A Few Questions for Those Upset by the Zimmerman Verdict [this really exposes their ignorance]

A Few Questions for Those
Upset by the Zimmerman Verdict

(This survey takes 5-10 minutes to complete)

Last Updated: 7/25/2013, 3:50 PM PST

Please Note: This survey focuses specifically on some of the most underreported (or misreported) facts in this case -- facts that challenge many of the preconceptions created by the news media's coverage of this topic. It is not meant to be a balanced or comprehensive list of all the evidence. It does not cover the well-known facts and is not a scientific poll of any kind. Its purpose is to highlight the facts you probably didn't know because they were ignored, widely misreported or contradicted the story many in the news media wanted to tell.

Here's some quick background:

The primary issue in the Zimmerman Trial was whether there was enough evidence to conclude that Zimmerman may have legitimately acted in self-defense. During the trial, it wasn't necessary for the defense team to absolutely prove that Zimmerman acted in self-defense -- just that there was enough evidence (or lack of contrary evidence) to believe it was reasonably possible.

Zimmerman's defense claim is basically this:

Zimmerman was in his car when he spotted Martin acting strange (wandering in the rain and staring at the houses), so he called the police. After seeing Zimmerman in his car, Martin started running off down the walkway between some of the buildings. Zimmerman then got out of his car but lost sight of Martin after a few moments. He continued in the same direction as Martin for a few hundred feet either to try to see where Martin went or to check the street name to give an address to the police (or both).

Zimmerman says he lost sight of Martin, but since the dispatcher advised him not to continue following, he started walking back to meet the police. Martin then approached him from behind and said "Yo, you got a problem?" Zimmerman said "No" and picked up his phone to call the police. Martin then said "Well, you do now" and punched Zimmerman in the face. Zimmerman was knocked to the ground while Martin got on top of him and started hitting him and bashing his head into the ground. Zimmerman says that when Martin saw his gun he tried to grab it saying "You're going to die tonight, motherf***er" so he only fired the gun in self-defense, believing his life was in danger.

If that version of events was true, then Zimmerman had a legitimate self-defense claim. Martin would not have been justified in attacking him because he could not have reasonably thought he was being threatened by a guy walking back to his car, especially after he responded with "No" when Martin asked "You got a problem?"

If, however, Zimmerman was lying about what happened and had actually confronted Martin and attacked him first, or intentionally tried to provoke him into fighting, he could not legitimately claim self-defense.

Many people believe, based on limited information gathered from the news media, that Zimmerman must be lying because they believe he was a racist who racially profiled Martin and followed him with the intention of killing him, or at least provoking a fight. Many believe Trayvon Martin was too young or too small to have attacked Zimmerman or that he had no history of violent behavior. They are convinced the jury made the wrong decision.

If you are one of those people, here are a few questions for you!

Keep in mind that if the jury concluded, based on the evidence, there was even a reasonable chance Zimmerman's version of events was true, they were obligated to find him "not guilty".

Please Also Note: Nothing in this survey is meant to suggest that Trayvon Martin deserved to die. It doesn't prove he did anything. Nor does it prove anything about Zimmerman's guilt or innocence. It's is simply meant to promote awareness of underreported facts that shed light on the plausibility of Zimmerman's version of events, whether or not Zimmerman was, in fact, racist, and whether the individuals and facts were portrayed accurately by the news media.

Do you think the jury in the George Zimmerman trial was right to find him "not guilty" of both the Second Degree Murder and Manslaughter charges?

(Answer "No" if you think he should have been convicted of either charge.)

Yes No

Were you aware of the fact that Zimmerman never mentioned Martin's race until he was asked about it by the dispatcher?

http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/326700-full-transcript-zimmerman.html

Yes No

Did you ever see or hear anything about NBC editing the audio of George Zimmerman's call the police in order to make him sound racist?

Here's the video:

Yes No

Were you aware of the fact that this widely distributed photo of George Zimmerman was taken in 2005 when he was 22 years old (6 years before the incident)?

Yes No

This was photo of Zimmerman on the night of incident. Had you ever seen this photo?

Yes No

Were you aware of the fact that this widely-seen photo of Trayvon Martin looking like a child, was NOT what Trayvon looked like at the time of the incident?

Yes No

Were you aware of the fact that Trayvon was 17 years old at the time of the incident?

http://www.tampabay.com/news/a-review-of-the-evidence-released-in-the-trayvon-martin-case/1230750

Yes No

Were you aware of the fact that Trayvon was nearly 6-feet tall and 158 pounds according to the coroner's report?

http://www.tampabay.com/news/a-review-of-the-evidence-released-in-the-trayvon-martin-case/1230750

Yes No

These are 2 photos of Trayvon from closer to the time of the incident. Did you ever see these photos?

