Free Republic

Tallahassee, FL -- Local attorney Benjamin Crump represents the family of Trayvon Martin, the 17 year old who George Zimmerman admits to killing calling it self-defense. George Zimmerman got to walk out of the John E. Polk Correctional Facility in Sanford Florida. He got into a car and drove away a free man after securing enough money to satisfy a 150,000 dollar bond set Friday. Attorney Benjamin Crump, Parks and Crump Attorney's At Law, says he was not happy about the latest development in the case. Crump says, "It is with a heavy heart that Trayvon's parents had to watch...

The Sanford, Florida, City Commission decided Monday not to accept the proposed resignation of its embattled police chief, who has been under fire for the handling of the investigation into Trayvon Martin's death in February. Chief Bill Lee has been on leave since March 22, a day after the commission expressed a lack of confidence in him for how he's handled the investigation. George Zimmerman, who has said he killed the 17-year-old Martin in self-defense, was not arrested after being questioned by police the night of the shooting. He was charged weeks later with second-degree murder. Earlier Monday, the city...

SANFORD, FL (RNN) - Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee Jr. announced Monday he would resign permanently from the city's police force, but the city commission is having none of it. Lee said early Monday he would resign immediately and permanently, and the commission planned to discuss his severance package at 4 p.m. ET. However, the AP reported the commission voted 3-2 to reject Lee's resignation. The majority voting in favor of the rejection cited the very public uproar over George Zimmerman's shooting and killing of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin, 17, as the reason for their vote. Lee resigned temporarily March...

ORLANDO -- Trayvon Martin's parents have a `heavy heart' now that neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman has been released from a Florida jail on bail as he awaits his second-degree murder trial. Attorney Benjamin Crump represents Martin's parents. Crump said Monday that they would rather have seen Zimmerman stay in jail until he is tried for killing their 17-year-old son during a Feb. 26 confrontation at a gated community.

I have just learned from a friend in Seminole County law enforcement, who is very close to Zimmermann case, that the case against Mr. Zimmerman is even weaker than originally thought. It seems that the police officer/technician who collected the evidence at the scene and signed the evidence report was not in any way qualified to do so. He was much more of a breathalyzer technician and someone who would do field drug testing and initial toxicology reports at the scenes of suspected crimes. It is believed that the shooting was his first ever full crime scene investigation and he...

Bill Lee Jr., who had stepped aside as Sanford, Fla.'s police chief during the investigation of the shooting of unarmed African American teenager Trayvon Martin, has officially resigned as the community’s top cop, a city commissioner said Monday. Commissioner Patty Mahany said the chief submitted his resignation over the weekend; Lee temporarily left his post last month amid complaints about how his department handled the investigation of the Feb. 26 shooting. The city commission is scheduled to hold a special meeting late Monday afternoon to discuss Lee's severance package, Mahany said. "Elected officials used this man as a scapegoat to...

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Just hours after George Zimmerman walked out of the Seminole County jail $150,000 bail, the court unsealed several documents. (see below for documents) Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester issued an order to unseal several documents. According to one of the documents released Monday, Zimmerman's arraignment was pushed forward from May 29 to May 8. Zimmerman's location is being kept a secret for his safety and could be outside the state of Florida.

That is, at least according to one liberal website posting.1 Here's the disturbing comment found on that website, "… there is no constitutional right to the presumption of innocence." It's amazing that those who clamor for full Constitutional rights for Guantanamo terrorists are the same ones who are ready to take Zimmerman's head now. This is evidence enough to make an observer believe that Liberalism is a mental disorder. The writer must have slept through Civics or Government class. Or, maybe the writer is a victim of public school education. Or, perhaps both occurred. Most of those on that website...

There is a good amount of discussion on Twitter this morning about killing George Zimmerman now that he’s out on bail. But that hasn’t been the only action on Twitter calling for violent action. Since Friday, there has been an explosion of tweets surrounding the possibility of rioting if Zimmerman is acquitted – or even because he was released on bail:

George Zimmerman, the accused murderer of Florida teen Trayvon Martin, has been released from jail on bail. Meeting Zimmerman's release are calls (on Twitter) for him to be killed. As Twitchy reports, "Twitter lynch mob: George Zimmerman is out on bail? Let’s kill him!" But it's not just Zimmerman who is at risk. In fact, there's already been a call on Twitter for the murder of the judge, Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester, who agreed to release Zimmerman on bail. Writing on a Twitter, someone named @Rick_Cobain writes, "Zimmerman released from jail someone kill the judge!!!!!"

