Stand your ground law!

http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=18932266

Anyone have a feeling how this will play out?

And the judge should give Zimmerman permission to use the gym. He may have a heart attack of stroke before trial!

Zimmerman should walk if we werent such a nation full of apologetic pussys we would never had a trial.

Personally, this is a perfect example why to keep a throw down peice in ur house or car. Some guy is broken in ur house, some guy is on ur property, or going thru ur car, some guy spills a drink on ur girlfriend..... Throw down! Answer for all ur problems!

Zimmerman's mother wrote a letter to the public about our "failed justice system" today. Whether you agree with her or not, just don't forget that she's a Mom too. Just like Trayvon's Mom.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/11/george-zimmermans-mother-open-letter_n_3064028.html

Right. After all we all know that anyone wearing a hoodie is automatically guilty of something. Especially if he's walking around BWH (Black With Hoodie).

The hoodie argument? Seriously? Martin was no choir boy!

Sounds a lot like every other lawyer uses- blames others to get their client off. Let's face it, we all know the media has a lot to do with what the public sees and hears and can twist things in order to make more things their way and increases their news story's..

The only person who deserves blame is Zimmmerman.
Reluctantly I agree with FS on one point, namely the role of the media in legal proceedings. What these windbags don't get is what a jury sees and hears in a courtroom is regulated by the Rules of Evidence, and often the discretion of the trial judge who interprets these rules. Juries don't hear all the wild speculation in which the media engages, and accordingly people are apt to judge defendants based on what they see on television rather than what goes on in the courtroom. Having watched a lot of the Casey Anthony trial, I was not as surprised of the verdict as most. Do I think she did it? Sure. Does that opinion anount to a hill of beans? No.

IMHO the prosecution dropped the ball big time in that case, and based on what was presented to the jury, there was plenty of room for "reasonable doubt." LIKE O.J. and others, the media convicted these people and the general population was shocked when the media was wrong.

In this Zimmerman case, I think he is guilty, but again I am not going to be on that jury and I have no idea what will come into evidence.

That said I think the "stand your ground" law is one of the stupidest pieces of legislation ever passed. Of course based on what I am seeing from republican legislatures around the country this year, it will be surpassed by sstupidity sooner than later.

DT, you make the excellent points that our informtion is limited to news accounts and that it is the rules of evidence and judicial rulings that determines a verdict. I would add that one other primary determinant is statutes some of which are quite specific and some are rather vague. Of course, you also allude to the quality of prosecution which varies widely across the nation.

Oli, was that a Don King quote? I believe from his Auto Biography? Only in Texas was the title?

Yes, he had that wicked bag of Skittles on him. Deviant.

Not talking about what was in his pockets, taking about his past! Save your plight of the poor African American inner city youth speech! Its pure propaganda!

I'm pretty sure I can write what I think, as long as I obey the rules. I don't have to save anything.

I don't believe in painting any group with a brush. Trayvon Martin was walking from the store to his home with nothing in his pockets but a bag of Skittles and, I believe, a Snapple. He wasn't caught trying to break into someone's home or automobile, he was walking on a public street. He was unarmed.

His past? Was he wearing a sign that talked about his past? How does his past, no matter what it was, have any bearing on that night?? Was Mr. Zimmerman aware of his past? Did Mr. Zimmerman know him? Or did Mr. Zimmerman, a cop-hero-wannabe with a bit of a past of his own, decide to take matters into his own hands???

You can write whatever you want of coarse, however you have a habit of chasing my posts and even though you spoke against it correcting my spelling or grammar. Why wouldn't his last matter? What if he's murdered before? What if he was in a choir! It's called charector! And even though your going to say that doesn't play a part in reality I disagree with you. Niether of us were there to say exactly what happened. However what if this kid with a checkered last did attack Zimmerman? Would you still defend Martin?

I'm not defending anyone. I just stated the facts. Trayvon Martin was walking home from the store with his very recent purchases. He was not in the midst of committing a crime when he was accosted by Mr. Zimmerman, and he was unarmed. His past? What about Zimmerman's past? Didn't he have an arrest record? And didn't his girlfriend have a restraining order against him? Should his past come under scrutiny as well?

As someone stated above, none of us know all the facts, only what we've been fed by the media. My entire objection to the way this case was handled was that there Mr. Zimmerman had not been arrested until the public outcry forced it. He should have been, and a jury of his peers, after hearing all the facts, should make the determination of his guilt or innocence. Not the cops, not the media and not the public.

Everyone's past should be looked at in this case. And to be honest I'm not a gun advocate nor am I against guns. However are you saying Zimmerman randomly attacked Martin? Or as the reconstruction showed Martin was on top on Zimmerman beating him when he shot him? If Zimmerman was killed how would he let a jury decide? There's a flip side to this

There are two sides of every coin. Why would Trayvon decide to attack Zimmerman? He was just walking home. However, Zimmerman, who was a zealous neighborhood watch, cop-wannabe had more reason to attack. Not saying he did, not saying he didn't. But saying he was on top of Zimmerman when he was shot doesn't mean he attacked Zimmerman either. He might have been defending himself and got the upper hand. I don't know, nor do any of us. That's for the courts to decide.

And if Trayvon Martin had killed Zimmerman, should he have been arrested? Of course he should have. That's why we have a legal system in this country.

Ok the other side of the coin, your not taking into account the past aggressive behavior of Martin! If your going to call Zimmerman a cop wanna be nut job and use his behavior and charector in an argument you need to look into the last behavior of both!

You're wrong. Constitutional arrest is a function of probable cause only.