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/os-george-zimmerman-evidence-photos-20130522-011,0,2038224.photo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Trayvon_Martin

Yes No

10.

This photo of Trayvon was taken 9 days before the incident. Did you ever see this photo?

http://www.snopes.com/photos/politics/martin.asp

Yes No

11.

Did you ever see these photos from Trayvon's Facebook page?

Note that there are some similar photos of "Trayvon" on the web that have been debunked as fakes (or the wrong Trayvon Martin). These are not the fake ones.

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/Trayvon-Martin-Suspended-From-School-Three-Times-Report-144403305.html

Yes No

12.

This is a photo of Trayvon from the surveillance camera at the 7-Eleven a few minutes before he was killed. Did you ever see this photo?

Yes No

13.

Were you aware of the fact that, at the time of the incident, Trayvon was serving a ten day suspension from school -- his 3rd suspension in 4 months?

(This most recent suspension was for getting caught with a marijuana pipe and an empty bag containing marijuana residue.)

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/26/v-fullstory/2714778/thousands-expected-at-trayvon.html
http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/Trayvon-Martin-Suspended-From-School-Three-Times-Report-144403305.html
http://www.wftv.com/news/news/trayvon-martin-cellphone-photos-school-records-rel/nXz36/

Yes No

14.

In October, 2011, 4 months before he was killed, Trayvon was caught on a security camera writing graffiti on a school door. When his backpack was searched by a police officer looking for the graffiti marker, the officer found 12 pieces of women's jewelry (silver wedding bands and diamond earrings), a man's watch and a flathead screwdriver the officer described as a "burglary tool". Did you ever hear anything about this incident?

(At the time the school police could not determine who the jewelry belonged to, so Martin was only suspended for graffiti. However, the jewelry and watch appear to match a description of items stolen during a burglary of a house about a half-mile from the school that took place on Oct. 21, 2011. It is unclear whether the jewelry was ever returned or definitively matched to the jewelry Martin had in his backpack.)

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/26/v-fullstory/2714778/thousands-expected-at-trayvon.html
http://spectator.org/blog/2013/07/15/trayvon-crime-school-miami
http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2013/05/01/m-dspd-cover-up-the-curious-case-of-trayvon-martins-backpack-with-stolen-jewelry-and-burglary-tool/

Yes No

15.

Were you aware of the fact that text messages retrieved from Trayvon's cellphone show him talking to someone about selling a firearm?

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/trayvon-martin-cellphone-photos-school-records-rel/nXz36/

Yes No

16.

These photos were taken from Trayvon Martin's cell phone. Have you ever see these photos?

(It's not clear who is holding the gun or who it belongs to.)

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/trayvon-martin-cellphone-photos-school-records-rel/nXz36/
http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/26/justice/florida-zimmerman-defense

Yes No

17.

Did you ever see or hear anything about this text message sequence taken from Trayvon's phone in which he brags about fighting and says he's not going to stop?

MARTIN: Cause man dat nigga snitched on me
FRIEND: Bae y you always fightinqq man, you got suspended?
MARTIN: Naw we thumped afta skool in a duckd off spot
FRIEND: Ohh, Well Damee
MARTIN: I lost da 1st round :( but won da 2nd nd 3rd ...
FRIEND: Ohhh So It Wass 3 Rounds? Damn well at least yu wonn lol but yuu needa stop fighting bae Forreal
MARTIN: Nay im not done with fool... he gone hav 2 see me again
FRIEND: Nooo... Stop, yuu waint gonn bee satisified till yuh suspended again, huh?
MARTIN: Naw but he aint breed nuff 4 me, only his nose

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/trayvon-martin-cellphone-photos-school-records-rel/nXz36/

Yes No

18.

Did you ever read or hear anything about Trayvon's text messages from 3 months before the incident in which he tells a friend he's been suspended from school for fighting?

(It's not clear whether he is referring to the suspension in October or another one in November. His family says it was for "tardiness and truancy", but since the school records have not been released, it can't be confirmed whether there were multiple reasons for any of his suspensions.)

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/trayvon-martin-cellphone-photos-school-records-rel/nXz36/
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/Trayvon-Martin-evidence-photos-679832

Yes No

19.

Were you aware of the fact that Trayvon's older brother Stephen send him a Twitter message 5 days before he was killed saying "yu ain't tell me yu swung on a bus driver", suggesting Trayvon had tried to assault a bus driver?

http://www.examiner.com/article/trayvon-martin-s-ten-day-suspension

Yes No

20.