WASHINGTON (NNPA) – It was a telephone call that Tracy Martin, father of the 17-year-old African-American killed in Sanford, Fla. by neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman, worried that he would never receive. Forty-five days after an unarmed Trayvon Martin had been killed while walking back to a home he was visiting after purchasing a bag of Skittles and a can of Arizona iced tea, Special Prosecutor Angela Corey called to notify Trayvon’s parents that Zimmerman had finally been arrested and charged with second-degree murder. “I was very emotional when I got the call from Ms. Corey,” Tracy Martin recounted. “I...

Whatever the ultimate outcome of the case against George Zimmerman for his shooting of Trayvon Martin, what has happened already is enough to turn the stomach of anyone who believes in either truth or justice. An amazing proportion of the media has given us a painful demonstration of the thinking — and lack of thinking — that prevailed back in the days of the old Jim Crow South, where complexion counted more than facts in determining how people were treated. One of the first things presented in the media was a transcript of a conversation between George Zimmerman and...

Mark Levin says that his jaw dropped when finding out that Florida state prosecutor Angela Corey left out vital evidence in her affidavit that favors Zimmerman’s side of the story, the photos of his bleeding head wounds. Corey clearly had access to all of the evidence as she pushed for a 2nd degree murder charge and still left it out. Looking at everything public to date, including Florida law, Levin says this doesn’t even come close to a 2nd degree murder case and that Angela Corey is a disgrace for pushing for it in her affidavit while leaving out vital...

Kyle 80Proof Golden@ayo80proof Random... If George Zimmerman is acquitted.. I'm Gonna Start A Riot... B@Bijvn IF ZIMMERMAN DON'T GET FOUND GUILTY I SEE A RIOT IN THE FUTURE #KILL That Man O@oljames88 I hope America knows if Zimmerman is found not guilty ... some city is going to RIOT! Curtis W. Johnson,Jr@IkeThunderton72 glad that ZIMMERMAN FINALLY got charged with murder of TRAYVON but if they find this fool not guilty, could have another riot break out! Adora@Bora_City If #Zimmerman gets not guilty, I call a riot in Florida. #Ihopejusticeisservedfortravonmartin and Zimmerman gets f@$Kd up in jail!!!

The artist, Michael D’Antuono calls this “A Tale Of Two Hoodies“, and claims: “this painting symbolizes the travesty of racially profiling innocent children and how present day prejudices affect policy“ Actually, it appears a far better representation of the complete over-the-top media portrayal of the entire incident. This IS the image intentionally and falsely constructed by:

SANFORD, Fla. - George Zimmerman was released around midnight Monday from a county jail on $150,000 bail as he awaits his second-degree murder trial for fatally shooting Trayvon Martin. The neighborhood watch volunteer was wearing a brown jacket and blue jeans and carrying a paper bag. He met a man in a white vehicle and drove away. His ultimate destination is being kept secret for his safety and it could be outside Florida. Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester said at a hearing Friday he cannot have any guns and must observe a 7 p.m.-to-6 a.m. curfew. Zimmerman also surrendered his passport....

Regardless of where you stand on the Trayvon Martin case, the fact is that this case is more than just a criminal case. It is about politics; racial, economic, social politics. The racial attacks are heating up, and let’s add in some facts which have been accidentally omitted but are quite pertinent to this case. First, Zimmerman is not just White, he is Hispanic. Second, Trayvon Martin was reported to have been beating down Zimmerman, striking several blows to the head, prior to the shooting. These two facts are not irrelevant. In fact, they are very relevant to the case...

ORLANDO -- The family of Trayvon Martin asked for an apology from their son’s shooter, George Zimmerman, and got one. But their attorney, Benjamin Crump, says it wasn’t good enough. Zimmerman, faces second degree murder charges and apologized during his bond hearing for shooting Trayvon Martin, but the family is unforgiving. “It’s real simple. When they called asking for this meeting the day before the bond hearing, we said this is not the appropriate time. And we certainly don’t think the bond hearing was the appropriate time because it’s very self-serving,” explained Crump. Attorney Ben Crump and the Martin family...

Barack Obama’s “hate Whitey ‘cause he’s white” campaign of 2012 was to be based on the same dogma of class envy which had oozed from Democrat media and race hustling circles for decades. But worn out race baiting ploys were not going to guarantee the massive, black voter turn out the Manchurian Candidate would need in November. For the novelty of being the first black nominee and president was gone and finally, along with it, the decades-long effects of racial guilt implanted into the psyche of whites across the nation. Even with the 24/7 efforts of a dependably supportive media,...

