It’s nonsense.
The bit about Zimmerman “disobeying” the dispatcher and obstructing justice etc. is so absurd it is laughable.
The premise that in Florida the jury must convict on second degree murder or free the defendant is wrong. The jury is permitted to instead convict on a lesser included offense, which in the case of second degree murder includes manslaughter.
In any event, there are NO facts reported by any news media that can form the basis of a finding of guilty beyond a reasonable doubt on ANY offense.
Commentators claim the special prosecutor must have some sort of secret evidence to justify the charging affidavit, but that seems EXTREMELY unlikely given the media attention to this case and all of what has been reported about the police investigation.
It doesn’t matter what led up to face-to-face confrontation, and much has been made of this. If in the end Zimmerman was attacked and feared for his life, self defense can be invoked. Not a lawyer but seems like common sense to me.
They are permitted to convict on lesser ONLY if the Prosecution asks for it. (Unless the FL procedure is very different from where I practiced).
“The bit about Zimmerman “disobeying” the dispatcher and obstructing justice etc. is so absurd it is laughable.” I agree,where I live in Maryland, the dispatchers are girls (of whom I’ve dated a few) they are not duly sworn police OFFICERS, so I question their authority to give a “lawfull order.” It may be differant in Florida, I speak only from my locality. Any others out there that have a similar set-up?