Then on what grounds did the family receive that huge settlement prior to the trial? Wouldn’t a claim of self-defense preclude any pre- or post-trial settlement as the death would not have been wrongful?
The settlement was made by the homeowner’s association of the community that Zimmerman resided in...doubt it was a huge settlement. They apparently just wanted to get out in front of it for seem reason (cheaper than accumulating ongoing legal expenses).
Supposedly over a million.
Actually, it was because of strings pulled from above (the chain of command from Barky down to the HOA President and Insurance compnay) that the lawsuit was arranged so that the Martin/Fulton team could pay Crump, the Publicist, their staff, etc.
The reason that the HOA and Ins. Co. bent over so readily is that they were culpable in Trayvon Martin's death. They had security cameras and were a 'gated' community, meaning the police did not patrol the housing area streets.
Those cameras, whether due to vandalism, or lack of funding, or lack of care, were not working. Ergo... no security. Verdict guilty.
As proof of my claim, ever since the lawsuit settlement, the HOA has divested themselves of responsibility for 'security' and the SPD is now responsible for 'patrolling' the 'gated' community streets.