George Zimmerman Not Guilty

[BoomerLynn]

I wasn't sure whether to post this here or in Chatter, but I figured here would be better since it gets more views. Mods feel free to move it if I'm wrong. Apparently it is ok to shoot an unarmed teenager in Florida. :pull-hair:

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07 ... uilty?lite

[doggie]

well if it is ok to shoot someone having sex with your wdfe because you have a wee wee problem this is a no brainer. gotta love florida it is so easy to murder someone.

http://gawker.com/florida-man-who-fatal ... -510657376

[singsingsing]

Based on the evidence, there is no way I could have convicted him, either.

[dpndetfarm]

But the south isn't racist anymore. The supreme court said so.

Unbefuckinglievable!

[diddykong]

IMO it was a just ruling.

I think it's horrible that someone's child died. I really feel sad for the family of Trayvon Martin. No parent should suffer that agony.

In my heart I genuinely believe that this was a tragic death, resulting from genuine self defense..

[singsingsing]

IMO it was a just ruling.

I think it's horrible that someone's child died. I really feel sad for the family of Trayvon Martin. No parent should suffer that agony.

In my heart I genuinely believe that this was a tragic death, resulting from genuine self defense..

I agree with you. At first I was also convinced that Zimmerman was a racist murderer. Then I really started digging into all of the evidence of what actually happened, and the laws in Florida, and my opinion changed. Terrible, tragic situation. Neither Martin nor Zimmerman was blameless, but neither was a monster, either. It's good that a just verdict was reached, but in this case nobody really 'wins'.

[RealityTVRN]

Based on the evidence, there is no way I could have convicted him, either.

Same here. I really felt the prosecution's own witnesses did them in.

[dpndetfarm]

Based on the evidence, there is no way I could have convicted him, either.

Really? How so? Zimmerman followed Martin. Zimmerman "started" it. How does he get to claim imminent danger? By your reasoning if I start a fight with you but suddenly find I misjudged your ability I can pull my gun and shoot you. And if I am a good aim I am all set. Is that OK with you?

[singsingsing]

Really? How so? Zimmerman followed Martin. Zimmerman "started" it. How does he get to claim imminent danger? By your reasoning if I start a fight with you but suddenly find I misjudged your ability I can pull my gun and shoot you. And if I am a good aim I am all set. Is that OK with you?

Based on the evidence, I believe that, regardless of who actually 'started' the fight or encounter, Zimmerman was being attacked by Martin, and that he was genuinely in fear of losing his life or sustaining grave injury. I won't go into why I believe this because the evidence is readily available, and you can look at it and draw your own conclusions (which I'm sure you already have). Because of this evidence, and because of the fact that Zimmerman was not proved guilty of second degree murder or manslaughter beyond a reasonable doubt, I believe it was appropriate for him to be acquitted.

[dpndetfarm]

I agree with you. At first I was also convinced that Zimmerman was a racist murderer. Then I really started digging into all of the evidence of what actually happened, and the laws in Florida, and my opinion changed. Terrible, tragic situation. Neither Martin nor Zimmerman was blameless, but neither was a monster, either. It's good that a just verdict was reached, but in this case nobody really 'wins'.

Except the only side of "what really happened" was given by the one with the gun. You know, the only one left with a pulse.

[Kira]

The Florida self defense law is awful. If you start a fight then begin to lose the fight and kill the person you can claim self defense. A woman fired a gun at her abusive ex husband and received 20 years in prison. A read an article that says even gang members have benefited from the Florida self defense law.

[dpndetfarm]

Oh, one more thing. Just because it's apparently legal, doesn't mean it's not murder. Florida has made it legal to murder children. And anyone else who pisses you off.

[changemanagement]

Zimmerman should have never got out of the car. He's free now, but I'm sure he'll need to watch his back.

[Mela99]

The lawyer in me hates that I support the verdict BASED ON THE PROSECUTION'S CASE. I wouldn't have convicted him, either. They dropped the ball, man.

That said, 'not guilty' does not ever equate to 'innocent'. He knows what he did. He could have stopped as soon as 911 told him not to follow the boy.