Statistics show a deep divide in opinions along racial lines regarding the killing of a black Florida teenager, Trayvon Martin, by George Zimmerman, who is of mixed ethnicity, white and Hispanic. Zimmerman has claimed self-defense, invoking the Sunshine State’s “Stand Your Ground” law which has also come under intense scrutiny in the wake of the incident. Reuters news service reported last week, 91% of blacks believe Martin was unjustly killed, while only 35% of whites concurred. Hispanics were in between at 59% according to polling numbers Reuters gathered by querying nearly 2,000 Americans. The disparity of views over Martin’s death...

SANFORD -- George Zimmerman apologized for shooting Trayvon Martin during a bond hearing Friday. Now, as he's waiting to get out of jail, he’s getting some new support. In a message of support, they stood in front of the Seminole County courthouse with homemade signs to let Zimmerman know he has people in his corner. The signs read, “Innocent Until..” and “Justice for Zimmerman.” It was a small group but their intentions were big -- to let George Zimmerman know that they believe he hasn't been treated fairly by the media or the court of public opinion. Wesley Howell said...

Not only will it be impossible to find a jury without preconceived opinions in the Trayvon Martin case—it will be impossible to find one that will convict, says Mansfield Frazier. An editor I used to work for had a favorite saying: “Predicting the future is usually as easy as stating the obvious.” In the upcoming trial of George Zimmerman, the “obvious” is this: there’s little, if any, chance to avoid not only a mistrial, but a series of them if the state continues to reindict him, which it has the right to do and no doubt will, but with the...

<p>Maywood, Ill. - Alton L. Hayes III, a west suburban man charged with a hate crime, told police he was so upset about the Trayvon Martin case in Florida that he beat up a white man early Tuesday.</p> <p>Hayes and a 15-year-old Chicago boy walked up behind the 19-year-old man victim and pinned his arms to his side, police said. Hayes, 18, then picked up a large tree branch, pointed it at the man and said, “Empty your pockets, white boy.”</p>

This is an email response I received regarding the predictable anti-gun hysteria following the sensationalization of the Trayvon Martin shooting, not to mention the hollow attacks against Florida's 'Stand Your Ground' laws. The United Sportsmen of Florida, led by the indomitable Marion Hammer, have provided here a rich source of information and facts regarding these current events, which I have transcribed.*** *** *** ALERT --- Protect Your Right To Refuse To Be A Victim -- Gov. Task Force DATE: April 20, 2012 TO: USF & NRA Members and Friends FROM: Marion P. Hammer, USF Executive Director, NRA Past President Florida...

George Zimmerman apologized to the family of Trayvon Martin in court a few days ago. The killing of a young African American male by a white male has raised not only questions about the “Stand Your Ground” laws in Florida, but also questions about race relations nationally. What Zimmerman felt in his heart is anyone’s guess; the apology seemed heartfelt. Unfortunately, to many, it already rings hollow. At issue here isn’t whether or not Zimmerman is really guilty or innocent, whether he had malicious intent or was defending himself against what he perceived as imminent danger to his own life....

A couple of things are certain: DeeDee and Trayvon did not talk for 400 minutes on 2/26 the day he was shot. DeeDee did not go to the hospital on 3/2 and 3/3 and that was NOT the reason for not attending the viewing or memorial. DeeDee and Trayvon were not Boyfriend/Girlfriend. They were close, platonic best friends. DeeDee was not devastated, destroyed, or an emotional wreck. She was sad that her best friend was shot. She notified others, including her cousin who is also a prolific tweeter, but did not know immediately who Trayvon was. DeeDee did not miss...

SANFORD, Fla. -- A new photograph released by ABC News shows George Zimmerman with injuries on the back of his head. The network says it was able to verify the photo was taken in Sanford on the night of the shooting using it's embedded data. The photo was reportedly shot by an anonymous source with an iPhone three minutes after Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin. The source told ABC News that Zimmerman told them to call his wife and "tell her I shot someone." The picture, which shows blood trickling down Zimmerman's head, may bolster the 28-year old's claim of self-defense...

Link only due to copyright issues: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mari-fagel/george-zimmerman-bond-hearing_b_1441261.html

For nearly two months, George Zimmerman has been largely a cipher, a riddle whose voice has been heard only in 911 calls reporting a young man acting "real suspicious." On Friday, the world learned more about Zimmerman as he, his wife and parents testified during a hearing in Sanford, Florida, to decide whether he would be released on bond while awaiting trial on a second-degree murder charge in the February 26 death of Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman's wife depicted him as a man she has never seen angry. His father said he was a truthful man who had long been concerned...

