Zimmerman will be acquitted. Judge Nelson's attempt to force him to testify tells us so.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Judge Debra Nelson has behaved like a partisan hack the entire trial. Her asking George if he wanted to testify was beyond unusual. It was tantamount to jury tampering.

She wouldn't have done any of this if the trial were going the way she wanted it to.

[Pollster1]

I have only seen small segments of the GZ trial, but “Judge” Nelson strikes me as one of the worst judges in history. I hope she finds a job better suited to her intellectual potential. I’ve heard WalMart needs greeters.

[patriot08]

Ozzie is worse than a b*itch. He peed on the Alamo. Get a rope.

[Georgia Girl 2]

She was totally bizarre and out of line. I have never seen a judge try to go around an attorney and ask the defendant something like that directly. Unbelievable!!!

[Georgia Girl 2]

“The Defense did a great job but I still think the all girl jury will convict”

Two of those gals CCW.

[supercat]

If the judge and prosecutors wanted to make Zimmerman take the stand, why allow his version of the narrative into evidence without it? From what I understand, if the prosecutor had refrained from asking anyone about anything George said, but had simply focused on

1. Trayvon Martin was dead, clearly killed by a single gunshot wound;
2. the smoking gun belonged to George Zimmerman, and was found to be in his possession immediately following the shooting;
3. no plausible basis has been tendered for believing that anyone but GZ pulled the trigger

there would have been no need for the prosecutor to ask anyone about anything GZ said, and no reason to call any witnesses that would support a self-defense claim. The prosecution could rest having established a prima facie case of second-degree murder case. A friendly Judge Nelson could consistently rule that for the defense to ask witnesses about GZ's contemporaneous statements, it would have to commit to putting GZ on the stand. Such rulings might be overturned on appeal, but Judge Nelson could still use them to avoid having to have an acquittal come from her courtroom. Additionally, had the prosecutor and judge acted in that way, they could have put the defense in an awkward situation. If the defense refused to commit to putting GZ on the stand, the refusal to allow testimony related to his earlier statements would be reversible error, but a decision not to put GZ on the stand would increase the likelihood of an immediate decision. If, under such pressure, the defense put GZ on the stand and he got shredded, I'm not sure whether that would be refersible error. Certainly it would help bolster the media case against him.

[laplata]

I didn’t know that. Get the rope and I’ll tie the knot.

That guy is so far gone. I remember when he blew kisses to GW Bush and the libs got all bent out of shape. LOL

[chris37]

I would have told her- I defer to my attorney, whom I hired to represent me and lead my defense.

[Hot Tabasco]

Just remember, she was appointed by Jeb Bush.

Bush's fault!.....Damn, I knew it all along.......Just can't escape them damn Bushs can we?

I gotta replace a steering gear in my car, I'm sure that's Bush's fault too.......Oh, did I mention the severe storms that have been coming thru my area thest last couple days?........You know whose fault that is don't you?

[Sasparilla]

What is being overlooked is that if a defendant is denied his right to testify, that fact can be reversable error. Usually the defense attorney will question his client away from the jury before the defense rests to get proof from him that he has been advised by his attorney that he has the absolute right to testify or not and that he has knowingly waived that right after being advised of the fact.

The defense attorney will usually inquire of his client on the record to preserve the testimony, which will protect him from a malpractice suit and a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel on appeal too.

It is unusual for the Judge to do this questioning, but it is not unheard of.

[IamConservative]

Judge looks like John Goodman in drag.

That's exactly what I thought. John Goodman. Couple hours in the make-up trailer and you've got yourself a judge.

[Bogey78O]

And look what happened to the guy. Redistricted out.

[Oztrich Boy]

Hey! You’re using logic! No fair!

[JouleZ]

Two of those gals CCW.

#######

I was knocked to the concrete, kicked in the head and mugged by an AA that could have been Obama’s son and let’s just say he’s darn lucky I had flown in to Atlanta and didn’t have a gun on me.

[ThePatriotsFlag]

She was practically on her hands and knees begging him to testify

---

I don't buy that, I saw it too. The statement she made was exactly the statement you always make to a defendant. Sort of like the little homily she gives the jurors when they leave for the night or come back in the morning. It's a standard statement. You need it for the record that "not testifying" is up to YOU as a defendant, not coerced by an outside force. Not making that statement in that way would set her up for a reversal down the line when Z might later say, "I was told not to testify."

[xzins]

The Defense did a great job but I still think the all girl jury will convict.

I believe a 2nd degree conviction requires unanimity. It will be hung OR Zimmerman walks.

The prosecution and the entire liberal world is praying right now for a split decision.

What actually is the evidence that the prosecution presented that proves Zimmerman acted with depraved indifference? That he followed for a bit? That TM didn't have Zim's blood on his sleeves, but did on the hem of his sweatshirt and perhaps elsewhere? That his gun was manufactured with no safety? That he took a martial arts class? That he wanted to be a prosecutor/cop/whatever some day?

Am I missing anything? These are so weak.

Against that you have near absolute proof that he was being beaten and in potential danger for his life: the forensic specialist that says TM was on top, the fact that Zim was doing all the bleeding until the gunshot, the fact that it's most likely Zim calling for help, the fact that an eyewitness saw him being pounded, the fact that an investigator believed Zimmerman, the fact that the forensic specialist says head pounding can kill?

To be honest with you, I've had trouble understanding the prosecution's point throughout the trial. Given the evidence, though, what else could they have presented?

[Sirius Lee]

She’s the fat, ugly Cindy Crowley of judges.

[Semper911]

Did she demand that Zimmerman declare if he's going to testify before his counsel was finished, or not?

That's exactly what she did. No jury. Defense objected -- overruled. They seemed perplexed and said they weren't finished with their case, and she shouted them down.

George said he had not made the decision yet, and she hounded him about how much time he needed. He said he didn't know, maybe by the end of the day. It was bizarre.

[ThePatriotsFlag]

I could see her asking him directly...once. More than once and something is not right.

---

She asked more than once because West was talking to Zimmerman ... she admonished the lawyer saying she was addressing the defendant, not the lawyers ... and started over, thus asking the same first question twice. I think this thread is way off base. Sort of a "lynch mob" attitude here rather than looking at what happened. This judge is the worst one I've ever seen, but this thread off on a witch hunt.

[patriot08]

Yep, Osbourne urinated on the Alamo in the ‘80s. He was banned from the city as a result.
http://www.click2houston.com/news/Man-charged-with-urinating-on-Alamo/-/1735978/10922978/-/tlsbpy/-/index.html

Should have strung the sob up right then and there.

[laplata]

That’s beside the point. West is a good man.