'Bout Time

[BSB]

Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 -- 5:26 PM EDT
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George Zimmerman to Be Charged in Death of Trayvon Martin, Law Enforcement Officials Say

The Florida special prosecutor will announce charges on Wednesday against George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, law enforcement officials said.
Angela B. Corey, the prosecutor, called a news conference in Jacksonville for 6 p.m. Wednesday to announce the charges against Mr. Zimmerman, 28, a crime watch volunteer, who fatally shot Mr. Martin, an unarmed teenager, in a case that has captivated the country and brought to the fore issues of race, violence and precisely what constitutes self-defense.

Critical to the decision of the prosecutor will be whether or not the shooting fell under Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which gives wide leeway to people who claim self-defense, and which does not require people to retreat before using deadly force.

Read More:
http://www.nytimes.com/?emc=na

[BSB]

Of course this racist, bigoted, pretend cop hasn't been found guilty, YET. And here in America, land that I love, we don't put 'em away 'til they are found guilty. But this gun nut IS guilty, and will soon be behind bars where he belongs.

BSB

[Christians4LessGvt]

Once the facts come out, race-baiters, haters, & dividers be damned,
I expect Mr. Zimmerman to be found not guilty!

[BT]

I expect Zimmerman and Martin are surrogates for a trial about the stand your ground law.

[Xavier_Onassis]

I expect Zimmerman and Martin are surrogates for a trial about the stand your ground law.

===================================
I find this probable.

It will be most disheartening to "Christians" if a court rules that you cannot prowl the streets looking for suspicious Negroes and shoot them and get away with it. Hardly worth buying that seventeenth gun.

[BSB]

"surrogates for a trial about the stand your ground law."

It may not even go to court. Zimmerman may take a plea. If it does, however, IMHO it's too weak a case to set any precedent on the stand your ground law. If someone wants to defend their client on the basis of that law they'll need a less bias encounter.


BSB

[BT]

The idea that they are charging him with second degree murder which could carry a sentence of life imprisonment would be strong motivation to cop a plea to a lesser offense especially when one considers the cost of mounting a defense was bandied about by the local stations as to why Corey charged the way she did.

On the other side of the coin is Zimmerman has lawyered up with a high powered Orlando defense lawyer who specializes in these types of cases and might have expenses covered by advocates and supporters of stand your ground laws might make my hunch a reality.

The core of Zimmerman's case is whether the prosecutors go after his affirmative defense of self defense and whether they have the witnesses to disprove his claim. I think the prosecution will focus on the time frame from the 911 call to the encounter and Zimmerman will focus on the time frame from the exchange of words, the punch, the headbanging and the shot.

What this announcement does it get the case back of the streets and into the judicial system, where it belongs.

Let the facts come out in the courtroom and not the press.

And hopefully then the system will have a chance to work.

[sirs]

Without knowing the facts of the case, until it comes out in court, I expect something along the lines of the Duke Lacrosse debacle, where Prosecuter Corey, pushed by furious public pressure by the black community, wants to pull a Nifong, and push a case that has little chance, if any, of getting a verdict for the crime he's alledged to have committed

And here's the kicker, which I've already opined before.  Folks have already made up their mind that Zimmerman is guilty, and some racist bigoted pretend cop.  And if he were to, "gasp*. be found not guilty, the fuel that those same folks have ginned up, will likely ignite the next version of Rodney King riots

Way to go

[BT]

I listened to Corey's announcement and she is no Nifong. Her press conference Q&A was strictly by the numbers and she did not let the reporter lead her astray. No grandstanding. She basically said the next step is tomorrow when Zimmerman appears before the magistrate in Seminole County and then the case will proceed from there. Her mission on orders from the Republican Governor was to get this case off the streets and into a court room if the facts merited it. She thinks she can win this case based on the information at hand. We will find out as the witness come forwatrd and under penalty of perjury tell what they no.

[sirs]

As I said, the facts will come out, and when they do, IF Zimmerman is found not guilty....just watch the riots start

Hard to convict on 2nd degree murder, given what's required to reach that verdict, beyond a reasonable doubt.  Even the timeline you opine that Corey will need to focus on, hardly highlights a person intent on killing, especially given Zimmerman's history of never having pulled his weapon on the multitude of other 911 calls made....not to mention the crimes that this "pretend cop" did prevent in his function as a neighborhood watch

[BSB]

Watch out for those darkies. Next thing you know they'll want to make it illegal to shoot 'em.

BSB

[Christians4LessGvt]

it's great exposing the racists that want to convict the hispanic before his trial.

[BSB]

Well I'm probably at least .000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 % hispanic there Tex, and proud of it.


BSB, remember the Alamo

[sirs]

Watch out for those darkies. Next thing you know they'll want to make it illegal to shoot 'em.

BSB

Not just an elitist, but a racist elitist.  Who'd a thunk it?

sirs

[Xavier_Onassis]

This happened because a pretend cop was allowed to run about with a lethal weapon.
The law says, I believe that if you point a gun at someone in a threatening way, it is a mandatory prison sentence.

On the other hand, if you SHOOT that gun, you can just claim self defense and that you were standing your ground.

That is seriously screwed up.

Nevertheless, let the judicial system do its thing.

There will be many stupid things said as a result of this.