Maybe it's time for MSNBC's Chris Matthews to retire. On Friday's Hardball, the 66-year-old host actually said that people's view of the Trayvon Martin-George Zimmerman case is impacted by "so much history ever since the first slave arrived in the United States" (video follows with transcribed highlights and commentary): (VIDEO AT LINK) In the middle of a lengthy opening segment about the case gripping the nation, Matthews played a clip of Florida prosecutor Bernie De La Rionda telling a press conference, “You haven’t heard all the evidence. Please be patient and wait for the trial.” After the clip, Matthews said,...

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Florida prosecutor who charged George Zimmerman with second-degree murder is going to spend another four years in office. Angela Corey on Friday won a new term after no one stepped forward to challenge the Republican in this year's election. Qualifying ended at noon.

In an unusual move, George Zimmerman took the witness stand Friday to apologize to the parents of Trayvon Martin for fatally shooting their 17-year-old son. Assistant prosecutor Bernardo de la Rionda took the opportunity to grill the neighborhood watch volunteer about some of the statements he made to police. Here's a partial transcript of Zimmerman's testimony: Zimmerman: I wanted to say I am very sorry for the loss of your son. I did not know how old he was. I thought he was a little bit younger than I am, and I did not know if he was armed or...

The arrest affidavit did not mention the photograph, or the bleeding, gashes, and bruises on Zimmermans’ head. Professor Alan Dershowitz of Harvard Law School stated upon release of the arrest affidavit that it was “so thin that it won’t make it past a judge on a second degree murder charge … everything in the affidavit is completely consistent with a defense of self-defense.” After the release of the photo, however, Dershowitz went much further, telling Breitbart News that if the prosecutors did have the photo and didn’t mention it in the affidavit, that would constitute a “grave ethical violation,” since...

Among all the coverage of Zimmerman being granted bail, most reporters are missing the most important detail of the day. The State's investigator admitted, under oath, that they have no way to disprove Zimmerman's claim that Trayvon Martin started the flight and assaulted him. The details are buried deep in the story, but they are crucial: Gilbreath is the State's Investigator:O'Mara is Zimmerman's attorney: (from the story)"During further questioning by O'Mara, Gilbreath admitted that the state has no evidence who started the fight. There is also no evidence that Zimmerman didn't walk back to his car after chasing Martin on...

With ABC News’ release of the George Zimmerman photo showing blood flowing freely from his head, the question becomes whether Angela Corey, the prosecutor in the case, had access to the photo before charging Zimmerman with second-degree murder. The arrest affidavit did not mention the photograph, or the bleeding, gashes, and bruises on Zimmermans’ head. Professor Alan Dershowitz of Harvard Law School stated upon release of the arrest affidavit that it was “so thin that it won’t make it past a judge on a second degree murder charge … everything in the affidavit is completely consistent with a defense of...

(CBS/AP) SANFORD, Fla. - A judge has granted bail for George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer charged with killing Florida teenager Trayvon Martin. Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester said he would grant the motion to release Zimmerman, but would not allow his release today, given further discussions needed about the terms, including whether he would be allowed out of state. He also said that Zimmerman would not be able to have any contact with the victim's family, could not possess firearms; and order no consumption of alcohol or controlled substances.

Zimmerman granted Bail !!!

From the projects to the White House, February’s shooting death of punk-in-the-making Trayvon Martin has provided a ready-made call to arms for the nation’s professional race hustlers. Even the President has taken advantage of this opportunity to pimp a black death for electoral profit. And though it isn’t surprising that much of the national media have ignored the way in which the facts of the shooting apply to Florida statute, it does seem difficult to believe that no one in the nation is interested. Given the many conflicting stories concerning surveillance video and witness testimony it is difficult to know...

George Zimmerman was allegedly recognized by the Mayor for his intervention in the events surrounding the homeless (black) man that was beaten by a Sanford police officer's relative. There has been a near-complete media blackout in this regard -- and questions about whether the letter published somewhat-recently was authentic. Well, it appears (from testimony of his mother this morning) that the Sanford Mayor personally recognized George Zimmerman for his efforts to obtain justice for that homeless man. And where is the media who tried to turn this into a racial issue? Just as importantly, where is the Mayor of Sanford...

