Posted on 07/06/2013 5:44:33 AM PDT by Uncle Chip
The final day of the prosecution’s case remained true to form in every respect, and also provided another glimpse—actually, a substantial look—into the prosecution’s closing arguments.
Sybrina Martin, Trayvon Martin’s Mother: The first witness of the day was Sybrina Martin, who testified that the screaming voice in the Lauer 911 recording is Trayvon Martin. The prosecution, not wanting to open the field to anything she might know about Trayvon, kept their questions limited to only that.
On cross O’Mara tried to make it clear that Sybrina might have reasons other than absolute truth to identify the voice as Trayvon. He may have had some success in that Sybrina seemed not only coached, but potentially rehearsed. She often tried to avoid directly answering O’Mara’s questions and parsed her answers so as not to concede even the most obvious points, even those not harmful to the prosecution. Her overall appearance was stoic, and the potential waterworks did not materialize.
It was clear that she was a prosecution witness through and through–a strangely rare occurance. It’s unfortunate that the jury will never hear that she has already won a seven-figure settlement, and has a continuing financial interest in the outcome of the case.
Jaharvis Martin, Trayvon’s Brother: A soft-spoken and well-spoken young man, Jaharvis confirmed his mother’s testimony, and like his mother, testified to nothing else. On cross, however, his credibility suffered badly. O’Mara caused him to admit that when he first heard the recording in the office of the Sanford Mayor with a substantial number of other people, he told others he was not sure the voice was Trayvon’s, but later changed his mind. He said he didn’t want to believe it was Trayvon due to “shock,” “sadness” and “denial.”
As with his mother, I detected coaching, and his answer regarding why he didn’t identify the voice as Trayvon’s at his first exposure to the recording seemed rehearsed, however, his demeanor was substantially more effective than his mother’s, and I suspect many viewers not familiar with these matters might not have picked up on that. He did not, for example, give the appearance of trying to avoid cooperating with the defense.
Dr. Shipping Bao, Medical Examiner: Dr. Bao, unlike Dr. Rao, actually conducted the autopsy on Trayvon Martin, which gave the prosecution the opportunity to display a wide variety of graphic autopsy photographs so that Bao could, in a perfunctory manner, identify them. The primary purpose, of course, was to elicit revulsion and sympathy in the jury................
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Two weeks of prosecution witnesses have ended without the prosecution proving, beyond any doubt, the three elements of the offense. As they offered no probable cause to prove those elements in the affidavit for the charge (Update 2) this is hardly surprising. In the many months from Zimmerman’s arrest to the trial, the prosecution could find no new evidence to demonstrate that the decision of the Sanford Police and the local prosecutor was wrong. The prosecution was also unable to prove beyond any doubt that Zimmerman’s self-defense account was unsupportable. In fact, most of their witnesses supported it, either fully or in part.
For readers unfamiliar with the workings of the law and the criminal justice system, it’s difficult to explain how utterly amazing and bizarre this is. As I’ve written, it’s as though the entire system suddenly turned backwards. For a prosecutor to complete his case and to be unable to disprove self-defense, offering nothing but theories unsupported by any credible evidence, and for a prosecutor to be unable to offer evidence to fulfill the elements of the offense is simply astonishing. It demonstrates what I, and others, have been saying for a very long time: this case should never have been filed; there is no evidence of a crime.
I expect a very aggressive, effective and devastating defense case. Consider how badly the prosecution did on offense, when they had every advantage in presenting and proving their case. Will they do better when they’re playing catch up?
