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Judge rules defense can show Trayvon Martin died with marijuana in his system
FoxNews.com ^ | 7/8/2013

Posted on 07/08/2013 5:19:56 PM PDT by RoosterRedux

Defense lawyers will be permitted to show that Trayvon Martin had marijuana in his system when he and George Zimmerman had their fateful encounter in a gated community in Florida last year, the judge in Zimmerman's murder trial ruled Monday.

Judge Debra Nelson denied a motion by prosecutors to keep toxicology results showing THC in Martin's system from the jury, paving the way for Zimmerman's lawyers to argue the drug may have influenced the teen's behavior. Defense attorney Don West noted that in Zimmerman’s statement to the non-emergency 911 dispatcher that it appeared the person he was observing in the Sanford, Fla., community was “on drugs.”

Late Monday, Zimmerman defense spokesman Shawn Vincent said the defense could rest by the end of the day Tuesday or early Wednesday morning. The prosecution would then have rebuttal witnesses, with closing statements by Thursday or Friday. Vincent stressed this scenario depended on everything going as expected.

Nelson's ruling on the toxicology results came after the jury was dismissed following a day of conflicting testimony about whose voice could be heard screaming on a subsequent 911 tape. A parade of Zimmerman's friends said they recognized the neighborhood watch volunteer's voice, but Martin's father, who police said initially told them he did not recognize the voice, said he came to realize it was his son after hearing the tape some 20 times.

The testimony, in week three of Zimmerman's murder trial, came after the mothers of both Zimmerman and Martin testified Friday it was their son doing the screaming in the Feb. 26, 2012, 911 call made to Sanford, Fla., police. The issue is critical because Zimmerman, a 29-year-old neighborhood watch volunteer, says he shot the 17-year-old in self-defense as he was being beaten.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: kangaroocourt; martin; zimmerman
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To: eCSMaster

Evidently the Judge has stuck her finger in the wind and started to become leery of the Scapegoating.


41 posted on 07/08/2013 6:24:48 PM PDT by Venturer
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To: RoosterRedux

Hmmmmm....marijuana is supposed to make you mellow.
This is undeniable evidence, which the prosecution will no doubt use to make GZ’s “aggression” even more extreme,to have roused TM to his breaking point, such as it was, or might have been.


42 posted on 07/08/2013 6:24:56 PM PDT by supremedoctrine
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To: RoosterRedux

So is the Judge now a racist?


43 posted on 07/08/2013 6:26:07 PM PDT by bigbob
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To: LdSentinal

If smoking pot made you bite off people’s faces, millions of faces would have been eaten by now, along with the millions of chocolate bars.


44 posted on 07/08/2013 6:35:24 PM PDT by sakic
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To: Telepathic Intruder

Pot pretty much mellows everyone. Never saw anyone get violent as a result. Other drugs, yes, especially alcohol.


45 posted on 07/08/2013 6:37:15 PM PDT by sakic
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To: sakic

I know that’s what some people claim, but different people will react differently to the same drug, marijuana included. Some can feel empowered, some feel paranoid, some mellow, some delusional. And that just becomes amplified with greater usage over time. I’d expect it to be worse with “harder” drugs, but then it’s just an argument over degrees.


46 posted on 07/08/2013 6:54:14 PM PDT by Telepathic Intruder (The only thing the Left has learned from the failures of socialism is not to call it that)
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To: MotorCityBuck

Thank you kindly, MotorCityBuck, and God bless.


47 posted on 07/08/2013 6:57:34 PM PDT by chris37 (Heartless.)
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To: RoosterRedux
Crayon smoke a cheap cigar that he and his fat girlfriend hollowed out, it is called a "Blunt" in black Ebonics Obama talk.

Crayon is shown on the 7-11 tape asking for a cigar, and being denied by the clerk. One minute and 20 seconds later, three thugs enter the 7-11, and use the same stack of $1 bills Crayon left the 7-11 with to purchase cheap cigars to use as "Blunts."

Crayon's walk home was 5 minutes, but 40 minutes are missing between the time he left the 7-11 and Zimmerman's 9-11 call. He and his fat girlfriend were smoking pot.

How hard is this to contemplate?