Trayvon Martin lived in Miami Gardens with his mother, but had been sent to stay with his father in the Twin Lakes community (where the incident took place) during his 10-day suspension. In one of Martin's text messages he says his mom didn't want him at home because she was afraid he would get in more fights. Did you ever read or hear anything about this?

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/Trayvon-Martin-evidence-photos-679832
http://www.wftv.com/news/news/trayvon-martin-cellphone-photos-school-records-rel/nXz36/

Yes No

21.

Were you aware of the fact that 2 police investigators testified that Trayvon Martin's father initially told them that the man's voice calling for help on the 911 recording was NOT the voice of his son? (He later said it was his son's voice in his testimony at trial.)

http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jul/08/nation/la-na-0709-zimmerman-trial-20130709

Yes No

22.

Were you aware of the fact that Rachel Jeantel, the prosecution's witness who was on the phone with Martin just before he was shot, testified that she wasn't sure who's voice it was calling for help on the 911 recording?

Jeantel's testimony: "It could be. Like I said, I don't know but it could be. The dude sound kind of like Trayvon. Trayvon do got that soft voice and that baby voice sometimes, so it could be, I don't know."

http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/26/justice/zimmerman-trial

Yes No

23.

Were you aware of the fact that Rachel Jeantel said she warned Trayvon Martin on the phone that the man following him might be a gay rapist and that Trayvon was freaked out by it just moments before his altercation with Zimmerman?

Yes No

24.

Did you ever hear about or see this interview with Rachel Jeantel in which she says she believes it was Trayvon who hit first (although she believes it was justified)?

Yes No

25.

Were you aware of the fact that an eye witness said he saw Martin on top of Zimmerman punching him "MMA style" during the struggle before the shots were fired?

(Some sources had reported that there were two witness who saw Martin on top, but the second witness, who arrived on the scene immediately after the gunshot, only said Zimmerman looked like he had "got his butt beat". He had not witnessed the actual struggle.)

http://abcnews.go.com/US/george-zimmerman-beaten-prosecution-witnesses/story?id=19517236

Yes No

26.

During the trial, Timothy Smith, the first police officer to arrive at the scene, was asked to describe Zimmerman's clothing on the scene. He said "The back of it was wetter than the front of it. It was also covered in grass." and agreed that this was consistent with someone lying on his back in the wet grass (It had been raining).

Did you read or hear anything about this testimony?

http://www.hlntv.com/article/2013/06/28/questions-still-loom-over-george-zimmerman-trial

Yes No

27.

Were you aware of the fact that Zimmerman's medical records from the day after the incident confirmed he had a broken (fractured) nose, two black eyes and lacerations on the back of his head?

(Note that the prosecution and some news reports claimed he did not have a broken nose, apparently believing that, because he appeared to have a straight septum, that meant his nose was not broken. However, the medical report said it was a "closed fracture", which is considered a "broken nose" and the attending physician's assistant confirmed at the trial that he indeed had a broken nose, despite the apparently straight septum.)

http://abcnews.go.com/US/george-zimmerman-medical-report-sheds-light-injuries-trayvon/story?id=16353532#.UeTgH0G1EZm

Yes No

28.

Did you ever see any of these photos of Zimmerman from the night of the incident?

Yes No

29.

If you believe that it was actually Zimmerman who was on top during the struggle on the ground, do you have an alternate theory of how he got the injuries on the back of his head?

Yes No
N/A

30.

Have you ever seen this map (or any similar map) of the area where the confrontation took place?

Yes No

31.

Were you aware that the total distance Zimmerman walked after leaving his truck was around 300 feet (assuming he went along the path he described from his truck to the point of the confrontation)?

Yes No

32.

Have you ever seen this police video in which Zimmerman gives his explantation of what happened to investigators?

Yes No

33.

Were you aware of the fact that, contrary to what was widely reported, Zimmerman never said "f***ing coons" on the audio recording of his call to the police? (What he actually said was said "f***ing punks". Even the prosecution admitted this at the trial.)

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/trayvon-martin-trial-opens-george-zimmerman-quote-article-1.1380872

Yes No

34.

Did you ever hear about this separate CNN audio analysis of Zimmerman's call that confirms he said "punks"?

Yes No

35.

Were you aware of the fact that the FBI also investigated the case and, after interviewing nearly three dozen people, found no evidence that Zimmerman was racist?

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/07/12/155918/more-evidence-released-in-trayvon.html#.UeNDO0G1EZl

Yes No

36.

