that playing the race card wasn't exactly his intent.

"I hope that the film will inspire thought process in the people who watch it that can lead to discourse," Coogler told Gawker. "For me it isn't just about racism. For me it's more about the fact that so many people like Oscar are dying unnecessary violent deaths, regardless of who was holding the trigger. These young people are losing their lives and they're leaving people behind," he said.

According to initial reports in the Oscar Grant case, the 22-year-old who worked as a butcher at a supermarket near the train station where he was killed, was a loving father who had been making progress in overcoming his troubled past.

The officer who shot Grant was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter and served only 11 months.

Although protests erupted peacefully in nearby San Francisco after the Zimmerman verdict was read, Oakland residents didn't react as calmly. People marching through the city broke windows, spray painted cars and buildings and attempted to start fires, according to The Oakland Tribune.

George Zimmerman was found not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter Saturday, bringing a close to the trial that Fox News accused of being used as a ploy to market the "Fruitvale" film.

[CountDeMoney]

Arent you overdue for the kitty euthanasia down at the shelter CountDeStangl

It's a no-kill shelter.   There's no STAND YOUR KITTY LITTER bullshit there.

[CountDeMoney]

Apropos of nothing, this film is apparently drawing in large crowds.

Apples and oranges, though.

[11B4V]

People marching through the city broke windows, spray painted cars and buildings and attempted to start fires, according to The Oakland Tribune.

Pfft, Oakland.

[CountDeMoney]

People marching through the city broke windows, spray painted cars and buildings and attempted to start fires, according to The Oakland Tribune.

Pfft, Oakland.

It was a Sunday.

[11B4V]

I need to stay off facebook today. I don't need to read about how this is just another example of the violent oppression of people of color to shore up the safety, health and wealth of white people...

You must have some weird social contacts.

They're just different than yours, kinda like how your contacts and their LULZ AL SHARPTON IS A MONKEY LOOKIT DEM LIPS posts would be weird to garbon.

The only time I've seen something resembling a post like that, was in fact posted by a black guy. On the other hand, CountDeFarrakhan and crew have a long way to go yet.

[CountDeMoney]

The only time I've seen something resembling a post like that, was in fact posted by a black guy. On the other hand, CountDeFarrakhan and crew have a long way to go yet.

NO JUSTICE NO SKITTLES

[Barrister]

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.

Pretty much my take on it as well.

Sucks that Zimmerman is going to get away with killing someone, but barring a justice system MUCH more tolerant of risking putting innocent men in jail, there is no way to avoid outcomes like this at times.

Not necessarily.  You just have to have a system where the right to self-defence is more narrowed.

If this had happened in, oh, say, Canada, even if you accept Zimmerman's version of events he probably would not have been justified in using his firearm.  You can't use a handgun to defend yourself from a physical confrontation, you can only use it if you fear from suffering 'death or grevious bodily harm'.