FBI may charge George Zimmerman with hate crime

http://www.wftv.com ^ | May 14, 2012

[2ndDivisionVet]

SANFORD, Fla. — WFTV has learned charges against George Zimmerman could be getting more serious.

State prosecutors said Zimmerman, a neighborhood watchman, profiled and stalked 17-year-old Trayvon Martin before killing him, so the FBI is now looking into charging him with a hate crime.

Zimmerman admitted to killing Martin in February during a confrontation. However, he claims the shooting was in self-defense. He's facing a second-degree murder charge, which carries a maximum possible sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. But if Zimmerman is charged and found guilty of a federal hate crime involving murder, he could face the death penalty.

FBI investigators are actively questioning witnesses in the retreat at the Twin Lakes neighborhood, seeking evidence for a possible federal hate crime charge.

[Art in Idaho]

Zimmerman should elect to have his trial conducted in Spanish. That would flip the optics.

Great idea!

[JTHomes]

That’s sure working out for Zimmerman isn’t it. I don’t trust the police or the justice system to give victims a fair shake. We have a local case of a guy who happened upon 3 people trying to steal his truck. When they came at him he drew his handgun and fired into the ground. It probably save him at least a good beating and he kept his truck, but he was the one charged. He was told he would have been better off shooting the guys if he felt his life were in danger. All this legal dogma flies in the face of common sense these days. People are not trusted to use their own judgement since every action is regulated and be judged illegal in one twisted way or another. My somewhat facetious comment in the last post was more a statement of staying out of the system if you can help it. Advice to trust the system is also crap.

[JTHomes]

Sorry, that means, if you ARE caught, it goes from self defense to Murder 1.

Not really, it is still self defense, no premeditation or intent. But probably would add some charges of covering up the crime, and by twisted statutes turn it into some capital crime. Even more reason to not trust your fate to some persecutor hoping for higher office.

[redgolum]

So the orginal case must be pretty weak.

[StAnDeliver]

Yep. Corey has serious problems fulfilling any aspect of her mau mau.

[commonguymd]

I feel sorry for this man that is the center of a political tryst to destroy him. His crime was merely luck in being the poster boy for political advantage.

I do pray his vindication comes.

[OneWingedShark]

This brings up the question of what would happen if we passed an amendment repealing the commerce clause.
Specifically, would existent laws deriving their ‘justification’ from that clause be null and void automatically; or would each law have to be challenged individually (also giving the government the time/ability to justify that law via some other route)?

[newnhdad]

yet another distraction to occupy the Sunday talkers.. only 25 more weekends to go..

[MeganC]

I figured I’d edit that last line in the story for accuracy:

“FBI investigators are actively intimidating witnesses in the retreat at the Twin Lakes neighborhood, seeking to suppress evidence for Zimmerman’s defense against a possible federal hate crime charge.”

[stevie_d_64]

Hey FBI, witnesses to the actual shooting??? Or, nieghbors of Zimmerman’s???

Both will not be kind to the direction YOU and the race baiters and New Black Panthers want this to go...

Both witnesses to the attack made statements that the Little darling Angel Travon waas on top of Zimmerman shoving his hed back into the pavement...Not good for the prosecution, that to me shows hate on the Little Darling Angel Travon...

Anyone in the complex will tell them that Zimmerman was a person that helped more than was a menace to their homes...

So...FBI...Seems to me you’re barking up the wrong tree... again...

I have a question...Is there anyone on Free Republic that actually is FBI, or has a family member in the rank and file??? I mean a real investigator/officer???

I’m curious to know, out of the public eye here, if this is embarassing, or causes concerns, to them at all...

That answer can be FReepmailed to me, I promise to NOT divulge any of that answer and conversation publically...

I’m honestly curious to know if this is the best that we have on this case??? If this is ALL the DOJ and law enforcement really has???

Timing is amazing...Interviewing “witnesses” way after the fact, after the national “Get yer bowels in an uproar” being presented by the DOJ, State of Florida, Barrack, Sharpton, Jackson, and the New Black Panthers, bless their little pea pickin’ hearts...

I’m just amazed we haven’t seen widespread rioting across the country, yet...

I do see reports of a lot of hate crimes (assaults) committed by roving gangs of black yutes beating and severely injuring other people of lighter skin color...

What’s up with that assinine behavior???

If this is what they (blacks) want...They are succeeding in making this case go against whatever results they want out of the legal procedings...

And when the final gavel falls and Zimmerman is possibly aquited of all charges...I wonder what will happen next???

I will not be surprised...

All of this is just my opinion, spurred by my honest curiosity...

[stevie_d_64]

Good stuff again 2DV!!! Required reading...

[OneWingedShark]

...the authority to enact laws necessary and proper for the regulation of interstate commerce is not limited to laws governing intrastate activities that substantially affect interstate commerce. Where necessary to make a regulation of interstate commerce effective, Congress may regulate even those intrastate activities that do not themselves substantially affect interstate commerce.

Scalia concurring in Raich

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Sometimes you feel like you should just stay in bed. Other times it's like H. L. Mencken said: "Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats."

The utterly irritating, frustrating, and intolerable thing about this is the sheer injustice BLATANTLY being paraded about as if it were Justice.

[Anti-Bubba182]

Holder sent them marching orders.

[A Navy Vet]

They can look all they want, there is NO basis for a so-called "hate crime". Even if Zimmerman was stalking Martin, police and Zimmerman's phone records show otherwise.

If the FBI is reduced to such nonsense, then it needs to be downsized. Obviously, too many bureaucrats in the organization.

[stephenjohnbanker]

” This is nothing more than political theater. If and when Zimmerman is acquitted angry blacks who have been led to believe this was a hate crime will riot similar to that which occurred in LA in 1992. And when that happens, the Obama admin and the complicit leftist media will be responsible for every death. “

They have no care about this.

[stephenjohnbanker]

” That’s sure working out for Zimmerman isn’t it. I don’t trust the police or the justice system to give victims a fair shake. We have a local case of a guy who happened upon 3 people trying to steal his truck. When they came at him he drew his handgun and fired into the ground. It probably save him at least a good beating and he kept his truck, but he was the one charged. “

Truly sick!

[stephenjohnbanker]

FBI = PC

[stephenjohnbanker]

“Oh, great.

ANOTHER week when the Fibbies will be too busy to arrest Jon Corzine... “

Maybe next year..

[Thunder90]

The FL prosecution is waiting for the FBI to charge the hate crime so they can go ahead with a First Degree Murder charge.

[grundle]

He's facing a second-degree murder charge, which carries a maximum possible sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. But if Zimmerman is charged and found guilty of a federal hate crime involving murder, he could face the death penalty.

As a libertarian, I am against the death penalty. I do not have enough confidence in government to trust it with such a thing.

This shows that liberals are hypocrites. They always claim to be against the death penalty. But now that someone may have committed the "crime" of being a racist, liberals want him to get the death penalty - not for the murder itself - but for being a racist who committed murder.