Prosecutor: Account that he, police chief opted not to arrest Martin's shooter a 'lie'

CNN ^ | April 2, 2012 | CNN Wire Staff

[Cboldt]

An "outraged" Florida prosecutor fired back on Monday at the family of Trayvon Martin, describing as "outright lies" their account that he and a local police chief met and decided not to follow a detective's advice and arrest the teenager's killer. ...

In the letter delivered Monday, the Martin family said that a Sanford police detective "filed an affidavit stating that he did not find Zimmerman's statements credible in light of the circumstances and facts surrounding the shooting."

The family said Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee and State Attorney Norm Wolfinger met the night of the shooting and disregarded the detective's advice, letting Zimmerman go.

Neither Sanford police nor prosecutors have confirmed the existence of such an affidavit, which ABC News first reported. Sanford officials and special prosecutor Angela Corey's office declined comment.

But Wolfinger, who stepped aside in the case last month, vehemently denies that any "such meeting or communication occurred" between him and Lee.

[Cboldt]

-- Good thing he didn't go to CVS rather than 711 for treats. --

;-)

Busy little town. All sorts of racial issues there. Been building pressure for some time. This one might blow over, but in the long run, there is going to be some spectacular friction.

[hoosiermama]

IMO we've gotten to the root of the problem. This death is just a symptom of a much larger problem. Since the Oxycontin at the CVS has just recently come to light, the community was sensitive that a narcotic officer was involved in this case. Maybe just curious if it was a larger problem.

Two past unprosecuted attacks/murder involving police officer's family just adds to the tension racial tension.

Zimmerman according to family members letter, was on the side of justice in one of those cases.
Trying to solve community problems by tutoring kids of many races according to his neighbors and friends.
Is it just ironic that now he's the target? Or is it payback from a LEO who he crossed?

The Philadelphia article pretty well spells out the racial tension in the community, Wikipedia link adds more, including why it exists and the drug issues in the major community. How many people in town make the living by distribution of it?

Wonder if TM’s father is a pharmacist? Never have heard what his occupation was. /s

It is correct to get an outside person to handle this case. ALL material needs to be released so there can be no doubt what happened in the community .

[Erich von Manstein]

"Looks like the Martin family is looking for a huge payday"

a huge payday?

THAT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF NUTS!

[GOPJ]

You were surprised NBC would edit is such a way as to create a lie they liked?

Now you know - you’ll know better next time - you won’t trust them as much..

Here’s a link to some New York Times connected journalists talking about ways to ‘help’ Obama, Occupy, PBS, etc... It’s not just NBC - but few are as clumsy as NBC:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBFOmUXR080

[FreedomPoster]

Don’t miss the link in #19. They’ve really, really shown this guy to be a quack.

[hoosiermama]

Lots of things going on in the town of Sanford that is not being covered.

Check out Cboldt links at 177

Also another incident which includes:
1. “The young man who committed the assault is named Justin Collison, and stories say his father was a police lieutenant. But since it was a video of the assault that led to Collison’s eventual arrest” (That is the second case involving police family and assault)
2. Zimmerman according to a letter from family members posted yesterday was involved in bringing this young man to justice. Man beaten was homeless and black. Zimmerman helped organize the black community and get publicity out that pressured prosecutor to decide to press charges.
3. According to one of the many sources I read the same officer involved in that case is also the lead officer in Martin/Zimmerman case. Therefore community was already upset and this case just adds fuel to the fire already burning.
May not be related at all, BUT, also note the large Oxycontin problem in the community, CVS busted,but no mention of the buyers. Somebody(s) in that community was making a nice living by buying/selling. (Maybe the reason of concern why the narcotic officer was involved in Martin case.)
Were the police inadvertently getting to close? Had they closed their eyes to what was happening within their community? (Looks like the state got CVS records not the locals.) Where was all the ill gotten drug being sold? Too much for just Sanford, but easily could have been transported elsewhere.....Miami? Tampa? or even NYC or Chicago.

This is not just about Martin and Zimmerman.

[hoosiermama]

Sorry that’s 117

[darrellmaurina]

45 posted on Mon Apr 02 2012 19:13:14 GMT-0500 (Central Daylight Time) by Nip: “As I posted on another posting - How can the State of Florida or even the Federal Government empanel a jury, with alternates, that haven’t pre-judged this case? IMHO the LMSM have polluted any possible jury pool with their over the top reporting and malicious alternations. This claim has been repeatedly used by defense attorneys in cases with a much lower profile (no wanted posters and high value rewards) so why not here?”

