Apr 01 2012
Final Trayvon Martin Post For A While
The scales of justice can move very slow, but then deliberation is a good thing when dealing with highly emotional and tragic situations. When people’s lives are at stake, taking the time to get it right is not a bad thing.
Clearly, the end result in the Tryavon Martin case is going to be one lost life and one ruined life. And almost as clearly, the one at fault is the one who bullishly pushed towards confrontation, dismissing all the off-ramps in front of him to avoid this disaster.
Since my last post we have learned a lot. We have learned (as I suspected early on) that George Zimmerman wanted to be a policeman, and was prone to playing cop (probably for the ego surge it gave him):
Over the years, his scores of calls to police showed he pursued shoplifters and errant drivers with zeal, reporting pit bulls, potholes, children playing in the street, open garage doors and “suspicious” youths – usually black males – loitering in the street.
He peppered his calls with jargon familiar to police. In one case, he chased a reckless driver while calling 911 – the driver later told police he was terrified that Zimmerman was going to attack him. In another case, Zimmerman tailed a supermarket shoplifter until a police officer successfully arrested the thief.
…
However, in December 2008, he applied for a citizens’ police academy with the Seminole Sheriff’s Office. In his application, Zimmerman stressed his background with the law: He wrote that his father is a retired Virginia Supreme Court magistrate judge and his mother worked as a deputy clerk of courts.
Zimmerman never actually became a cop, but apparently he did attack one once.
Sanford neighborhood Crime Watch captain George Zimmerman has previously been arrested in 2005 for suspicion of battery on a law enforcement officer, but the charges were dropped for an unknown reason.
He also had a volatile, quick temper that turned to violence:
“He had a temper and he became a liability,” the man said. “One time this woman was acting a little out of control. She was drunk. George lost his cool and totally overreacted,” he said. “It was weird, because he was such a cool guy, but he got all nuts. He picked her up and threw her. It was pure rage. She twisted her ankle. Everyone was flipping out.”
Connecting the dots here we see a lot of red flags. Violent behavior, a need to be in positions of power. Red flags a Grand Jury will see and ponder for themselves.
I agree with the lead investigator, who wanted Zimmerman arrested, on the charge I first noted he probably was guilty of:
The lead investigator probing the deadly shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin wanted neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman arrested and charged with manslaughter the night of the shooting, ABC News reports.
Investigator Chris Serino of the Sanford, Fla. Police Department wanted the 28-year-old Zimmerman behind bars, but the state Attorney’s Office said there was not enough evidence to lead to a conviction, sources told ABC.
If you want to shut people like Al Sharpton up, then arrest Zimmerman. He’ll get out on bail and he can tyehn prove in a court (not the media) he is innocent.
He’s probably not, because he ignored warnings and opportunities to leave Trayvon alone until police arrived. Instead of sitting back, he went behind buildings – armed – to confront a ‘suspicious’ person. Something he was neither authorized or trained to do.
Now to cover up his misjudgement, Zimmerman has to concoct some tall tales. He has to claim victim-hood here. He tried to say Trayvon attacked him, but it is clear the witness on Trayvon’s cell phone (his girlfriend) has already began to challenge that line. Her testimony was taken weeks ago, before this blew up into a national issue. From what little I found on what the girlfriend has said, it sounds like Zimmerman made contact first:
At a March 20 news conference, Martin family attorney Benjamin Crump says the girl hears someone ask Martin what he was doing and Martin asking why the person was following him. The girl gets the impression that there is an altercation in which the earpiece falls out of Martin’s ear and the connection goes dead, according to Crump.
According to an Orlando Sentinel story later confirmed by Sanford police, Zimmerman tells authorities that after briefly losing track of Martin, the teen approached him. After exchanging words, Zimmerman says, he reached for his cell phone, and then Martin punched him in the nose.
Why reach for the phone (or something else)? Why not follow the kid to his house and be a neighborhood watch person (what I would have done)? Again, all this defies common sense.
The other tall tale that *may* be out there is Zimmerman being the one screaming for help. If this proves to be a falsehood stated by Zimmerman, he is toast:
Tom Owen, forensic consultant for Owen Forensic Services LLC and chair emeritus for the American Board of Recorded Evidence, told the Sentinel that he used voice identification software to rule out Zimmerman.
Zimmerman told police that he screamed for help during his confrontation with Martin, 17. He claims the shooting was self-defense.
Here’s a good assessment on how Zimmerman’s story is starting to fall apart.
