Posted on 07/15/2013 3:28:02 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
NEW YORK (TRNS) – Members of New York City’s Democratic congressional delegation gathered outside Lower Manhattan’s Federal District Courthouse Monday to back a potential Department of Justice civil rights investigation of George Zimmerman over the shooting death of Trayvon Martin in 2012.
A report published last week by the Miami Herald revealed FBI investigators found little proof Zimmerman was driven by racism in Martin’s shooting, the legislators assembled Monday insisted his motives be subject to greater scrutiny.
“We respect the jury’s verdict, but the state prosecutorial chapter has now been closed, and a new federal chapter has been opened.” said Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. “It’s at least my hope that that chapter will result in a consideration by a grand jury as to whether George Zimmerman violated our nation’s civil rights laws.”
Jeffries argued that a strong precedent exists for such action by federal investigators, and he referenced cases involving the beatings of Rodney King, Anthony Baez, and Yankel Rosenbaum as examples. In each instance, the police officers or suspects involved were first cleared of criminal charges before being found guilty on federal civil rights charges.
“A grand jury would not be unprecended,” Jeffries said, “and neither would a subsequent federal prosecution.”
42-year Congressional veteran Charlie Rangel said the death of Trayvon Martin touched on the fundamental rights of Americans.
“A part of what you’re entitled to, is to be able to walk the streets of this great country and not have someone predetermine your propensity to commit a crime, and to shoot and to kill you and to think that ends the story,” Rangel said. “No, my friends, this is the beginning of the story. Race will no longer be a word that we feel awkward in talking about.”
“Race Matters”
Congressman Gregory Meeks countered criticism that a Department of Justice enquiry would result in an arduous repeat of the recently concluded criminal trial against Zimmerman. Media coverage of the trial has been criticized for descending into sensationalism, despite netting record viewership figures for television networks such as CNN and Fox News.
“Is this trying the case all over again? The answer is absolutely not, because we’re talking about Mr. Martin’s civil rights violations. What we’re asking the Justice Department to do is look at the race issue,” Meeks said. “Race was not taken into consideration in this trial, and so now it should be.
“Justice has not been had because Mr. Martin’s race has not been considered.”
Regardless of congressional opinion on the matter, Attorney General Eric Holder will ultimately be responsible for deciding whether the Department of Justice will pursue George Zimmerman for civil rights violations.
These people can make kind of extreme statement they want to, and get away with it. I guess they have no shame.
only in cases in which the liberals have a preconceived idea what the outcome should be.
Liberals tried this case in the media long before the actual trial, and found Zimmerman guilty of murder and racism. Since they didn’t get their verdict in the state criminal court, now it is on to the federal courts for alleged civil rights viilations.
Why don’t they suggest that Zimmerman is guilty of child abuse too, has anyone thought of that??????
Good question. I’m not surprised by the Democratic political support for prosecuting Zimmerman. Democrats supported Southern lynch mobs, too.
The prosecution brought that up during the trial.
ya, I knew about the child abuse tning. I was trying to be sarcastic.
I wonder if part of the jury’s thinking was that the prosecution was absurd, based in part on bringing up that child abuse charge at the last minute. As if Trayvon was a little boy, not a grown man.
We don’t know what was said in the jury room, but I can imagine some thinking how absurd the prosecution case and arguments were. And such skepticism would lead them to an acquittal.
Correction : I was a media driven , political "SHOW TRIAL " , reminiscient of Russia 50 years ago !
Outstanding response.
The first several days of the prosecution sounded like a brilliant defense team at work. The jury must have thought they were hallucinating at times.
If there is a more crooked group of politicians in the country than those in New York, they have not yet been discovered.
And these people are squawking about justice?
WHERE ARE THE PUBBIES?
Yea thought so...cowardly bastards.
Yes because that’s gonna solve anything.
nyc democrats know racism... THEY INVENTED IT!
Where is Obama? Anybody seen him lately?
I will NEVER go back to nyc. I sent them a good bit of money after 9/11... My State sent them a brand new fire engine... if they get attacked again... I can only speak for myself but I will not be so generous.
LLS
NYC Democrats Call For DoJ Investigation Of George Zimmerman
Besides playing race politics why?
The trial clearly showed NO EVIDENCE of any wrong doing by Zimmerman. The aggressor was clearly proven to be Martin. The FBI investigation into Zimmerman found NO EVIDENCE of racial issues for Zimmerman.
Any action taken by the Federal Government now will be purely done for political purpose.
One Punch Homicide
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV_nr9AFyZc
Which leaves one very little room or time for error when trying to figure out a response to a beating.
LOL! Another stupid statement by one of America's self-proclaimed Black Leaders.
This is political persecution for the purpose of fomenting racial unrest and to intimidate a segment of the population from defending themselves against threats from other segments of the population. Any person who now tries to defend him or herself from an attacker will have in the back of their mind the fear of persecution.
If you wrote this as fiction, people would say it was a ridiculously silly story based on the old 30s-era political intimidations and persecutions of the old dictatorships. Too unbelievable and impossible in the 21st century. But, here we are.
Dr. King died in vain. I wonder if he knew how things would turn out if he would have made the effort?
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