George Zimmerman's Trial

Montroseee · 27-06-2013 03:26AM #1

Surprised that there is not a thread on this already. This case has completely captivated and divided opinions in the states, have a relative living in Florida who claims it's the most widely publicized trial since OJ's.

For people that are unaware, here is the wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Trayvon_Martin

My Opinion: Today was a key day for the defence where the prosecutions main witness put a dire performance in today during cross - examination (Expect the footage of this to go viral, already getting lambasted on twitter). Two other witnesses testified that the shooting was in self defense and with Florida's stand your ground law, I'd expect Zimmerman to be acquitted.

TheFOB · 27-06-2013 07:52AM

Its blatantly self defence:

TM doubled back and ambushed GZ knocked him to the ground and repeatedly punched him in the face. It has been calculated that TM reached his house before deciding to turn back to confront GZ.

GZ can be heard screaming for help in 911 calls as he is being punched.

Manic Moran · 27-06-2013 08:03AM

Montroseee wrote: »

and with Florida's stand your ground law, I'd expect Zimmerman to be acquitted. .

Stand-your-ground has nothing to do with this case. In the interests of speed, the Defense waived even the preliminary processes for hearing it.
There have, unfortunately, been a lot of misleading pieces of information about the legal background behind SYG, and it has never been a factor in this case. It has only even become an issue because the mis-informed in the US (and usually the anti-gun crowd) have said it is. This is a claim of simple self defense.

GZ can be heard screaming for help in 911 calls as he is being punched.

Unproven.

The other two prosecution witnesses didn't help the prosecution's case either, both contradicting themselves and the physical evidence. Granted, Zimmerman and his side have not in any way helped their case with their actions and comments in the last year, but ultimately, it comes down to 'can the prosecution prove beyond reasonable doubt that Zimmerman was not in a reasonable fear for his safety and that the self-defence claim does not apply. I strongly suspect acquittal will result, and this will prove to be a farce of a political show trial put on to feed the baying mob.

NTM

mikemac1 · 27-06-2013 08:07AM

Why do the media keep using the sweet innocent child photo and not a more recent one?

Surely you'd use the most recent photos around

gramar · 27-06-2013 08:13AM

mikemac1 wrote: »

Why do the media keep using the sweet innocent child photo and not a more recent one?

Surely you'd use the most recent photos around

Without knowing anything about the case or having never heard of GZ before I saw the thread title I'd say it's media opinion manipulation.

joe stodge · 27-06-2013 08:14AM

Because martin's most recent pictures show him flipping gang signs and generally not being so sweet and innocent.

derfderf · 27-06-2013 08:50AM

mikemac1 wrote: »

Why do the media keep using the sweet innocent child photo and not a more recent one?

Surely you'd use the most recent photos around

The angle the media were covering this story from was that Zimmerman had potentially shot the next Obama.

gallag · 27-06-2013 09:25AM

derfderf wrote: »

The angle the media were covering this story from was that Zimmerman had potentially shot the next Obama.

And he could have cured cancer, solved perpetual motion and advanced our knowledge of cold fusion, no gang activity though, no sir.

derfderf · 27-06-2013 10:08AM

gallag wrote: »

And he could have cured cancer, solved perpetual motion and advanced our knowledge of cold fusion, no gang activity though, no sir.

He was only goin to the shop to buy sweets and soda pop when he was shot (I actually read that somewhere)

skeg16 · 27-06-2013 10:45AM

Opening the case with a knock knock joke....WTF

There was clearly some hidden agenda/racial aspect involved. Why would any1 follow an unarmed man around at night with a gun. Guns may or may not be legal in Florida (don't know) but this was a bit OTT....even if TM look suspicious.
Self defense is a big statement especially when a man is dead, why couldn't he just shoot him in the leg or something??