Were you aware of the fact that Zimmerman is half Peruvian?

http://www.examiner.com/article/ignored-by-media-zimmerman-voted-for-obama-tutored-black-kids

Yes No

37.

Were you aware of the fact that, in 2004, Zimmerman and a black friend started a business together (an Allstate insurance office)?

http://www.examiner.com/article/ignored-by-media-zimmerman-voted-for-obama-tutored-black-kids

Yes No

38.

Were you aware of the fact that Zimmerman took a black girl to his high-school prom?

http://www.examiner.com/article/ignored-by-media-zimmerman-voted-for-obama-tutored-black-kids

Yes No

39.

Were you aware of the fact that Zimmerman was a registered Democrat who voted for Obama?

http://www.examiner.com/article/ignored-by-media-zimmerman-voted-for-obama-tutored-black-kids

Yes No

40.

Were you aware of the fact that, in 2010, Zimmerman helped organize a Sanford City Hall community forum to protest the beating of a homeless black man who was beaten up by a white kid?

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_23659472

Yes No

41.

Were you aware of the fact that, in the months just before the incident, the gated community had experienced several burglaries and break-ins and that, in several of the cases, there were witnesses who said the robbers were young black men?

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/25/us-usa-florida-shooting-zimmerman-idUSBRE83O18H20120425

Yes No

42.

Did you ever hear any of the following facts?

Residents in the said gated community said there had been dozens of reports of attempted break-ins and would-be burglars casing homes
7 months before the incident a black teenager stole a bicycle off the Zimmermans' porch
5 months before the Trayvon incident two young black men broke into the house of Olivia Bertalan, Zimmerman's neighbor, while she was in the house. She hid upstairs and called the police while the two men tried to steal her TV. When the police arrived, they fled. One of them ran through the Zimmermans' yard.
The next month, because of all the burglaries, several residents of the neighborhood asked the neighborhood association to create a neighborhood watch and Zimmerman was asked to run it.
The next month, two more houses in the neighborhood were robbed.
3 weeks before the incident, Zimmerman spotted a young black man looking into the windows of a neighbor's house. He called the police and said "I don't know what he's doing. I don't want to approach him, personally." By the time the police finally arrived, the man was gone.
4 days later another house was burglarized. Witnesses said two of the robbers were black teenagers. One of them was soon caught with a laptop stolen from the house. He turned out to be the same man Zimmerman had previously reported looking in windows.
Zimmerman's black neighbor was quoted as saying "Let's talk about the elephant in the room. I'm black, OK? There were black boys robbing houses in this neighborhood. That's why George was suspicious of Trayvon Martin."
Most of the perpetrators of the prior burglaries and thefts were apparently never caught. (All sources we could find only mention one being caught.)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/25/us-usa-florida-shooting-zimmerman-idUSBRE83O18H20120425

Yes No

43.

Two weeks after the last burglary, Zimmerman saw Travyon Martin walking through the gated community. According to what he told the police Zimmerman didn't recongnize Martin as a resident (Martin was temporarily staying with his father during his 10-day suspension). Zimmerman then called the police saying:

"Hey, we've had some break-ins in my neighborhood, and there's a real suspicious guy [near] Retreat View Circle. This guy looks like he's up to no good or he's on drugs or something. It's raining and he's walking around, looking about...He was just staring...He's just walking around the area looking at all the houses...Something's wrong with him."

Did you ever see or hear this part of Zimmerman's phone call in which he describes being suspicious of Martin because of his behavior?

http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/326700-full-transcript-zimmerman.html

Yes No

44.

Several media reports have mentioned that it was a violation of the Neighborhood Watch rules to carry a gun. However, Zimmerman was not on Neighborhood Watch duty that night. He was simply on his way to the grocery store when he saw Martin, so he was not in violation of the rules. Were you aware of this fact?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qfkRTC5gF4

Yes No

45.

Were you aware of the fact that, just before Zimmerman started following Martin on foot, the police dispatcher told him "Just let me know if this guy does anything else" and when Martin started running the dispatcher said "He's running? Which way is he running" (which could potentially be taken as an instruction to follow him and find out)?

http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/326700-full-transcript-zimmerman.html

Yes No

46.

Were you aware of the fact that the police dispatcher did NOT tell Zimmerman to stay in his car?

(Zimmerman was already proceeding on foot in the direction Martin had run. When he told this to the dispatcher, the dispatcher simply said, "We don't need you to do that" and Zimmerman said "OK". He and the dispatcher then discussed where he should meet with the police who were almost there. Zimmerman claims he then started walking back to meet the police. The audio, including the reduced pace if his breathing, seems to be consistent with his claim that he was walking at that point, but there is no way to tell in which direction.)