It really is time for Zimmerman to be charged and go to court. That is the only way to work this out now. If, has his side claims, Zimmerman can prove his innocence then it is time for him do that and clear this up for Trayvon’s family and everyone else. The police in Sanford need to realize that more violence could come of this if the arrest takes too long.
Previous posts:
As Details Come Out, George Zimmerman’s Claims Crumble
New Wrinkle In Trayvon Martin Killing While Leftwing Nuts Go Crazy
Attempts To Make Trayvon Martin’s Murder A Race Issue Will Destroy Obama’s 2012 Election Chances
Ironically, Zimmermann’s best legal defense now is that all of the critical media coverage (especially the Lynch Mob stuff from MSNBC and others on the left) has so totally contaminated the jury pool that it will be impossible for him to get an unbiased, impartial jury anywhere in the State of Florida. (or anywhere in this country, for that matter)
And if it’s impossible to impanel an impartial jury, any charges will have to be dropped. Count on the fact that the DA is already thinking about this while he’s considering whether or not to proceed – no DA wants to be made a fool of by watching his charges thrown out of court. If he doesn’t think he can come up with something that will stick, he won’t file.
Al Sharpton and the Black Panthers may just turn out to be Zimmermann’s best friends, all things considered.
People can take the stories and evidence that is out there now and justifiably paint it either in Zimmerman’s defense or against Zimmerman’s defense. Take the audio expert for example. He was retained by the Martin family which the news article didn’t tell us. What it actually tells me is that it is “inconclusive”. How do you process that against an eye witness who saw Trayvon on top of Zimmerman beating him and said it was Zimmerman screaming?
Until we hear the evidence in it’s proper perspective in a court of law we don’t really know how to view it. I think we all want a fair trial and for the punishment to fit the crime. It’s the stuff happening in between that I find troubling.
“Zimmermann’s best legal defense now is that all of the critical media coverage ”
I kinda think the best thing Zimmerman has going for him is ‘the truth’.
“If, has his side claims, Zimmerman can prove his innocence”
I’ll bet the prosecutor wishes Zimmerman had to prove his innocence, but unfortunately for him, he has to prove Zimmerman’s guilt and I’m not seeing anything that clearly points that way. Unfortunately all most of us have going for us is our feelings and instincts because there doesn’t seem to be a lot of clear evidence one way or the other.
I think a person should only be charged and bailed out if there is enough evidence to take it to court with a reasonable chance of winning. I don’t think he will be charged because I don’t think the prosecutor stands a chance in court.
“If you want to shut people like Al Sharpton up, then arrest Zimmerman.” I would prefer that someone shut Sharpton up by arresting Sharpton for inciting violence. I think that would be a winnable case for most prosecutors.
Frogg, concerning the screaming, we know that initially Martin’s father said the screaming voice was not his son. He has later changed his story and said it is. I think the eye witness of who was screaming is a little better evidence.
Red Team,
Zimmerman shot an unarmed kid. People have been charged with manslaughter for shooting into the air in celebration. He really does need to show something stronger because he is the one who went after the kid armed.
I agree the DA has to prove guilt, but this one just isn’t that hard to prove. When it comes down to it, the decisions that led to the confrontation were all Zimmerman’s. He did not have to go after Martin. He did not have to go against the police directions. He did not have to get in a fight. And he did not need to pull the trigger.
All of this is obvious. People forget, Trayvon has equal rights. He is the real victim here. Don’t be fooled into political thinking by all the mob talk on both sides.
An adult killed a child – step back and think about this. An adult killed a child walking home, talking on his cell phone to his girlfriend. Step back from the heat and put just look at it objectively.
The DA blew this case. For whatever dumb reason, he blew it. The lead investigator was right. If Trayvon is 12 and not 17 Zimmerman is behind bars.
There is nothing to change this. Nothing…
Zimmerman is in deep trouble, because truly blind justice would have already noted he has no authority to challenge a fellow citizen, let alone a child walking at 7:15 PM at night, let alone use deadly force. This is about as open and shut as they get.
Now… if he really was a policeman, there would be room to debate.
How many people know that “tea” is drug slang for “Marijuana”, or that “skittles” is drug slang for “recreational (high dose-and pychoactive effecting) use of Coricidon”? What will the physical evidence and/or toxicology report show?
I certainly respect your opinion, I just don’t think it’s an open and shut case. My prediction still is no arrest, no trial.
AJ, there are a lot of “open and shut” cases that aren’t “open and shut” once the evidence is heard in court.
Redteam, I disagree. I don’t think there is any way this doesn’t end up in court on some sort of charge (may not be a manslughter charge though). Could be some sort of lesser charge. Either way, I think the evidence is going to be heard.
