168 replies to this topic

[ᗅᗺᗷᗅ]

And yes, I believe the fact that Trayvon Martin was black played a part in Zimmerman's identifying him as "suspicious."  Had he been a white kid, who knows?

[ᗅᗺᗷᗅ]

The legal wrangling might not be over, by the way.  As in the OJ Simpson case, there could still be a civil trial.  There could even conceivably be a federal civil rights case, although my sense is that would be a difficult one to prove.  But the point is that George Zimmerman may not have seen the last of the inside of a courtroom.

[Redezra]

http://www.reddit.co...ttal_of/cb2dzq4

 

The best people on the internet give you the case.

 

I'm seeing a strong case of self defence here.

[ᗅᗺᗷᗅ]

Again, though, it's self-defense based on a situation in which he willingly placed himself, i.e. confronting Trayvon Martin.  I don't think the stand-your-ground law was meant to let you pick a fight with someone and then shoot them when they fight back.  Oddly the prosecution decided not to go at it this way.

[Thrash]

Again, though, it's self-defense based on a situation in which he willingly placed himself, i.e. confronting Trayvon Martin.  I don't think the stand-your-ground law was meant to let you pick a fight with someone and then shoot them when they fight back.  Oddly the prosecution decided not to go at it this way.

 

I was fishing at my gated community today. Someone came up with a car and got out of it. They proceeded towards me. I went to the other side of the lake to continue my fishing w/o being bothered. They started coming towards me again. I ran up to them and drowned them in the lake. It was their fault for following me. I'm good right, you won't report me, right?  Yea there's a body floating in the middle of the lake in my community, but they shouldn't have been following me.

 

edit, oh btw, they were white.

[ᗅᗺᗷᗅ]

Yes, but in the situation you described you're Trayvon.  Zimmerman had no business confronting him, and had been specifically instructed not to do so by the police dispatcher.

[Haflinger]

Zimmerman is a low-level insurance agent, essentially self-employed. I've seen nothing that indicates he's got any significant money, and there is no way any lawsuit against him could implicate other people or organizations; as you mention, the police dispatcher told him to do the right thing, get out of there. I don't think a lawsuit is likely in this case. With OJ, OJ had millions, so there was a point in suing him.

[Shotgun Willy]

Zimmerman was also the neighborhood watch captain - it's basically his duty to keep an eye on anyone who's acting slightly suspicious. Also, the dispatcher's line about telling Zimmerman that he didn't need to keep an eye on Martin was a canned line and not binding in the slightest. If you were about to get shot by another person in front of me and I called 911 to tell them about it and they said "Well the closest police cruiser is 5 minutes away" and I said "Well, this guy is gonna shoot my friend in 30 seconds, I'm gonna go stop him" they will actually respond "You don't need to do that" - it's nonbinding and non-authoritative and ignoring such instructions is perfectly legal.

 

Here's a video I might suggest some people take some time and watch. Now, I have no doubt that this guy is at least somewhat biased (mostly because of his little pot-shot at Obama towards the end), but he presents a lot better case than I've seen anybody else present. If someone wants to check his sources and other reputable, non-media sources and rebuke this guy's arguments, please feel free - in fact, I eagerly await your rebuttal.

 

https://www.youtube....Ax5E8EJc#at=442

[ᗅᗺᗷᗅ]

Zimmerman was the sole member of the "neighborhood watch."

[Haflinger]

He was a self-appointed captain.

[Shotgun Willy]

Which doesn't change anything or any facts. Self-appointed or not, the same laws and such still applied, the only difference is that he felt he had a duty to keep an eye on Martin who, by reports, was apparently not terribly sober in a neighborhood which isn't exactly crime-free.

Besides, hindsight is 20/20. I firmly believe that nobody here has the right to say what Zimmerman should or should not have done in the lead-up to those events because we weren't there and we had no input into what happened. Our sources of "information" are, for the most part, incomplete at best. The mass-media has been twisting things about this case left and right in order to sensationalize this case. It's difficult at best to know what the real facts are. 

[Thrash]

Which doesn't change anything or any facts.

[rotty]

Florida is a fucked-up state    
The wonderful state of Florida  on the stand your ground law- (good job with this law J.Bush)

In West Palm Beach, Christopher Cote started pounding on the door of neighbor Jose Tapanes at 4 a.m. after an argument over Cote's dog. Tapanes stepped outside and fired his shotgun twice, killing Cote. A jury acquitted him. 
 
In Winter Springs, Owen Eugene Whitlock came home on Christmas Eve 2009 to find his daughter's boyfriend, Jose Ramirez, angrily stalking up his driveway, flexing his muscles and swinging his fists. Whitlock stood his ground and fired a fatal shot. He was not charged.

 

When Gerald Terrell Jones shot his marijuana dealer in the face in Brandon this year, he was charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault. A jury later acquitted him.

 

 A Seventh-day Adventist was acting erratically, doing cartwheels through an apartment complex parking lot, pounding on cars and apartment windows and setting off alarms. A tenant who felt threatened by the man's behavior shot and killed him. He was not charged. 

 

 Two men fell into the water while fighting on a dock. When one started climbing out of the water, the other shot him in the back of the head, killing him. He was acquitted after arguing "stand your ground."

[Haflinger]

Huh? There was no signs of intoxication according to the autopsy.

[The Dark Empire]

Guys I am thoroughly disappointing in all of you. This is just absurd and absolutely ridiculous. I can't believe no one commented on my joke about the street being only for cars. Jorost surely you must remember that topic. You and Haf argued about what streets were for. I am upset and on the verge of tears right now. Do you have no common decency.

[ᗅᗺᗷᗅ]

Self-appointed or not, the same laws and such still applied, the only difference is that he felt he had a duty to keep an eye on Martin...

 

Regardless of what he felt, George Zimmerman had no "duty" to confront Trayvon Martin.

[ᗅᗺᗷᗅ]

Guys I am thoroughly disappointing in all of you. This is just absurd and absolutely ridiculous. I can't believe no one commented on my joke about the street being only for cars. Jorost surely you must remember that topic. You and Haf argued about what streets were for. I am upset and on the verge of tears right now. Do you have no common decency.

 

Oh I noticed.  I just didn't want to get into it again.  I like to deprive Haf of any chance to go on another anti-car rant.  

[The Dark Empire]

Guys I am thoroughly disappointing in all of you. This is just absurd and absolutely ridiculous. I can't believe no one commented on my joke about the street being only for cars. Jorost surely you must remember that topic. You and Haf argued about what streets were for. I am upset and on the verge of tears right now. Do you have no common decency.

 

Oh I noticed.  I just didn't want to get into it again.  I like to deprive Haf of any chance to go on another anti-car rant.  

But it was hilarious the first time I was just hoping to start it up again.

[Haflinger]

lol

 

I'm not keen on starting another anti-car rant either; I noticed it too

[Redezra]

Self-appointed or not, the same laws and such still applied, the only difference is that he felt he had a duty to keep an eye on Martin...

 

Regardless of what he felt, George Zimmerman had no "duty" to confront Trayvon Martin.

 

Well that's the thing, I think that by being an accepted neighborhood watch captain, he believed it was his duty to try and protect his neighbors. And I think that importantly his neighbors will back him up. So, for all intents and purposes, it was his duty to do just that.