If the law is on your side, argue the law. If the facts are on your side, argue the facts.
If neither the law nor the facts are on your side, pound the table.
JPB: Are you interested in making a graphic from this?
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?
You trust CNN ?
I think she was pretty truthful. She even said that Tray initiated the fight. Interesting that she said “just another fight”...(or something like that)
Thanks.
That's a myth. It only works if you are wealthy and have political pull.
You will need one chart for his hand and one for his head —
If the law is on your side, argue the law. If the facts are on your side, argue the facts.
If neither the law nor the facts are on your side, pound the table.
JPB: Are you interested in making a graphic from this?
You laugh, but the idiot left and their willing dupes believe exactly that. Even my Christian Conservative neighbor ‘thinks’ that Zimmerman should go to prison. I am truly amazed at how stupid and willfully uninformed some people can be.
Serino WAS the LEAD DETECTIVE for SPD. He is now walking a beat (as they say). Demoted.
Also, another witness, who questioned the 'changed' reports, was put on ADMIN LEAVE.
I listened to this witnesses testimony yesterday on YOUTUBE. It is no longer there. Wonder why ?
It IS part of the PROSECUTION'S CASE. That's why they brought in the witness who conducted the class George took.
Prove that, RC.
But it WILL be assaulted by the “verdict” by activists.
I wonder if MOM is going to bring up the purple drank issue....and the FACT that watermelon tea and skittles could have been intended for a drug concoction made by TM. Not only that, but he could well have been intending to introduce his little half-brother to the mix.
http://thekansascitian.blogspot.com/2012/05/more-than-bag-of-skittles-trayvon.html
That was in the DeeDee Letter written in cursive by someone else that Diamond couldn't read.
I think Diamond is dying to get back up on the stand and tell them the truth about these matters and the defense will oblige that but only after they have deposed Crump and squeeze it out of her.
And/or if you are NOT a sacrificial lamb and scapegoat in a racially and politically charged and motivated controversy.
No joke — he said it...
...that’s priceless...I’m going to search for that quote in its full context, because if I’m West and the witness under cross said that to me, I’d hammer the crap out of him...if he let it go at that I’m stunned...
Culpability.
The 'gated neighborhood' was private. The SPD did not 'patrol' that neighborhood. The HOA had the responsibility for maintaining 'order' and had installed SECURITY CAMERAS. However, whether due to funding, or constant vandalism, the cameras weren't working that night, and hadn't been working for a while.
Ergo, the settlement.
P.S. Immediately after the 'settlement', the SPD was asked (and accepted) responsibility for law and order in the 'gated community' and instituted 'police patrols' in that neighborhood.
Surely that's a talking point for the Defense to drive home again, and again throughout their defense and their closing arguments.
Look for a mistrial.
Like having his 'techs' do all the work while he was elsewhere ?
Agree, it's neither. But that's not going to stop the Prosecution attempting to spin this trial into exactly that in an attempt to have the jury find Zimmerman guilty.
I've watched very little of the trial, preferring instead to read the transcripts. The Prosecutor has no interest in trying Zimmerman in anything other than racial terms. I've lost count of how many times the Prosecution team used the terms "racial profiling" claiming Zimmerman somehow violated some law against Martin. He didn't! Racial profiling IS NOT ILLEGAL. Yet, that's the spin from the prosecution team, and that's what they want the jury to find Zimmerman guilty of (translating that into Murder II.) Just my opinion of course.
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