A change of venue (getting a jury from outside the area, or holding the trial elsewhere entirely) is probably necessary unless the defendant believes he's likely to get a mistrial or acquittal caused by a local jury familiar with the general situation in the community, even if not this particular case. That's why OJ Simpson wanted to have his criminal trial with an inner-city predominantly black jury, and in a nation where we believe in presumption of innocence until proved guilty, we need to accept the importance of prosecutors and police needing to have a very high standard to prove their case to a jury of the defendant's peers.

Once a change of venue happens, finding a panel of 12 jurors with additional alternates who are mostly or entirely uninformed about the case is not usually that difficult, even high-profile cases.

Uninformed does not mean unintelligent. As Freepers, we're considerably more politically active and therefore more informed than many people choose to be, and the same could be said for regular readers of Daily Kos, Huffington Post, and Democratic Underground on the other side of the political spectrum. Lots of people simply do not follow the news on a regular basis if they don't see how it affects them, and that's why getting a jury from outside the area is often either necessary or helpful.

If we asked 500 people we know to give details of this case, we might be surprised how easy it is to find 12 jurors out of that 500-person group who haven't gotten enough prior information about this case to taint their ability to hear it as an unbiased juror.

[hoosiermama]

IF it was a newsconference...Try U tube.

[wtc911]

I have known about the Sanford incidents for a while and they do paint a picture that is not pretty.

But, I have not brought them into the conversation because I am focused solely on the facts of this one case.

[hoosiermama]

This case SHOULD be adjudicated on the facts of the case. Zimmerman is innocent of murder.

OTOH the case of public opinion should examine the entire picture so they understand why others have opposing views and can solve issues in the community. Trust needs to be rebuilt.

[the808bass]

Whatever the interpretation of his denial, though, you get the impression that he would like to deny that he participated in the decision to let Zimmerman go. Yet, if that were the case, you would think that he would simply deny that he had any role in it, instead of indirectly attacking it by disputing the accuracy of the statement by the family.

One of the more fanciful stories advanced by the race-baiters is that George Zimmerman had an inside connection via his father and his legal connections to the SPD and the States Attorneys office. The story was advanced that that States Attorney drove to Sanford the night of the shooting (a 50 mile drive) to override the homicide detective's wish to prosecute. I believe it is this rumor he is refudiating.

[Brilliant]

I don’t think they put the handcuffs on unless you’re under arrest. At any rate, it will be real interesting to see where this leads. Hopefully not to a riot, but I think it may... That’s what Sharpton wants, I think.

[Cboldt]

-- I don't think they put the handcuffs on unless you're under arrest. --

He wasn't arrested. The town FAQ published on March 23 explains why he was not arrested.

The act of arresting is a critical formality, accompanied with being Mirandized and being told the reason for being detained against your will.

I do agree that the public was misled in the first place, to imagine that he was questioned at the scene for 20-40 minutes, then released. And I agree that being cuffed and taken to the station for 4-5 hours of interrogation is different from what most people attach to "wasn't arrested."

As for handcuffed without being under arrest, you can find all sorts of discussion here -> Google: handcuffed without arrest

Being handcuffed can be a form of detention without arrest, and it's everyday common.

[Erasmus]

IMO the Martin team is reading in material that is just not there. Someone says they consulted with the state AG, a few sentences later they say “they” decided not to press charges and they family reads into it that the ‘they’ includes the state AG. There is even a name for it which I can’t recall just now.

Post hoc, ergo propter hoc.

"After this, therefore because of this."

[moehoward]

"-- I see another Rodney King event in our future... --"

"Yep. The deck is stacked that way, and the media will light the fuse."

And it'll make the King riots look like a quilting bee. This time sides have been chosen.

[moehoward]

"I’m not sure if Wolfinger is denying that he agreed that Zimmerman should be released, or he merely claimed that the meeting never took place."

Seems "outright lies" is all encompassing. If not, any part of their statement could come back on him.

[moehoward]

"And what happens after he’s acquitted is as well."

And "what happens after" is just about the surest bet there is. So considering, the fact there was serious doubt whether this should go to trial to begin with, why on earth spend the money for this circus when the outcomes are virtually assured?

[moehoward]

"Wolfinger's denial then covers EVERY point in Crump's accusatory letter"

It sure seems to to me. Plurality, "lies". Not much wiggle room there....

[moehoward]

"He wasn't arrested. "

According to this florida Attorney, he was.
"2. WHEN AM I CONSIDERED "UNDER ARREST"? When the police significantly deprive you of your freedom of movement in order to question you about a crime or take you into custody, you are legally considered under arrest. You could be under arrest even though no one has used the word “arrest.” ............."

I concede it's a minor issue since Zimmerman was clearly trying to accommodate the SPD in any way he could.