Montroseee · 27-06-2013 11:09AM

skeg16 wrote: »

Opening the case with a knock knock joke....WTF

There was clearly some hidden agenda/racial aspect involved. Why would any1 follow an unarmed man around at night with a gun. Guns may or may not be legal in Florida (don't know) but this was a bit OTT....even if TM look suspicious.
Self defense is a big statement especially when a man is dead, why couldn't he just shoot him in the leg or something??

I think Zimmerman himself and other residents had been the victims of crime numerous times leading up to the shooting.

darced · 27-06-2013 11:23AM

This post has been deleted.

daRobot · 27-06-2013 11:32AM

He was framed

Arpa · 27-06-2013 11:39AM

yeah but his music for the Batman and new Superman movie was great so give him a break.

chris_ie · 27-06-2013 11:52AM

Must read more on this but what I heard Zimmerman followed TM because he was suspicious of him. He rang 911 told them he was following him, they told him to stop following him and back off but he ignored this. Then something about him catching up with him getting into a scuffle and shooting him. Doesnt sound great for his defence!

Einhard · 27-06-2013 12:04PM

If Zimmerman was black and the kid white, there'd be an awful lot less people rushing to Zimmerman's defence.

Hande hoche! · 27-06-2013 12:19PM

Would be surprised if he doesn't get jail time. The widespread use of Zimmerman's jail photo was also an interesting choice.

derfderf · 27-06-2013 12:29PM

Einhard wrote: »

If Zimmerman was black and the kid white, there'd be an awful lot less people rushing to Zimmerman's defence.

If Martin was white nobody would be suggesting it was a hate crime, and the president wouldn't be saying "if i had a son he would look like Treyvon Martin", if the president was white of course.

Nobody would have even heard of this case if the Martin was white, and the media wouldn't be acting like Godfrey Jones' Rock Bottom in the Simpsons.

Chucky the tree · 27-06-2013 12:34PM

If someone is on top of me hitting my head off the concrete ground and also punching me in the face you can be damn sure I am going to shoot him so he doesn't kill me. It's a clear case of self-defence, comical he has even been brought to court.

chris_ie · 27-06-2013 01:49PM

Chucky the tree wrote: »

If someone is on top of me hitting my head off the concrete ground and also punching me in the face you can be damn sure I am going to shoot him so he doesn't kill me. It's a clear case of self-defence, comical he has even been brought to court.

But it wasn't as if the TM went and started beating the crap out of him. GZ followed him around, called the cops who told him not to follow him but he kept on doing so. Its a strange case but I dont think its a clear case of self defence given the fact that he went after TM.

premierstone · 27-06-2013 01:57PM

chris_ie wrote: »

But it wasn't as if the TM went and started beating the crap out of him. GZ followed him around, called the cops who told him not to follow him but he kept on doing so. Its a strange case but I dont think its a clear case of self defence given the fact that he went after TM.

Exactly and Zimmerman had form for this aswell he had rung 911 over 40 times in the three months prior to this and he was/is one paranoid fcuked up guy. Of course the victim was no angel either but I definitly think Zimmerman has a case to answer and am suprosed by those dismissing it as a straight forward case of self defense.

Grand Moff Tarkin · 27-06-2013 02:03PM

premierstone wrote: »

Exactly and Zimmerman had form for this aswell he had rung 911 over 40 times in the three months prior to this and he was/is one paranoid fcuked up guy. Of course the victim was no angel either but I definitly think Zimmerman has a case to answer and am suprosed by those dismissing it as a straight forward case of self defense.

That should have nothing whatsoever to do with the night in question when he(Zimmerman) was defending himself against this young hoodlum.

BQQ · 27-06-2013 02:05PM

Chucky the tree wrote: »

If someone is on top of me hitting my head off the concrete ground and also punching me in the face you can be damn sure I am going to shoot him so he doesn't kill me. It's a clear case of self-defence, comical he has even been brought to court.