Raw Audio: http://videos.mediaite.com/audio/Raw-Audio-911-Call-George-Zimme
Transcript: http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/326700-full-transcript-zimmerman.html

Yes No

47.

Were you aware of the fact that Zimmerman passed a police Voice Stress Analysis (lie detector) test the day after the incident?

(During the test Zimmerman was asked, "Did you confront the guy you shot?", to which Zimmerman answered, "No." He was also asked, "Were you in fear for your life, when you shot the guy?", to which Zimmerman answered, "Yes." The examiner concluded that Zimmerman "told substantially the complete truth" in the examination, and Zimmerman was classified as "No Deception Indicated (NDI)")

http://www.wjla.com/articles/2012/06/george-zimmerman-told-truth-about-trayvon-martin-shooting-documents-state-77322.html
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/george-zimmerman-lie-detector-421395

Yes No

48.

During the interrogation of Zimmerman at the police station that night, Detective Chris Serino, who led the homicide investigation, told Zimmerman that someone had caught the entire incident on video. The detective was bluffing, but Zimmerman didn't know that. The detective said Zimmerman's reaction was "Thank God, I was hoping somebody would videotape it." Did you ever hear about this?

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/01/19238721-jury-hears-tapes-of-zimmermans-first-accounts-to-investigators-of-confrontation-with-martin?lite
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1307/02/cnr.01.html

Yes No

49.

Were you aware of the fact that, in the trial, Zimmerman's defense case was not based on the Florida "Stand Your Ground" law?

(Zimmerman claimed that, because Martin punched him in the face and pinned him to the ground, he was unable to retreat and therefore acted in legitimate self-defense, even without the "stand your ground" law. States without "stand your ground" laws still allow for the use of lethal force when a person has a reasonable fear that their life is in danger and they cannot retreat.

Some have noted that, although the jury instructions did include "stand your ground" language, that language is part of the standard jury instruction [3.6(f)] in all cases where the defendant claims self-defense. It does not mean it was necessarily relevant to the verdict.

However, one of the jurors has since said the jury did discuss the "stand your ground" law even though it was not used as part of Zimmerman's defense, because they felt it would have supported his self-defense claim even if some members of jury doubted his inability to retreat. Based on the juror's comments, although "stand your ground" was factored into the discussion, it is unlikely that it changed the outcome of their verdict. The prosecution simply hadn't provided enough evidence to disprove Zimmerman's version of events beyond reasonable doubt.)

http://www.floridasupremecourt.org/jury_instructions/instructions.shtml
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/07/21/3513024/marc-caputo-even-without-stand.html
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/07/16/3502481/juror-we-talked-stand-your-ground.html

Yes No

50.

Are you aware that our criminal justice system requires a jury to believe that a defendant is guilty beyond all reasonable doubt in order to convict him?

Yes No

51.

Do you think it's likely Trayvon Martin confronted Zimmerman and attacked him?

Yes No

52.

Do you think it's at least possible that Trayvon Martin confronted Zimmerman and attacked him?

Yes No

53.

Do you think it's at least possible that Zimmerman shot Martin in legitimate self-defense?

Yes No

54.

Are you aware of the fact that, as a juror, you would be obligated to find Zimmerman "not guilty" if you believe it is possible (within reason) that Martin initiated the confrontation, attacked Zimmerman and Zimmerman acted in legitimate self-defense (even if you think Zimmerman was foolish to follow Martin)?

Yes No

55.

Do you think the jury was right to find George Zimmerman "not guilty" of both the Second Degree Murder and Manslaughter charges?

(Answer "No" if you think he should have been convicted of either charge.)

Yes No

56.

From which of the following sources do you get your news?

Network News (NBC, CBS, ABC)	Left-leaning websites/blogs
CNN	Libertarian-leaning websites/blogs
Fox News	Humor websites/blogs
MSNBC	Other websites/blogs
PBS	Links posted by friends on Facebook
NPR	Twitter
Talk Radio (other than NPR)	Morning/Daytime talk shows (The Today Show, GMA, The View, etc.)
Newspapers (including their websites)	Late night talk shows (Leno, Letterman, Conan, etc.)
News Magazines (including their websites)	The Daily Show
Other News Websites	The Colbert Report
Drudge Report	Talking to friends
Right-leaning websites/blogs	Other

57.

Do you think most of your news sources did a good job of presenting all the facts in this case?

Yes No

58.

Do you have any comments about this survey?

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