Posted on 05/14/2012 10:18:43 AM PDT by Aunt Polgara
SANFORD -- George Zimmerman's attorney is expected to get a look at some of the prosecution's key evidence against his client Monday.
But the public may not get a look at any of it -- at least not yet.
Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder for shooting and killing 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in February. Zimmerman has claimed he shot the teen in self-defense, but state prosecutors said the evidence they have collected suggests otherwise.
Normally, such evidence would be made public right away, but attorney Mark O'Mara said he wants to redact some of that information first.
O'Mara said he is trying to do what's best for his client, and he believes the only way for Zimmerman to get a fair trial is to not release the names of witnesses.
According to Zimmerman's attorney, making those names public would put witnesses out there to be hounded by the media. O'Mara said he feels that could jeopardize his client's trial.
O'Mara is expected to file a motion in court Monday to stop the public release of the evidence, so he can redact witnesses' names first.
The information set to be released to O'Mara Monday goes all the way back to Feb. 26, the night of the shooting.
Zimmerman offered an apology to Trayvon Martin's parents at a bond hearing in April, but Martin's family later said they rejected that apology.
What O'Mara is about to get a look at is information that has only been known to those involved in the shooting investigation.
FYI
WTF?
Isn't that what trials are for?
It’s my understanding that in Florida, the evidence that is turned over from one side to the other is available to the public right away.
Good thing the Obama regime isn’t involved in this.. We’d know all the witnesses names, addresses and phone numbers by now. Whew.
Information isn’t so immediately public..
We are witnessing a democrat lynching of an Hispanic man by the most corrupt, communistic regime ever to rule America ... and the media is making sure that the true message is nowhere to be found in the news so that Hispanics can be herded the same way black voters are herded, by their heart strings (emotions) rather than the truth which would set them free from democrat dependency.
BUMP
It's a one-way street, FWIW. Whatever the state has, that it must disclose to a defendant, is what becomes public.
He should get My Cousin Vinny Gambini to represent him.
Vinny Gambini: [answering the phone] Hello?
D.A. Jim Trotter: [into the phone] You did good out there today, Yankee. I like the competition. You like competition, too? Makes things kinds fun, doesn’t it?
Vinny Gambini: I’m enjoying myself so far.
D.A. Jim Trotter: Well, I got a little surprise for you tomorrow.
Vinny Gambini: What is it? You know you have to disclose all of your evidence to me before presenting it at trial.
D.A. Jim Trotter: I just got it myself tonight. I’ll disclose it first thing in the morning. The Judge is gonna have to admit it.
Vinny Gambini: Should I be worried?
D.A. Jim Trotter: I sure would be if I were you.
Vinny Gambini: [hangs up]
[to Lisa]
Vinny Gambini: Hey, Honey. Where’d you read about all that disclosure sh!t?
Mona Lisa Vito: Here, let me show ya. Why?
"Hounded by the media"? LOL, not quite. How about threatened and whacked by Holder's People? You know, the ones putting out a New Black Panther magazine with Zimmerman's neck in a noose - and that after openly putting a bounty on Zimmerman's head.
O’Mara can redact until the sun burns out, but those names WILL be leaked.
The corrupt special prosecutor and her investigators have far too much to lose and they will use every trick in the book to save their butts. Mark my words.
Who the hell designed that policy? John Gotti?
“Who the hell designed that policy?”
The authors of the Bill of Rights.
What makes you think they have not been leaked?
What makes you think that corey and co. have not already nifonged the disclosures?
No. In most areas, evidence is released from the state to the defense, period.
Nothing in my comment suggests that they haven’t and it’s a good guess that they have been. Bottom line... they certainly will be.
Zimmerman never offered an apology — with the concomitant implication of an admission of guilt. He said he was sorry that Martin died — essentially offering his condolences to the parents for their loss. Zimmerman let his compassion get the better of his judgment. He should have followed his attorney’s advice and said nothing.
I hate to break it to you, but the authors of the Bill of Rights didn't include any right to discovery in there, and didn't apply the Bill of Rights to the states. The "right" to discovery was created by judicial fiat much later, and then legislation was passed after that to provide the procedures for exchanging information. If I remember correctly, it was sometime early in the 20th century that federal courts decided that access to the prosecution's evidence was part of due process.
Discovery is, however, a very important right, given that the goal of criminal law is justice, not victory.
George Zimmerman prosecutors file list of witnesses, evidence in Trayvon Martin shooting
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