48 posted on 07/08/2013 7:39:32 PM PDT by SkyPilot
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To: chris37
My pleasure. Both of these guys lives have been changed forever obviously,and the ghoulish facination with this tragedy is dispicable. Peace.

MCB

49 posted on 07/08/2013 7:53:43 PM PDT by MotorCityBuck ( Keep the change, you filthy animal! ,)
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To: RoosterRedux

A full toxicology report has a number of different drug screens. I’m interested in knowing what other substances besides THC the toxicologist may have identified.


50 posted on 07/08/2013 8:00:15 PM PDT by mac_truck ( Aide toi et dieu t aidera)
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To: All

how long was this kid on the slab in the morgue before this minor’s “parents” noticed he was missing?


51 posted on 07/08/2013 8:01:48 PM PDT by newnhdad (Our new motto: USA, it was fun while it lasted.)
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To: eCSMaster
Why in the world was there any question as to whether the marijuana evidence could be used?

Because the goofy Medical Examiner in charge of the autopsy stated in a deposition that smoking weed would have no effect upon Martin or anyone else in any environment...He was accepted by all as an Expert witness...

Just a few days before the trial, the ME apparently had an epiphany and changed his mind in front of the jury and told them he learned that the good smoke 'may' have an effect upon ones actions...

That put the prosecution and the judge into a tailspin...But the judge now has to allow the examination of the Expert testimony...

52 posted on 07/08/2013 8:07:47 PM PDT by Iscool
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To: RoosterRedux

I’m surprized they got that ruling. Is the prosecution turtling (a hockey term)?


53 posted on 07/08/2013 8:12:56 PM PDT by citizen (We get the government we choose. America either voted for Obama or handed it to him by not voting.)
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To: freeangel

Evidence of liver and brain damage consistent with long term ??? cited in autopsy report?


54 posted on 07/08/2013 8:37:31 PM PDT by Ozark Tom
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To: eCSMaster

Because the evidence that George (partly black) Zimmerman is an evil racist stalking black elementary schoolers was that he told the neighborhood watch dispatch that Saint Crayon looked high.

Clearly that was a code word for the “N” word.

Oops, unless it was just noticing somebody who actually was high.


55 posted on 07/08/2013 8:49:54 PM PDT by MrEdd (Heck? Geewhiz Cripes, thats the place where people who don't believe in Gosh think they aint going.)
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To: eCSMaster
The reason why Martin's toxicolgoy report was not used in the trial, is that it not relevant to the case at hand, according to court procedure. The prosection has to make it part of their case evidence to be argued. Up until the medical examiner made his comment about pot smoking and its affects on the human system, Treyvon's toxicology report was not fair game in court.

I know this sounds ridiculous and unfair. Its the same reason why Treyvon's troubled past is not being argued.

56 posted on 07/08/2013 9:54:47 PM PDT by KC_Conspirator
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To: ForAmerica

His school records are not “relevant” to the case at hand under court room proceedure, and will not be brought up, until someone on the prosecution side tries to make him sound like an upstanding student. At that time, the defense can refute that by arguing his bad record in school, his suspensions, etc.


57 posted on 07/08/2013 10:00:30 PM PDT by KC_Conspirator
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To: Telepathic Intruder
Telepathic Intruder said: "... but different people will react differently to the same drug, ..."

I've always found it rather ironic that so many drugs used to treat depression have explicit warnings to seek medical attention if experiencing suicidal thoughts.

58 posted on 07/08/2013 10:51:48 PM PDT by William Tell
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To: Telepathic Intruder

I used to smoke pot. Most of my friends smoked. Have probably met hundreds of smokers. None has ever shown a trace of violence. Mostly they sat around, listened to music and ate non-stop.

Never heard a single connection between pot and violence or delusional or anything bad other than some getting paranoid from it, but the paranoid ones just stopped smoking.

Compare to the amount of mayhem created by those who drink alcohol. I drink a bit and the only stupid thing I ever did on drugs was drive drunk once. Luckily nothing happened.


59 posted on 07/09/2013 5:24:44 AM PDT by sakic
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To: chris37
Welcome to the club!!!

Ha!!!

60 posted on 07/09/2013 8:35:39 AM PDT by Osage Orange (Sic semper evello mortem Tyrannis)
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