If someone is following me around with a gun you can be damn sure I am going to hit his head off the concrete ground and punch him in the face so he doesn't kill me. :cool:

chris_ie · 27-06-2013 02:12PM

Grand Moff Tarkin wrote: »

That should have nothing whatsoever to do with the night in question when he(Zimmerman) was defending himself against this young hoodlum.

Defending himself by going after him and causing an altercation?

hatrickpatrick · 27-06-2013 02:20PM

Zimmerman should have stayed the f*ck out of it. TM was an unarmed man doing absolutely nothing wrong - Zimmerman's actions were either racial profiling or age profiling and either way I have absolutely no sympathy for him or anyone like him. Mind your own business and don't hassle people because "you don't like the look of them".

Manic Moran · 27-06-2013 02:51PM

skeg16 wrote: »

Opening the case with a knock knock joke....WTF

I know what he was trying to do, though. The case has received so much publicity in the US that it is unlikely that the jurors don't have some measure of pre-conception of the situation. The joke was a way of reminding them that they're not supposed to have any.

There was clearly some hidden agenda/racial aspect involved. Why would any1 follow an unarmed man around at night with a gun. Guns may or may not be legal in Florida (don't know) but this was a bit OTT

You kidding? The State is even shaped like a pistol. There are currently over one million active concealed weapons permits in the state, population 19 million.

Self defense is a big statement especially when a man is dead, why couldn't he just shoot him in the leg or something??

How would that be possible in a physical fight?

He rang 911 told them he was following him, they told him to stop following him and back off but he ignored this. Then something about him catching up with him getting into a scuffle and shooting him. Doesnt sound great for his defence!

It is argued that Zimmerman did not actually catch up to Martin, but that Martin took exception to being followed by Zimmerman and reversed course to state his objection. 911 offers advice, they are not force of law, and Zimmerman, even by continuing to follow, did not do anything illegal in doing so. It may or may not have been a poor judgement call, but that's different from attaching liability.

Exactly and Zimmerman had form for this aswell he had rung 911 over 40 times in the three months prior to this and he was/is one paranoid fcuked up guy

He was the neighbourhood watch lead. The point of NW is that they see things, and call the police.

Its a strange case but I dont think its a clear case of self defence given the fact that he went after TM

Again, this is argued. Followed, yes. But why would he have willingly closed the distance to an unknown suspicious individual who may be armed just to get into a physical conflict? The point of a firearm is it allows you to keep your distance, getting into fisticuffs range with a threat without producing it is a fairly unlikely course of action.

If someone is following me around with a gun you can be damn sure I am going to hit his head off the concrete ground and punch him in the face so he doesn't kill me.

There is no evidence that Martin knew Zimmerman was armed at the time. (And, frankly, would you really charge a guy you -knew- to be armed?)

NTM

Montroseee · 27-06-2013 04:58PM

http://www.wptv.com/generic/news/national/George-Zimmerman-trial-complete-coverage - link for the live stream, scarlet for this witness.

jhegarty · 27-06-2013 05:00PM

joe stodge wrote: »

Because martin's most recent pictures show him flipping gang signs and generally not being so sweet and innocent.

Didn't that photo turn out to be another person with the same name ?

A Primal Nut · 27-06-2013 05:05PM

derfderf wrote: »

He was only goin to the shop to buy sweets and soda pop when he was shot (I actually read that somewhere)

Eh, that's what he was doing...he was found with a packet of skittles and a can.
It was definitely Zimmerman who caused the problem at first by following Trayvon. Unless you believe Zimmerman's defence that Trayvon started circling his car.

El Guapo! · 27-06-2013 05:10PM

Montroseee wrote: »

http://www.wptv.com/generic/news/national/George-Zimmerman-trial-complete-coverage - link for the live stream, scarlet for this witness.

That witness is a simpleton.

Manic Moran · 27-06-2013 05:14PM

A Primal Nut wrote: »

Unless you believe Zimmerman's defence that Trayvon started circling his car.

I have never heard this claimed before. Link?

George Zimmerman's Trial

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