And I call bullshit on the "he was going to kill me by bashing my head on the cement". Uhhuh. And from such violent, blunt force trauma of a skull on concrete you had two miniscule scrapes.

I can't even go into it further. It kills me. And everybody on facebook thinks they're a goddamn lawyer. I'm allowed to say that because I AM a goddamn lawyer.

[SpeakNow]

Based on the evidence, I believe that, regardless of who actually 'started' the fight or encounter, Zimmerman was being attacked by Martin, and that he was genuinely in fear of losing his life or sustaining grave injury. I won't go into why I believe this because the evidence is readily available, and you can look at it and draw your own conclusions (which I'm sure you already have). Because of this evidence, and because of the fact that Zimmerman was not proved guilty of second degree murder or manslaughter beyond a reasonable doubt, I believe it was appropriate for him to be acquitted.

But the thing is, Zimmerman was told by the police not to follow Martin. He chose to start following him. When he realized Martin could hurt him, he shot him. IMO it is not true self-defense if you provoke the other person (especially when police tell you not to). You shouldn't just be able to start a confrontation and kill your opponent when you realize he is stronger than you.

[singsingsing]

Except the only side of "what really happened" was given by the one with the gun. You know, the only one left with a pulse.

Exactly. The fact that Trayvon Martin cannot give his side of the story is a tragedy. However, verdicts have to be reached based on the evidence available. The evidence available in this case convinced the jurors that they could not convict Zimmerman, and had I been on the jury, I also could not have convicted him. What I think about the laws in Florida, or whether I think Zimmerman was 'right', or what I think he should have done instead, is irrelevant to the point I'm making.

[tabitha2]

Zimmerman should have never got out of the car. He's free now, but I'm sure he'll need to watch his back

that's the country I really want to live in...proven innocent by law and evidence but have to watch your back for gear of vigilante justice :x

[Miss M]

Except the only side of "what really happened" was given by the one with the gun. You know, the only one left with a pulse.

This ^^^^, thank you!!

[GiGi_41]

The smart thing to do now would be to put effort into changing the law.

[SheWhoIsObeyed]

I thought the prosecution did a lousy job, but that the evidence itself was overwhelming. How they got to Not Guilty is a shame!

Leaving FL 33 years ago was the best decision of my life.

:cry: :cry: :cry:

[Rowan]

that's the country I really want to live in...proven innocent by law and evidence but have to watch your back for gear of vigilante justice :x

I agree with your sentiment, however he was not proven innocent. He was just found to be Not Guilty per the legal definition of that term.

Not saying I agree with it but I didn't really pay much attention to the case anyway.

[hathorlive]

As an expert witness in Federal and State court, it was a horribly put together trial. But at the end of the day, we've just declared it a free for all to start a conflict, incite a conflict and end a conflict with a gun. With no penalties. If Zimmerman stays in the car, there's no dead kid. If he does as instructed by the police, there's no dead kid. He provoked everything that happened.

Having lived in Daytona, I'm glad I left this racist state. What's wrong with the criminal justice system there? First Casey Anthony and now this. So sad to be an American. So sad to live in a country where everything is solved by a gun. Mr. Zimmerman better be wearing a vest tonight. And my entire middle class white family agrees.

[Mela99]

I thought the prosecution did a lousy job, but that the evidence itself was overwhelming. How they got to Not Guilty is a shame!

Leaving FL 33 years ago was the best decision of my life.

:cry: :cry: :cry:

Sad part is, it's not always the evidence. It's how they present it. You can have a really strong case ad blow it at trial.

[fundiefun]

I'm surprised Zimmerman was allowed to own a gun with his past history of domestic violence, molesting a relative, resisting arrest, etc. It makes me wonder how does someone with his past get to be able to have access to a gun? Stricter gun control laws could probably prevent more of these incidents.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/pos ... vant-past/

[tuckerphez]

So according to Florida's stand your ground law....

If a black woman fires warning shots at her husband who is known to have a history of domestic violence and no one gets hurt, she gets 20 years in jail.

If a white guy racially profiles a kid he doesn't know, deliberately disobeys a 911 dispatcher, gets out of his car and shoots said kid because he looks suspicious, he's not guilty.