Prosecutors: Keep Trayvon Martin's school records secret

The Orlando Sentinel ^ | September 20, 2012 | Rene Stutzman

[Uncle Chip]

SANFORD - Prosecutors in the George Zimmerman case suggest defense attorney Mark O'Mara is trying to "chum the waters" by digging up Trayvon Martin's school disciplinary records.

In a new pleading, they ask the judge to seal whatever those records show and in the future to keep O'Mara's subpoenas a secret.

O'Mara is entitled to go on a fishing expedition to find out about Trayvon's past, according to court paperwork filed Wednesday by Assistant State Attorney Bernie de la Rionda, but "he is not allowed to chum the waters and then, by innuendo or otherwise, to publish irrelevant items (such as the aforementioned subpoenas) to the media in an attempt to influence public perception or otherwise curry favor with potential jurors."

>snip<

He accused O'Mara of using his law firm's website to publicize the subpoena and implied O'Mara was trying to damage Trayvon's reputation.

[Political Junkie Too]

Chumming the waters means throwing in dead fish body parts in order to get the bigger fish (e.g., sharks) to show up and feed.

They are suggesting that getting Martin's school records into the press will just invite a feeding frenzy on the Right to show that Martin was no good and Zimmerman was unlucky to have crossed his path.

-PJ

[JoeProBono]

[kenmcg]

Ah! American justice........what a complete joke!

[ExCTCitizen]

Trayvon Martin's school disciplinary records.

you mean he WENT TO SCHOOL??? It must be for the free breakfast and lunch.

[TigersEye]

Are you trying to see how many lies you can pack into one sentence?

[Chewbarkah]

If the records contain nothing but straight A’s and gold stars, would the prosecutor be objecting?

TM’s school records might well provide relevant, objective evidence of a long-term pattern of falling grades, increasing discipline problems, theft, and violence. This decline could be linked to TM’s references to drug use and sale in his e-mails and social media. A compelling presentation of both could at least raise reasonable doubts for jurors that GZ’s suspicions of TM were not unreasonable, and did not require race. IMHO, denial of access to these records would seem to illegally deny GZ a major avenue of defense.

[DustyMoment]

I don’t see what that has to do with the case anyway. Even if he got all F’s then big deal he is dead and that is what needs to be focused on and see if he was in the wrong for his death or was the other dude who shot him was in the wrong.

You missed the point. They aren't after his grades, they are after his school disciplinary record.

That record could show a history of violent behavior or other disciplinary issues that would show a pattern of behavior problems. THAT record is VERY pertinent to the case!

[Uncle Chip]

Well there may be more courses than just those:

Cell Phones [the many uses of]

Marketing products on Social Media

How to be 12 years old forever.

Bus Riding Etiquette

Cold Cocking

Head Banging

Suspensions [what to do during]

Pharmacology 7-11

[wtc911]

Not a lie in my post at all. You might not like it but that’s the fact.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Thanks for the NYC liberal view! You can keep it, Florida doesn’t want it.

[wtc911]

Since when is sticking to the known facts liberal? I thought the opposite was true and sticking to verified facts was a conservative virtue. You are confused.

[ExCTCitizen]

Well there may be more courses than just those:

How to wear your pants low...

Auto detailing an old car

History of Ghetto Noise (aka music)

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Which facts are you sticking to? From what I know I’d have shot the SOB twice!

[TigersEye]

It’s total bullcrap. Link to his “violent past” for example.

[Ratman83]

Most likely talking about these times. The cop in the 2005 incident did not identify himself so it is bs. And Domestic violence when both get a restraining order means that it was bull also.

•In 2005, Zimmerman, then 20, was arrested and charged with “resisting officer with violence” and “battery of law enforcement officer,” both which are third-degree felonies. The charge was reduced to “resisting officer without violence” and then waived when he entered an alcohol education program. Contemporaneous accounts indicate he shoved an officer who was questioning a friend for alleged underage drinking at an Orange County bar.

•In August 2005, Zimmerman’s ex-fiancee, Veronica Zuazo, filed a civil motion for a restraining order alleging domestic violence. Zimmerman counterfiled for a restraining order against Zuazo. The competing claims were resolved with both restraining orders being granted.

[TigersEye]

Yes, I know. I was waiting for him to post those stories. The first one demonstrating his loyalty to friends and the incompetence and corruption of the police. The second story not indicating much at all.

[Ratman83]

Well he has to try something because he is beginning to look dumber than a bag of rocks.

[TigersEye]

LOL Beginning? He’s looked like a lying lib troll all along.

[Uncle Chip]

Most likely talking about these times.

And of course the state will make the most of publicizing those two events while trying to deny the defense's uncovering of Trayvon's love for street fighting.

One thing I'm wondering about is his dental work. His teeth at 12 years old looked perfect and he seemed to smile a lot. However in his older pictures he keeps his mouth closed a lot but when he does open it it appears that his teeth are in disarray -- grill or no grill.

Is it possible that he got teeth knocked out in one of his MMA fights and behind those closed lips and grill is a lot of dental reconstruction.

[Ratman83]

I can go with that.