He was a rent-a-cop he had no authority to shoot that boy. I don't know all the details of the case but Zimmerman seems like a punk and got scared when the kid told him to fuck-off, then this fucking guy shoots him WTF. As a rent-a-cop he should have called the law and reported it, not confronted him. I bet if it was a really big white guy with tats he would've called the law, I hope they throw the fucking book a this coward and that's just what he is PLAIN AND SIMPLE a COWARD!!!!!!!!!!! I'm sorry for the rant and if I offended anybody.

Stand your ground!

Respect! Especially the guy with the gun who's scared

I don't understand, your riding with Zimmerman? Makes no difference to me just wondering.

No! Niether. Like I said I don't own a gun. I'm not against guns either! I'm riding with neither!

I wasn't there so I can't say what really happened! I will say if we think there will be an impartial jury there fooling themselves

Mr. Zimmermann was a member of that neighborhood's watch patrol. He did call "the law". The recordings of that contact with law enforcement have been played by media many times and are available on line.

It might be helpful if Board members would access the Florida stand your ground statute (as well as related statutes).

So if someone has past contact with police or has been charged with assault it means they can be stopped and made to look like a criminal by some fuck in a security uniform who shouldn't be carrying anyways. That's another thing I think concealed weapons should only be for LE. I support gun ownership but not concealed weapons on a civilian.

If that's what you want! However if they throw the book at Zimmerman he will walk!

I wasn't familiar with the case and don't know enough about it to say who was right or wrong, regardless it's tragic a 17 year old being killed whether in the right or wron so RIP Trayvon Martin.

Zimmerman shouldn't have been carrying plain and simple, but I do feel I should have do more looking into the situation before commenting but from what I,ve seen on bits of TV here and there he handle it wrong. Why didn't he tell him to not move after he pulled, don't say because he couldn't if there were fighting and he was able to access the gun the he had ample room to let the kid see it and back off IF MARTIN DID START IT. He was a kid he would have seen that gun and stopped if he was fighting which Zimmerman could've done it to himself after he shot him.

It really is sad, they just meet at the wrong time in there lives!

I was guessing that an armed man who was beaten to death (which is what would have happened if Martin had killed Zimmerman) would be probable cause for an arrest.

We discussed the Stand Your Ground laws some time ago, but it bears repeating that the biggest opposition to these laws comes from district attorney associations and police departments as the policy behind these measures results in promoting conflict.

In the upcoming Zimmerman trial an important witness will be the girlfriend of Trayvon Martin, who was on the phone with him shortly before he was killed. She gave a statement to the police sooon after the shooting, independent of any knowledge of later reported facts surrounding the case.

Gut feeling, gun-to-your-head opinion, Counselor. Can they get a conviction?

I honestly think a hung jury is the best the prosecution can do in that part of Florida. But that's what trials are for.

It's a tough case and all you have to do is hang one juror.

It's a state of mind case. The prosecutor will try to paint a picture, based on Zimmerman's 911 call that he was pissed and agitated as he ignored sage advice from 911 not to pursue.By attempting to establish that Zimmerman deliberately followed Martin and initiated a confrontation, not necessarily a physical confrontation, the prosecution will argue that self defense is unavailable as an affirmative defense.

They will try to establish Martin's state of mind through his call that he was concerned about being followed.

Of course, the defense will almost have to put Zimmerman on the stand as he will be the only living witness to what happened. If Zimmerman describes his state of mind and actions in a manner inconsistent with what the jury infers from evidence leading up to the encounter, he may be in trouble.

I don't know if anyone else noticed last week, but the homeowner's association, to which Zimmerman belonged, settled the civil suit for wrongful death with Martin's family for a sum that I believe is seven figures.

Klydon, in regards to the jury what's your feeling on a non prejudicial jury? This case has been plastered all over the news. Especially in Fla.

the real one, or the msnbc version?

Something else that might have gone unnoticed by many is that Martin's girlfriend's integrity has already been impugned. Her statememts so far include one that she was someplace she wasn't when she took the call from Martin.

I too see a hung jury on the horizon. If that's the case Kly, do you think that Zimmermann's attorneys would welcome a 2nd trial or propose a plea bargain.

Everyone brings prejudices to the table, and while you can change the venue within the state, certainly the juror pool will be filled with potential jurors, who have heard about the case. The aim isn't necessarily to get jurors, who have not heard a lick about the case - frankly someone living in a hole all this time would worry me about serving. But the key is to impanel a jury, capable of putting aside what they have heard through media outlets and render a decision that is limited to evidence presented within a courtroom. Most, when called, take their oaths seriously.

Jury selection will be a painstaking process, and if you assemble 12 free thinking, independent people, a fair and impartial jury can be achieved. The zealots on both sides can be screened.

I don't think the jury selectors will be as concerned about white and black as they will be on male and female.

Kly, is there a strategy used to pick a jury? Can't think of the movie, however Gene Hackman was in it. A gun case trial. Anyway, Hackman was a hired gun and specialized in jury selection. Was that portrayal way over the top? All of coarse had you seen the movie?

That's not very nice to hang one juror...LOL

LOL! Nice Mig!

Would a hung lawyer be better? Two would be funnier!

This is all a political correctness bullshit trial. The man should be acquitted.

What about the victim?

What about him? The justice system isnt meant to prosecute the politically correct media's wishes. Its about was a crime committed? I don't believe so, and under state law, the man did what was permitted of him. And regardless of what jessie and not so sharpton say, the man should be acquitted. No way he gets a fair trial though, hes fucked.

So why do you think Trayvon Martin deserved to be killed? Are you serious?

Lol. It is funny that you could read what I said, and then conclude that. Here come the PC police.

I concluded that because you said a crime wasn't committed? Is murder not a crime?

In my opinion, under the stand your ground law, he did not commit a murder beyond a reasonable doubt; which is the standard they are supposed to apply, not the political correctness standard.

He's dead! Is that not a reasonable doubt?