George Zimmerman Not Guilty

[Rani]

Thanks for the clear explanation of the legal side of it.  I think we all pretty much have some idea of how any self-defense plea works, but it's nice to have it more clearly explained.  Now if someone could explain to me why there were only six jurors.  Am I the only one that bothers?  Six is such a smallish number and it's awfully easy to reach a quorum with that number on what are life and death issues.  Would the Casey and Zimmerman trials have gone differently with twelve jurors?  I know in Louisiana you don't need all twelve to vote the same - it's ten if I recall correctly.  But still the larger number seems like it more fair.  Six, heck, that's like six people hanging out at the water cooler.  Much easier to influence emotionally when there are so few.

 

'Rani

[Stuie]

The one question I never heard answered, because honestly I stopped paying attention when they labeled Zimmerman (a half hispanic man with a jewish last name as "White") I knew the media fecal storm was about to get ugly, Why was Martin in the gated community anyways? From what I heard early on it was like a criminal magnet, with weekley break ins, robberies, a couple shootings and over 400 911 calls in four months prior to this unfortunate event. So why was he there?

[Rani]

The one question I never heard answered, because honestly I stopped paying attention when they labeled Zimmerman (a half hispanic man with a jewish last name as "White") I knew the media fecal storm was about to get ugly, Why was Martin in the gated community anyways? From what I heard early on it was like a criminal magnet, with weekley break ins, robberies, a couple shootings and over 400 911 calls in four months prior to this unfortunate event. So why was he there?

 

It was reported originally that his father's girlfriend lived in the community and he was visiting them there.  I never heard otherwise so I assume it's true.

 

'Rani

[Stuie]

thanks, just didn't know. I just figured if he had a legitimate reason to be there that would have been played up more, but eh, i am no legal strategist.

[Chreees]

Never trust the media. Question everything.

[ChicagoRSX]

Never trust the media. Question everything.

 

 

^^^^^^This. The media doesn't care if they "inform you" or not. All they care about is ratings.

[ChicagoRSX]

Plus, who's to say who threw the first punch?? We will never know...

 

 

I have no idea who threw the first punch, but being that Zimmerman had cuts/lacerations to the back of his head, a bloody and swollen nose and Martin didn't. I understand why the law favored Zimmerman. Once you BECOME the aggressor, you lose all the protection that being the victim affords you (in terms of law). Even as law enforcement, we are taught to be able to tell the difference. A guy has a knife and is 15 ft away from me? Lethal force isn't acceptable, because I have "room to escape". I identify myself and tell him to stop, he closes the distance to 7 feet, lethal force is now acceptable. If I discharge my weapon when the suspect is 15 ft away, I'm losing my job and getting sued.   Martin may have started out the victim of this, Zimmerman may have followed him to verbally confront him, but at some point Martin became the aggressor as soon as he got on top of ZImmerman and began delivering punches. The law is written so that if at all possible, you must run/retreat. That's why even if a scumbag breaks into a family's' home during the middle of the night with all the family present, and you shoot that person as they are trying to escape your home, you will still be held liable and probably sued(ok, you're going to get sued in our Justice system). 

 

But the media is funny. Paula Deen uses the N word and people are jumping down her throat(I don't personally condone use of the N word) but Martin described Zimmerman as a "Creepy Ass Cracka" and Zimmerman is still the racist one. Cause again according to the media, only light skinned people can be guilty of being racist.

 

At the end of the day, the lives of 2 people are still over, one figuratively, one literally. 

[Fatalshizot]

I hear that, being military and a carry permit holder there is SOO much grey area it's ridiculous. Running away can't shoot, having to use reasonable levels of combat (essentially not blowing someone away with a .50 cal if they are coming at you with a knife). Pretty much if you don't feel "threatened for your life" you can't shoot. But civilian side you are also taught that you don't draw your weapon without intending to shoot as you can be super sued (so you can't draw on someone charging at you as say, a means to scare him to stop).

[ChicagoRSX]

I hear that, being military and a carry permit holder there is SOO much grey area it's ridiculous. Running away can't shoot, having to use reasonable levels of combat (essentially not blowing someone away with a .50 cal if they are coming at you with a knife). Pretty much if you don't feel "threatened for your life" you can't shoot. But civilian side you are also taught that you don't draw your weapon without intending to shoot as you can be super sued (so you can't draw on someone charging at you as say, a means to scare him to stop).

 

 

And there in lies another grey area, if someone is charging at me in the dark, I'm not pulling my weapon out to scare them, I'm telling them freeze and if they continue to charge me(assuming this is a situation where NO ONE SHOULD be charging at another individual, cause you know, if you don't know someone, you don't just RUN UP on them) I'm shooting. For me personally, as controversial as it may sound, the Zimmerman case was never about race. It was about individual carry rights and the right to protect ones self. 

 

We want a just society but be aren't willing to call a shit bag a shit bag. "Oh I didn't do it, my drug habit made me do it, I was depressed, I wasn't in my right mind. His mom wasn't around growing up, his daddy wasn't around growing up", we just keep allowing lawyers to spew this nonsense in court and then the juries believe them.

[Fatalshizot]

I hear that, being military and a carry permit holder there is SOO much grey area it's ridiculous. Running away can't shoot, having to use reasonable levels of combat (essentially not blowing someone away with a .50 cal if they are coming at you with a knife). Pretty much if you don't feel "threatened for your life" you can't shoot. But civilian side you are also taught that you don't draw your weapon without intending to shoot as you can be super sued (so you can't draw on someone charging at you as say, a means to scare him to stop). And there in lies another grey area, if someone is charging at me in the dark, I'm not pulling my weapon out to scare them, I'm telling them freeze and if they continue to charge me(assuming this is a situation where NO ONE SHOULD be charging at another individual, cause you know, if you don't know someone, you don't just RUN UP on them) I'm shooting. For me personally, as controversial as it may sound, the Zimmerman case was never about race. It was about individual carry rights and the right to protect ones self. We want a just society but be aren't willing to call a shit bag a shit bag. "Oh I didn't do it, my drug habit made me do it, I was depressed, I wasn't in my right mind. His mom wasn't around growing up, his daddy wasn't around growing up", we just keep allowing lawyers to spew this nonsense in court and then the juries believe them. We've become a society of excuses, no one wants to man up for what they do. In a sense imagine Boondock Saints as an example. I wouldn't give a second thought about people "cleansing" the world of bad people as fear instills behavior. In carry states you really have to think twice before you try and rob or carjack someone. I've seen numerous times a little old lady blows away a home invader and to be honest, it makes me smile. If bad people assume everyone is carrying there would be a lot less public crime. (Not saying everyone and their grandma is capable in the mindset of using a gun but you get the idea)