Posted on 03/24/2012 6:47:49 AM PDT by tobyhill
Amid the rush of loud outrage and vocal protest from the parents of Trayvon Martin and their supporters the silence of one character in this tragic tale has been deafening: George Zimmerman, the free man who shot Martin and alleges self-defense. His attorney, Craig Sonner, finally spoke out to Anderson Cooper last night, and had few answers but one accusation– his client has a broken nose and a laceration on his skull, and that was “an injury done by Trayvon Martin.”
Sonner noted to Cooper that his client seemed fine save for a “considerable bit of stress” natural to his situation, but admitted that “y conversations have been by telephone.” He did not know where Zimmerman was but assumed he was “still in the area” and hadn’t fled the country. He had surprisingly little to offer Cooper about the facts of the case; asked what Zimmerman had told him about what transpired the night Martin died, he said “he should have made a statement to police at the time, I believe he did,” and said he “did not discuss the details,” and they would be privileged even if he had.
(Excerpt) Read more at mediaite.com ...
As a 10 year Neighborhood Watch Captain I can tell you that here in IL we have perfect legal right to ask anyone we wish anything we wish to ask them. They also have a perfect legal right to tell us to go **** ourselves.
We are permitted to follow, observe, and if we see a crime being committed make a lawful Citizens Arrest. Florida law may be different, but them’s the facts here in IL.
Police Dispatchers here in IL also have zero legal authority to “order” us to do anything as they are not sworn Officers. They can recommend, ask, beg, but they can not order.
L
Our neighborhood watch group members do not engage strangers except in self defense or the defense of another during a crime. We do not play cops and approach and question people in the neighborhood we don’t know. It’s none of our business to bother people unless they bother us. That kind of behavior is nosey, rude and inciting. You might get yourself jumped or shot for threatening and scaring the stranger as he stands his ground!
No one would be doing what Mr. Zimmerman was doing - approaching Mr. Martin on the street as a suspect. It sounds like he did not have an official crime watch group; rather he named himself the watcher of the neighborhood. This is a mess.
The fact that Zimmerman has injuries proves only that there was a fight. It proves nothing about who started it....
Nobody has to prove who "started it". You guys are speculating way too much about things you don't understand.
All that must be proven is that Zimmerman did not fear death or serious bodily injury from an attack by Martin.
This "precipitated" stuff is nonsense.
But I agree with Mas Ayoob about preparing for “Problem #2,” which is where Zimmerman is now: awaiting a racially charged Grand Jury.
It's not enough to know in your heart it was a good SD shooting, if you are involved in one.
The Grand Jury needs to believe it too. So don't sabotage your case by your actions before the shooting. And if you go following a “suspect” (in your mind) and it then turns into a SD shooting, the racially-charged GJ might not agree with you.
Then you will have years to sit in prison, contemplating your innocence.
save.
I’m sure that those same legal rights apply in FL. My only point is that the GJ might buy the case that Zimmerman precipitated the events. Ayoob’s “Problem #2” is also important.
Under Florida law, a young man was being stalked for no reason. He had every right under the law to knock Zimmerman’s brains out and he would have been found justified since he was in fear of his life. The stand your ground law applies to the young man same as anyone else. Where as the writer of the law has said it did not apply to zimmerman in this case since he was the stalker.
Florida law allows you to punch someone who asks you a question? Can you please cite the relevant Statue and provide me with a link to it?
Thanks in advance.
Actually the citizen’s watch group was formed by the association. And he didn’t approach him, he followed him. Approach implies the other is facing you.
If you ever face a Grand Jury in a similar case, just be sure and tell them that. I'm sure they will agree, and let you walk free.
/sarc
Give a little thought to Mas Ayoob's "Problem #2." It matters a lot, if you don't like the idea of spending time in prison for SD.
Zimmerman was the clear aggressor up to the point of the end of the tape.
Martin ran (according to zimmerman on the tape). This is action that avoids confrontation and is exactly what I have taught my kids to do should they ever be followed by a strange adult.
Zimmerman has a documented history of violence - once assaulting a LEO, once smacking his GF around.
Martin has no record (except suspension for habitual tardiness).
Zimmerman viewed Martin, in his own words, as a "effin punk", "on drugs", and up to something. Zimmerman said, "these assholes always get away".
These statements indicate a mindset wherein Zimmerman had decided that Martin was on drugs, a punk and about to escape. Except for the escape part none of this was true.
Here comes my opinion...
Based on their actions of pursuit and avoidance and on Zimmerman's attitude about Martin I believe that Zimmerman continued his course and either caught up with or bumped into Martin.
I think that, given the actions that we know of up to this point, Zimmerman was the aggressor and bit off more than he could chew.
This is, to me, a much more likely scenario than a sudden reversal in behavior by both Zimmerman and Martin.
I also believe that Zimmerman will not face charges...not because he is not culpable...but because there are no witnesses to the beginning of the fight.
Also, absent any racial comments by Zimmerman on the tape (he said punk, not coon) there is no "hate" crime. The Feds have no standing.
You may be right and political pressure combined with expedient cowardice may well prove me wrong.
Kid went down hill fast, slab report said his weight was 160. The kid was a six foot string bean.
Precipitation is irrelevant if in fact Trayvon was on top of Zimmerman punching him when the fatal shot was fired.
It will be interesting to watch it play out, especially to see how much racial pressure is put on the Grand Jury to indict.
You seem to say that if I flick your ear, you can then pummel me to death and I lose all claims to self defense because I "precipitated" the matter.
If your response to me flicking your ear is disproportionate, and it places my life in danger, I may most certainly use force.
Bovine excrement. Knitting for Jesse Jackasson with that yarn?
From Martin’s point of view, Zimmerman’s aggression in “following him” might have felt like Hispanic gang stalking and he decided to stand his ground against Zimmerman. It is not all cut and dry either way. :(
Wow. He looks just like Obama!
I don’t believe Zimmerman. I believe Trayvon was fighting for his life after a surprise attack by Zimmerman. Zimmerman has a history of putting his hands on people and trying to detain people and not wanting people to get away. It doesn’t pass the smell test that Trayvon attacked and fought with Zimmerman for no good reason. It defies common sense.
Zimmerman did something to cause the altercation. He grabbed Trayvon.
Trayvon somehow tried to keep the gun from being pointed at him after a scuffle ensued. Fatso couldn’t take it and stumbled backwards. This is where Zimmerman starts screaming like a sissy and playing victim.
Trayvon could only hold down one arm that had the gun, while punching Zimmerman with the other to try to subdue him. Zimmerman kept trying to get up so Trayvon kept punching him down so he could have enough time to escape.
Trayvon was fighting so Zimmerman wouldn’t lift up the gun, but Zimmerman slithered his arm loose and got the shot off.
The eyewitness only saw a small portion of it at the end of the fight when Trayvon was trying to prevent getting shot by Zimmerman.
The eyewitness also didn’t see the actual shooting. Trayvon may have stopped punching Zimmerman and made a break for it. Then got shot once Zimmerman had the chance.
And the Grand Jury might even agree. Or not. But if you want to minimize your chances of going to prison, you might want to take the "precipitation" factor into account.
Zimmerman might spend years in prison, due to that "precipitation."
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