Huh, Zimmerman was never arrested?
What are you talking about?
Your post is entirely irrelevant or am I missing something?
No, he was not arrested. He was detained for a while at the police station, but not arrested. In order to arrest him, they'd have to charge him with SOMETHING. But there was not enough evidence to charge him, so he was released, but they can still arrest him if new evidence comes to light.
What are you talking about?
Your post is entirely irrelevant or am I missing something?
I think most courts would consider being cuffed, brought to the station house and questioned as being arrested. Even if the police don't want to say it was an arrest, any lawyer could have that classified as an arrest and the clock for a "fair and speedy" trial would start ticking. The relevant question to ask is: "was he free to leave?" If he wasn't, even for a minute, then he was arrested. It doesn't matter whether they filled out the paperwork or not.
This is an entirely good thing. It prevents a lot of BS by law enforcement.
* * * * * *
I suspect the reason the police don't want to admit he was really under arrest while he was in the station house is that Florida law prohibits them from arresting someone who is acting in self defense. They could be liable for a lot of money if they arrested him.
So, they put out the pious fiction that he wasn't arrested and he accepts that because it saves him a lot of trouble.
It may well turn out that after the hubbub has died down, and especially if no charges are ever filed, his lawyer may come back and want some sort of monetary settlement for the arrest.
My point exactly. Why start the clock if you don’t have to? The prosecutor felt they did not have enough evidnce to get a conviction. Continue your investigation. If you feel you have enough evidence, arrest him and start the clock.