Zimmerman Case

[MrHyeSev]

So what do you guys think about the decision of the judge? I say he is guilty, because even though he was protecting himself...Zimmerman shouldn't have shot him in the heart..he could've aimed at the foot or some other part. Self defense does not mean you have to kill someone.

[Haykakan]

Re: Zimmerman Case

I was not following this case(bussy summer) and am curious about it myself. Btw if you are gona shoot someone you better make sure he goes down because if he does not then he will be coming for you and you do not know if he is armed or not..(the comment is a general one - not specifically directed at this case).

[Siggie]

Re: Zimmerman Case

The judge didn't decide the verdict in the case. This was a jury trial.

The law doesn't specify where the person should be shot. I'm not happy about what happened, but I do not think the jury was wrong per se. They applied the law, as it's been written. If it didn't result in "justice," then that signals a need to revisit the law.

[MrHyeSev]

Re: Zimmerman Case

Now he is hiding...he better leave the African American community is after him

[Siggie]

Re: Zimmerman Case

Now he is hiding...he better leave the African American community is after him

Yeah, that's about what I thought... You didn't really want to discuss it after all.

[MrHyeSev]

Re: Zimmerman Case

What more is there to discuss?

Yeah, that's about what I thought... You didn't really want to discuss it after all.

[Siggie]

Re: Zimmerman Case

What more is there to discuss?

Nothing, I get it... You just wanted to start a thread and pretend to contribute to discussion here.

[Haykakan]

Re: Zimmerman Case

I would like some info on it. Any reliable somewhat objective sources out there with info about this trial?

[Siggie]

Re: Zimmerman Case

What are you looking for Haykakan? I haven't really seen any comprehensive stuff. Are you looking for the legal side? The evidence at trial? Juror's comments?

The short version is that Zimmerman sees Martin in his gated community on a rainy evening; a young black kid (age 17?) wearing a hoodie. Martin is returning to a relative's home where he is staying from convenience store where he bought soda. Zimmerman is carrying a concealed pistol and is neighborhood watchman. He's been described by others' as somewhat militant and as having "a hero complex." He calls 911 and reports this suspicious and unsavory "punk" to the police and describes him as the sort that always gets away. The dispatcher tells him to STOP FOLLOWING HIM. He follows him anyway. Martin notices this, on the phone with a friend says he's being followed and seems scared. He runs through the neighborhood, trying to lose the guy and eventually decides to turn and confront. I don't think it's entirely how they first collide, but at one point in the physical struggle, Martin gets the better of him and gets on top of him and is hitting him. At this point it seems that Martin becomes aware that the guy is armed and starts to get off of him, maybe trying to end the altercation? Zimmerman then shoots him and kills him.
Police don't arrest him for over a month citing the Stand your Ground self-defense law in Florida which allows one to use deadly force when one feels "threatened."

This is different from other states, even other Castle doctrine states... Most of the time you can only use proportional force and only in the face of IMMINENT harm and if you can retreat instead, you have a duty to do so. After Co in 1985 (?) passed a revision called "Castle doctrine" which makes one's home special in that you do not have a duty to retreat from one's "castle" but can defend it and the persons within. A bunch of states have this, including CA. Florida legislators in their infinite wisdom have gone one step further and removed any requirement to retreat anywhere... So, if you feel threatened and in danger of serious harm in Florida, you can respond with deadly force. Also, all one needs to do is present SOME evidence that they acted in self-defense and that's enough for the judge/jury then to have to find them not guilty unless they can decide that beyond a reasonable doubt you did NOT act in self-defense. They've made a law SO broad so as to be nearly meaningless. Even judges in Florida have commented that it's too broad and that under this law, if there was a shootout involving a bunch of people in public, everyone would be able to claim self-defense and walk away.

[Haykakan]

Re: Zimmerman Case

From this description it seems that Zimmerman escalated a harmless situation into a violent one because of his prejudice. Seems a civil suit should be appropriate for this situation.