Posted on 10/30/2014 3:20:59 PM PDT by AAABEST
A federal grand jury will meet in downtown Orlando Wednesday to hear testimony about whether Trayvon Martin's civil rights were violated when Neighborhood Watch volunteer George Zimmerman shot him in the chest, according to court paperwork..
A U.S. Department of Justice attorney from Washington, D.C., Mark Blumberg, has issued at least one subpoena for Wednesday in the case.
Blumberg would not comment on the grand jury session, but the federal panel is to meet at 9 a.m. at the federal courts building on Central Avenue in downtown Orlando to hear evidence in the case.
It's not clear how many witnesses have been ordered to appear, but at least one, Frank Taaffe, Zimmerman's former neighbor and longtime defender, has been.
Following Zimmerman's acquittal on a murder charge, Taaffe has reversed his position and now says that he believes Zimmerman was motivated by race the night he followed then shot Trayvon in 2012.
(Excerpt) Read more at orlandosentinel.com ...
Then why does GZ call the police first?
GZ is asked to try to see where TM went, by the dispatcher.
TM has already gotten out of GZ’s sight at that point.
There’s no evidence at all of any pursuit, and plenty of evidence of a lack of pursuit.
There’s no evidence that GZ ever interfered with TM walking past him.
Nothing will come of any federal GJ proceedings except a waste of time and money, except this is probably just the regular GJ meeting, and therefore not really related to the TM case. They just happen to be trying to use it.
Holder will pursue the case, not because he thinks he has a good case and will win, but because he can punish him financially over the next couple of years.
When asked why he has had a change of heart, Taaffe denied an ulterior motive.
‘Im just working on me right now and getting right with God,’ he said.
Taaffe said that the recent loss of his father and his own two sons had caused him to rethink his stance.
‘I can only ask for the country to forgive me,’ he said.
His latest revelations will come as cold comfort to Trayvon Martin’s grieving parents.
Taaffe expressed his condolences to Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin.
‘Im sorry that you lost your son,’ he told Martin’s parents via News 13.
‘I know what thats like and I wish things had been different.’
The problem has been the focus on irrelevant arguments some of which are actually unsupported by the evidence.
1. George Zimmerman (GZ) racially profiled Trayvon Martin (TM) There is no evidence of this.
2. GZ disobeyed an order by the police * The civilian dispatcher, Sean Noffke, testified that he did not give GZ an order and, in fact, he, like his fellow dispatchers, are trained not make comments that sound like commands. * Noffke also testified under cross that, as a result of his asking GZ which way TM was going, GZ could have reasonably interpreted this as being asked to follow Martin. * It is also not a crime in Florida to disregard a comment made by a civilian dispatcher.
3. GZ got out of his car Not a crime on public property and not negligent either.
4. GZ followed TM Again, anyone can follow anyone on a public street unless the followee has obtained a restraining order against the follower and even there, the RS only places time, place, and manner restrictions on the person enjoined.
5. GZ wasnt really injured * Under Floridas self-defense laws, one doesnt have to be injured AT ALL to use deadly force * No one is required to refrain from defending himself while another is engaged in or attempting to commit a felony.
6. TM is dead through no fault of his own * If you believe that TM assaulted GZ, then he IS dead as a result of his own actions.
7. GZ could have left * Under Florida law, there is not a duty to withdraw rather than use deadly force * TM was straddling GZ so how the latter was supposed to leave the scene is unanswered.
8. GZ was armed and TM wasnt * Ones fists can be considered weapons and can result in severe bodily harm or death. * GZ was legally carrying a weapon * There is no requirement under the law that the same weapon be used by the assailant * A homeowner can kill an intruder whether or not he has been threatened * Those that attack cannot feign surprise if they are met with superior firepower.
9. Stand Your Ground! * SYG is NOT at issue in this trial. * The defense is a classic self-defense case.
10. Black men NEVER get to use SYG! * Wrong
http://tinyurl.com/nboht35
11. GZ is a man and TM was a boy! * As if boys dont commit murder, rape, and assault everyday in this country.
Bad faith, politically motivated prosecutions tend to have a life of their own and to be grounded in a distorted view of the evidence.
I invite Rick to the same test I suggested for any juror finding against George.
Martin & his girlfriend were the only ones making racial comments.
Yea, Ev Dirksen put through the open housing part of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, with support from U.S. Representative George Herbert Walker Bush.
There was a "slim jim" burglary tool found near the site where Trayvon attacked Zimmerman--I don't know if they made any attempt to find fingerprints on it. Zimmerman only profiled Trayvon as someone acting as if he intended to burglarize one of the residences, which is very likely what Trayvon did intend to do.
Did not know that. Learned something today...
And a bunch of kids believe in Tinkerbell too - doesn't make it real...
They can’t bring charges on Trayvon Martin, since he’s dead, but they should.
I agree. I’m not anti-Zimmerman. Martin got exactly what he deserved under the circumstances.
The 1964 act did not cover housing; the 1968 law came in the aftermath of riots over the MLK killing.
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