URGENT: A Florida judge said George Zimmerman can be released on $150,000 bail as he awaits trial for the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester set several conditions Friday for Zimmerman's release. He cannot have any firearms, drink alcohol or use drugs and must observe a curfew. The judge said details need to be worked out between Zimmerman's attorney and law enforcement, and that Zimmerman will not be released Friday. Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in the 17-year-old Martin's death during a February confrontation in a Sanford, Fla., gated community. He is claiming self-defense. The bail...

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/George-Zimmerman-Due-in-Court-for-Bond-Hearing-in-Trayvon-Martin-Case-148238565.html

Everyone in the country has heard of Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman but few know the name of Trevor Dooley--a central Florida man who shot and killed a neighbor, David "DJ" James, and is defending himself using Florida’s Stand Your Ground law. The James case has a number of similarities with the Martin case, but has not been the subject of the mainstream media meltdown nor the focus of cries of racism, even though the shooter and the victim were both of different races (Dooley is black, and James was white). Critics of the authorities' handling of the Martin case...

Zimmerman was treated at the scene by paramedics, then cuffed and driven in a police cruiser to the Sanford police station. He was questioned for hours and later released. In police surveillance video obtained last month by ABC News, Zimmerman's wounds are not apparent, and there were no bandages on his head. Zimmerman was not admitted to a hospital or given stitches the night of the incident. The person who took the photograph of a bloodied Zimmerman, asking not to be identified, told ABC News exclusively that they did not see the scuffle that night, but did hear it. The...

A task force headed by Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, established to review among other things Florida’s controversial Stand Your Ground law, includes 17 members. The task force hopes to conclude its work by next year’s legislative session.

A key moment in George Zimmerman's cellphone call to the Police Department in Sanford, Fla., on the fateful night of Feb. 26 occurs at 7:11:41 p.m., a little more than two minutes into a call that lasts about four minutes. "He's running," says Zimmerman, referring to the "real suspicious guy" he'd called in to report. Almost immediately you hear on the recording a car door opening and what sounds like a warning beep indicating the key is still in the ignition. Shortly thereafter comes the unmistakable sound of wind blowing into a phone mouthpiece. Zimmerman is in pursuit! And we...

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — WFTV just learned Friday morning about a picture of gunman George Zimmerman, taken just three minutes after the shooting that left 17-year-old Trayvon Martin dead. The picture reportedly shows cuts on the back of Zimmerman's head, with blood trickling down. Zimmerman, who shot and killed 17-year-old Martin on February 26 in a gated Sanford community, claimed he killed Martin in self-defense. Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder for the shooting death of Martin. The picture would seem to back up Zimmerman's claim that Martin slammed his head against the sidewalk. That picture could be part of...

SANFORD -- City and community leaders held a community meeting Thursday night to discuss the Trayvon Martin case. Sanford City Manager Norton Bonaparte and Acting Police Chief Darren Scott attended the meeting, which took place at Second Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church. During the meeting, Sanford leaders rolled out a preliminary nine-point plan aimed to move the community forward. However, several community members felt the most important point was absent. Community members are still calling for the firing of Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee, who has temporarily stepped down. City Manager Norton Bonaparte defended his decision to not fire Lee. “The...

We asked you: Can George Zimmerman get a fair trial? YES 35% NO 65% Media have already tried Zimmerman It seems quite unlikely at this point. I want to believe that our legal system will work and that justice will be served. However, the state versus Zimmerman case has been tried in the media. The mind readers have decided George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin solely because he was black and that Zimmerman is a racist. The likes of Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and the New Black Panther Party have condemned the man, and crowds seem to echo their sentiments... --snip--...

SANFORD, Fla. - The family of Trayvon Martin will sit in the same courtroom on Friday as George Zimmerman, the man who shot and killed their son, for the first time. Benjamin Crump said the Martin family is attending the hearing at the request of special prosecutor Angela Corey. Crump said the family is bracing themselves to be the same room with Zimmerman and will be hoping he doesn't get bond. Zimmerman's attorney, Mark O'Mara, said Zimmerman would like to meet with the Martin family. "There's no reason not to have a conversation," O'Mara said Thursday. "It should be personal,...

The Congressional Black Caucus wants the Justice Department to investigate the shooting death of a 17-year-old, unarmed black Florida high school student as a potential hate crime. “This case compromises the integrity of our legal system and sets a horrific precedent of vigilante justice,” Congressional Black Caucus Chair Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) said in a statement. “Members of the Congressional Black Caucus stand together in the name of justice for Trayvon. As a nation we cannot, should not, and will not ignore, Trayvon’s brutal murder and the inconceivable fact that his killer remains free. Contrary to the flippant way this case...