": )
DAD
LOL
The one MOM needs to call is the woman who raised Martin. He then needs to ask her if she can identify the voice (she can’t, if she could could Bernie would have called her). Then MOM needs to question here about her relationship with Martin versus the lying biological mother. She told Anderson Blooper (apparently only interview she has given) that Martin NEVER MENTIONED his real mother to her the entire time he was being reared by her. Now I know this. If a kid is taken away from his real parent at an early age and the real parent still has a normal relationship with him, like visitation, etc, he would occasionally bring her name up. Alicia Stanley also sounds like a nice Christian woman. She kept referencing God when she was talking to Blooper. She said that gold-digger Sybrina would not let her sit on the front row with the rest of the family at the funeral and they had ignored her since the shooting. MOM needs to bring all this out for the jury. Jury has a right to hear from the woman that raised Martin, whether she can identify his voice or not.
so do I UC, but I harbor a nagging fear that this is not an altogether good idea from the Defense's POV. The State will cross, and with an agendized judge clearly on their side, they could very well lead a jury down a garden path.
"Did you ever utter the "n!**%$" word?" As the defense gets "aggressive," all it will take is one "nice" lady to on the jury to turn against Zimmerman. A hung jury could lead to re-indictment, endless Dershowitz appeals, and perhaps to serial riots. On the bright side, it could also stimulate endless sales of St. Trayvon Memorabilia.
Perhaps the Defense just ought to rest. Or just recall Prosecution witnesses?
IIRC, Tray was at his father’s because his step mother was apparently po’d at his suspension and kicked him out.
I’m still betting that on Monday, Mark will start with “Thank God”....”Thank God”....”Thank God”....
Memorialize this exchange.
We have that all taken care of. The jury’s lunches all next week will be catered by Paula Deen. Problem solved.
And as far as appeals, think of all the merchandising opportunities. Cha-Ching $$$$$$$$$$$
BTW we still don’t have your expense report in for the month of June and please remember that we don’t reimburse for parking tickets or meals with Natalie Jackson.
O'Mara is very slick and has used West to be his pit bull when such was needed (because West can be exceedingly thorough without seeming to be mean).
All in all, I have found the O'Mara/West team absolutely brilliant in both there execution of the defense's case against the prosecution and their sensitivity to the emotional element of this case.
Now we are going to see that brilliance on even greater display...greater by an order of magnitude.
There were a number of quotes like that on the daily trial thread yesterday. We thought they were jokes and FReepers were getting the Friday Sillies, but no! That was really said. There were some other howlers, too.
“Judge” Nelson: We’ll ask the jury if they want to recess to Monday. Does the Jury want to go home for the weekend or continue with the Defense case?
Jury (several people at once): We want to go.
Nelson: The Jury says it wants to go, so we’ll continue. Defense, call your first witness.
All ya need to know about $$$ybrina is she’s a liar. O ‘Mara asks her a question, and she replies “I don’t understand the question”. She understands the question, she’s a liar. The answers a lie. The answer is a non answer, and the butter face judge allows the non answer. Very telling.
Bao has testified previously in cases 20 times. This is amazing. Are these guys deliberately trying to throw this case?
Amish just bein Amish?
The only thing going for the persecution is that they are out of witlesses.
MoM is going to argue the facts because he owns all the facts. Despite the fact that the judge is a total bitch with regards to allowing them time to prepare, he and West are very good at time management. He said he spends 9 hrs in court and then has to spend another 3-4 hrs after court to take depositions.
Here you are using “black community” in a geographic sense. That is NOT what the PC crowd means...
...of course, you’re correct in that...I was responding to your comment that the ‘black community’ referenced in common parlance has no ‘character, only color’...I get your intention, and agree, but I also strongly submit that a ‘character’ does indeed exist for the concept of ‘racial blackness’, and it has existed for a long time...I’m 64 years old, and I would no more have walked through a black area at 14, because danger would surely have found me, as it would today...this character is a wanton violence unleashed on the ‘non-community’, which I don’t see in the reverse, though they themselves may claim it to be so...
“Did you ever utter the “n!**%$” word?”...
...they don’t have to ask anything that blatant on cross...just ask if Zimmerman ever watched Paula Deen on television...that should do the trick...
A little article I’m just posting here for safe keeping:
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/03/justice/florida-teen-shooting/index.html
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