Despite outrage, federal charges uncertain in Zimmerman case

CNN ^ | July 15, 2013 | Carol Cratty and Tom Cohen

[Uncle Chip]

uncertain is an understatement.

[ModelBreaker]

Is there a federal common law of self-defense? Or is it written into the statute?

[Windflier]

A sad day in the US when prosecutions are now based on mob outcries not the rule of law or facts

The fact that the mob has no legal grounds to exact their revenge upon Zimmerman only means that they'll resort to taking 'justice' into their own hands.

GZ will be a marked man for the rest of his days. He may not be going to a concrete prison, but his life from this point forward will be a prison itself. His only hope for real freedom, is to one day slip quietly out of the country and relocate to a place where no one knows him.

I'm not even sure that's possible, given today's interconnected world.

[Errant]

I believe any law related to self-defense would come under state statues. I don’t know of any federal codes that pertain to citizens in that regard?

[Errant]

Taking into consideration the clock is ticking, I think they’re going to use this for all it’s worth; damn the torpedoes.

[Windflier]

I believe any law related to self-defense would come under state statues. I don’t know of any federal codes that pertain to citizens in that regard?

"...the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

Seems to me that the right of self defense is implicit in the 2nd Amendment, though radical libs would argue otherwise.

[Errant]

I agree with you, but since that amendment speaks, of militias, it's all too easy for liberals to argue that it doesn't pertain to an individual, where state statues are specific.

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it (The Constitution) to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

Therefor, it is the States who have supremacy, even though most state AG's cowardly relinquish those rights to the federal government.

[Errant]

GZ will be a marked man for the rest of his days.

If I were GZ, I wouldn't be too overly concerned about that, since coming future events will likely change the public's perception at large.

[DustyMoment]

"For a federal hate crime we have to prove the highest standard in the law," Holder said in April 2012, 45 days after Zimmerman shot the African American teenager in what was depicted by civil rights groups as a racially motivated killing.

How can we possibly expect "justice" from the DOJ when the AG Eri Holder describes the Zimmerman case as "a racially motivated killing"? Nothing of the sort happened and the jury agreed.

[baldeagle390]

so a question for all you legal eagles:

Since Obama and Holder injected themselves into this case early on, would that not open themselves up to a subpoena in a federal case? Not that they would actually testify but they would have to explain why to a judge would they not?

Secondly, the Judge in the trial excluded all of TM past, I believe correctly (except using a 5 year old picture of TM). In a civil trail, would not all of TM’s past be open to investigation?

just wondering...

[Windflier]

If I were GZ, I wouldn't be too overly concerned about that, since coming future events will likely change the public's perception at large.

I like your optimism. Sign me up!

[Windflier]

...since that amendment speaks, of militias, it's all too easy for liberals to argue that it doesn't pertain to an individual, where state statues are specific.

Even better, many state constitutions specifically mention the right of their citizens to keep and bear arms for personal defense.

[ModelBreaker]

“I believe any law related to self-defense would come under state statues. I don’t know of any federal codes that pertain to citizens in that regard?”

I don’t either. There may be no plea for self-defense for a “hate crime” under federal law.