Frogg, you’re likely right mainly because of the racism issue. I think it’s safe to say if the only detail that changed was the color of Zimmerman’s skin, the story wouldn’t even be in the news. Now you have to wonder if the uproar will be greater if he is not arrested or if he is later found ‘not guilty’. Unfortunately we’re going to find out the answer to that question.
Frogg1 – this is open and shut.
You know why? Because Zimmerman went out of his way to cover up. When he offers to say something like “and so I went for my cell phone” everyone knows he is trying to cover up that he went for his gun. And as the evidence has emerged it continues to pile up against Zimmerman.
Now there is witness that says Zimmerman was on top, and there is no way for him to have had his head hit on the walk since the scuffle was in the grass – where Trayvon lay dead.
Hate to say it folks, anyone sticking up for Zimmerman has already been caught up in the politics. He’s just some guy pretending to be something he is not who shot someone. He is not a threat to whites, hispanics, gun owners, neighborhood watch groups or any damn cause.
Anyone jumping up to make this more than a fool killing a kid has lost their bearings. Which is something cops and courts work hard not to do.
Change of topic: Wow, this is interesting. If you are a ‘global warming skeptic, you are a ‘racist’ See a link on Drudge. novel idea!!!
“Professor Kari Norgaard, who is currently appearing at the ‘Planet Under Pressure’ conference in London, has presented a paper in which she argues that “cultural resistance” to accepting the premise that humans are responsible for climate change “must be recognized and treated” as an aberrant sociological behavior.”
In Soviet Russia, opposing the Will of the State was always officially labeled an “Aberrant Sociological Behavior”, which justified anything the State chose to do against those who held politically inconvenient beliefs.
Kari Norgaard has been taking dictation from her masters well. Which is why the best term for current day enviro’s is “Watermelons” – Green on the outside, but Red on the inside.
AJ, AJ, AJ… where to begin.
I guess I’m just a bit bedazzled that on one hand you begin your post advocating deliberation, i.e. “…deliberation is a good thing when dealing with highly emotional and tragic situations. When people’s lives are at stake, taking the time to get it right is not a bad thing.”
Then you almost immediately take on the role of psychoanalyst, prosecutor, judge, and jury: “rest of post.”
There has been a lot written about this case and we don’t know which “facts” are true and which are interpretation and which are false. I’ve taken fire on this blog for stating multiple times that (I agree with you) Zimmerman was responsible for the conflict but that does not necessarily translate into criminal guilt. If Trevon was on top of Zimmerman and injured him then the case is very murky.
Trevon could have jumped Zimmerman for following him because he was scared, because he was pissed off, or because he was 17 (testosterone flowing, 10 foot tall and bulletproof). If he attacked, for whatever reason, Zimmerman can at least attempt to make a claim of self defense.
Until all the reports, crime scene photos, interviews, etc. come out we just don’t know. I suggest that deliberation is the best way to go right now – so AJ, you are partially right.
Upon reflection, here’s my prediction (which of course is worth just what you’re paying for it):
The DA will take the case to a Grand Jury, but the Grand Jury will no-bill him, which means no state charges will be filed. So the case will appear to be over…. BUT!!!
In late October, just a week or so before the election, Eric Holder will file Federal Civil Rights charges against Zimmermann. That night Obama will go on all the MSM networks and say that “A vote for the Republicans is a vote for Trayvon’s killer!!!” And he will then tell the black community that unless they turn out in huge numbers and vote for Obama, they will all be hunted down like dogs in the street by crazy tea party killers, just like they hunted down Trayvon.
Yep, that’s how I see this playing out.
Yep WWS, that’s how I see it too.
WWS, overnight in the bar or not, you got that one right.
I’m not sticking up for Zimmerman, AJ, I’m sticking up for due process and the evidence to be heard in court before you tie that rope on a branch. I have no idea what evidence the police collected that night or the early days of the investigation because it hasn’t been released yet.
Frogg1,
Evidence is clear. I too called for due process – and hurry it up. Don’t confuse his obvious guilt with a lynch mob. I don’t need to check my brain just because the process is in progress.
Our process is open for reason you know.
Holder will also sue the whole state of Florida for racist laws. Our we so cynical to suggest that Obama needs Florida soooooo badly that he will use a 17 year old young man to his own political end.
Florida law is on Zimmerman’s side now. In fact, an activist reading of FL law one could conclude that Zimmerman is already immune from civil liability. And as a double whammy Zimmerman may have an affirmative cause of action in civil court against the State of Florida. If the State keeps going Zimmerman could be in line for a big pay day.
Last post on Trayvon for awhile? we can only hope.