Trayvon Martin: No grand jury in case

Orlando Sentinel ^ | April 9, 2012 | Jeff Weiner and Walter Pacheco

[Free ThinkerNY]

The special prosecutor assigned to the Trayvon Martin shooting investigation now says she will not take the case before a grand jury tomorrow, as had been scheduled.

Angela Corey, special prosecutor in the case and state attorney for Duval, Clay and Nassau counties, said Monday that her investigation will continue, but the grand jury will not hear the case.

Corey stressed in a statement that the decision to forego the scheduled grand jury proceedings did not reflect whether or not there will ultimately be a prosecution in the case.

In lieu of a grand jury, Corey's office can choose on its own whether or not to charge George Zimmerman with a crime in the death of 17-year-old Trayvon on Feb. 26.

[CottShop]

heard on news- can;t remember what channel, they expect zimmerman will ‘turn himself in’? Turn himself in FOR WHAt? Anyone else hear that there have been new witnesses that are now saying zimmerman was the aggressor? Seems funny they would be coming out now, but the two witnesses that immediately testified abotu zimmerman said he was innocent and backed up his accoutns?

[no dems]

She’s in a lose-lose situation. But she probably fears the pro-Trayvon forces more than the common-sense folk who believer we are still a nation of laws and not of men. She probably is in fear for her life if she doesn’t charge him.

[Cboldt]

-- They are trying to string this out as long as possible in the hope that the initial politics will be diluted. --

Corey has handled hundreds of homicide cases involving the justifiable use of deadly force, which makes her an apt prosecutor for the case, according to the AP.

That would be hundreds of cases where there was a homicide and NO charges were brought. That's what "justifiable use of deadly force" implies. The force is justified.

[Gay State Conservative]

Only one *possible* explanation....the prosecutor desperately wants to convict Zimmerman and she fears that a grand jury won’t indict.A ten year old can figure it out.

[jboot]

His name will never be cleared, the medis has made sure of that. Basically his "old life" is over. It sucks to be him, but there are alternatives to despair. His near-future playbook should include relocation far away from Sh*tford Florida and a massive defamation lawsuit against MSNBC, Al Sharpton and the Martin family, et al. Long term plans could go either toward anonymity (name change, etc.) or notoriety (book deal, political commentator, gun industry spokesman).

I hope he wins a huge settlement and goes on to become a self-defense expert and nationally syndicated radio talker.

[Cboldt]

-- But she probably fears the pro-Trayvon forces more than the common-sense folk who believer we are still a nation of laws and not of men. --

I read her for the opposite. She may delay an announcement based on the governor and police suggestion about the strength of the mob, but she's been prosecuting criminals for years, and death threats are part of her daily life already.

[DonaldC]

Has the looting started yet?

[Gay State Conservative]

Has the looting started yet?

I think I saw a report of a large number of plasma TVs having been seen leaving a local Best Buy.

[Gay State Conservative]

..but she's been prosecuting criminals for years, and death threats are part of her daily life already.

Even if death threats aren't a factor "Rodney King II" just might be.

[samtheman]

Only one *possible* explanation....the prosecutor desperately wants to convict Zimmerman and she fears that a grand jury won’t indict.A ten year old can figure it out.

A prosecutor can always get an indictment from a grand jurty. That's the easy part. I read this the other way: she doesn't believe he's guilty.

[Cboldt]

-- Even if death threats aren't a factor "Rodney King II" just might be. --

True that. So, a core question becomes which controls, the authorities, or the mob? She's on the side of the authorities. I don't think she takes kindly to attempts to be pushed around by a lawless mob that can't get the facts or the law right.

Law and Order? Or Cave to the Mob?

[Gay State Conservative]

A prosecutor can always get an indictment from a grand jury. That's the easy part.

Always? Usually..maybe.But not always.Particularly with a case like this.

I read this the other way: she doesn't believe he's guilty.

Never having been a prosecutor (or a lawyer for that matter) I suppose that's possible.If he's tried then my theory was probably correct,If he's not,then you're probably correct.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

Reading between the lines it appears that the prosecutorial authorities in Florida are between a rock and a hard place. The evidence reported to date clearly leads to the conclusion that Zimmermann's shooting of "Trayvon" was legally sanctioned.

Yet the blacks must be satisfied and a Grand Jury refusal to indict Zimmermann would be a Public Relations disaster along with black riots. It might be noted here that Seminole County Florida is only 9.5% black thus the odds are any Grand Jury would be white and not too sympathetic to "Trayvon's" being the assailant.

Zimmerman must be convicted. His conviction would prevent riots and make for happy blacks. How does one get a conviction in a white county of a man that was legally justified in shooting the "Trayvon?" That is the prosecution's problem. It will be interesting to see how they will manage Zimmerman's conviction.

[Jack Hydrazine]

Why doesn’t the article come up when I click the link? Did their servers get overloaded?

[PapaBear3625]

If a grand jury "no bills" Zimmerman, then that's it. Under "double jeopardy" he may not thereafter be prosecuted, even if new evidence turns up. This way, she leaves the door open to prosecuting later.

[moehoward]

They need this thing to go away. Not filing and stalling is definitely the better course. At least with the few facts we have.

[tacticalogic]

Zimmerman’s going to have to skip town and change his name in any case... I’m beginning to thing it would be to his advantage to go on trial. If he never has his day in court, he won’t ever get a chance to clear his name.

If I were him, I think I'd move to Maricopa Co. AZ, and make Holder try to come after him there.

[samtheman]

I’m no lawyer either. I’m just repeating what I’ve heard, that it’s easy for a prosecutor to get a grand jury indictment.

I hope I’m right, for Zimmerman’s sake, that this means the prosecutor in this case has looked at the evidence and has decided there is no case.

What a way to be railroaded into prison, by a Tawana Brawley mob. I think I’d commit suicide.

[Darren McCarty]

If she does her job, she will prosecute IF there is probable cause that Zimmerman committed a crime and decline to prosecute if there isn't probable cause.

You're using speculation (and believing some people at their word) to cloud your judgment, much as others have done on the other side.

The prosecutor also has facts and information that has not been released to the general public.

[newnhdad]

I expect a charge being filed and the subsequent plea deal (due to lack of evidence) is “unlawful discharge of a firearm” or something like that..

Think Bernie Goetz..