Trayvon Martin Case (Zimmerman charged; 2nd deg. murder)

[Cosmic Average]

Angela Corey, the prosecutor who pressed second degree murder charges, has a history of prosecuting self-defense cases:

Earlier this year, Stone says he was defending a woman charged with slashing a man she said attacked her, and Corey proceeded with charges until the judge dismissed the case finding that the woman had acted in self-defense.

Link
And the woman who fired a warning shot at her abusive husband? Angela Corey:

Saying he had no discretion under state law, a judge sentenced a Jacksonville, Florida, woman to 20 years in prison Friday for firing a warning shot in an effort to scare off her abusive husband.

Marissa Alexander unsuccessfully tried to use Florida's controversial "stand your ground" law to derail the prosecution, but a jury in March convicted her of aggravated assault after just 12 minutes of deliberation.

The case, which was prosecuted by the same state attorney who is handling the Trayvon Martin case, has gained the attention of civil rights leaders who say the African-American woman was persecuted because of her race.

After the sentencing, Rep. Corrine Brown confronted State Attorney Angela Corey in the hallway, accusing her of being overzealous, according to video from CNN affiliate WJXT.

"There is no justification for 20 years," Brown told Corey during an exchange frequently interrupted by onlookers. "All the community was asking for was mercy and justice," she said.

Corey said she had offered Alexander a plea bargain that would have resulted in a three-year prison sentence, but Alexander chose to take the case to a jury trial, where a conviction would carry a mandatory sentence under a Florida law known as "10-20-life."

Link

[Simon_Jester]

I wonder what Mrs. Corey would say, if you asked her point-blank, about this issue:

"If a woman feels threatened by someone and fires one shot into their head, she stand a good chance of getting away with it in your state because of the way the self-defense laws work. If she fires one shot into the ceiling, you will charge her with a felony carrying a twenty year sentence. How does this discourage people from committing murder, when they're safer killing someone and relying on "dead men tell no tales" than they are trying to scare them off? Are you happy with a state of affairs where the law in your state gives every nervous, twitchy, trigger-happy fool justification to think "I might as well be hung for a sheep as for a lamb" and blow someone's head off?"

[lance]

Considering Zimmerman referred to Martin as a fucking (something) in his phone call to police, I find it hard to believe he was suddenly oh so nice when confronting him.

You might be surprised how two faced people can be.

[hunter5]

And the woman who fired a warning shot at her abusive husband? Angela Corey:

Saying he had no discretion under state law, a judge sentenced a Jacksonville, Florida, woman to 20 years in prison Friday for firing a warning shot in an effort to scare off her abusive husband.

Marissa Alexander unsuccessfully tried to use Florida's controversial "stand your ground" law to derail the prosecution, but a jury in March convicted her of aggravated assault after just 12 minutes of deliberation.

The case, which was prosecuted by the same state attorney who is handling the Trayvon Martin case, has gained the attention of civil rights leaders who say the African-American woman was persecuted because of her race.

After the sentencing, Rep. Corrine Brown confronted State Attorney Angela Corey in the hallway, accusing her of being overzealous, according to video from CNN affiliate WJXT.

"There is no justification for 20 years," Brown told Corey during an exchange frequently interrupted by onlookers. "All the community was asking for was mercy and justice," she said.

Corey said she had offered Alexander a plea bargain that would have resulted in a three-year prison sentence, but Alexander chose to take the case to a jury trial, where a conviction would carry a mandatory sentence under a Florida law known as "10-20-life."

Link[/quote] That is the woman who left the house got her gun and then went back into the house I can see how most prosecutors would say "self defense" is weak at best.

[Cosmic Average]

That is the woman who left the house got her gun and then went back into the house I can see how most prosecutors would say "self defense" is weak at best.

Maybe, maybe not. But 20 years for a warning shot? And overcharging her in hopes of a plea deal?

[Sea Skimmer]

I don't think any state in the union recognizes any kind of right to fire deliberate warning shots. Its just a bad idea to allow people to do so. But in any event, the US is full of prosecutors who despise the very idea of self defense, and that's why a slew of states passed stand your ground laws in recent years in the first place, nobody trusts politically motivated prosecutors to use fair discretion.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

I don't think any state in the union recognizes any kind of right to fire deliberate warning shots. Its just a bad idea to allow people to do so. But in any event, the US is full of prosecutors who despise the very idea of self defense, and that's why a slew of states passed stand your ground laws in recent years in the first place, nobody trusts politically motivated prosecutors to use fair discretion.

Yeah, it's a simple fact that in the US if you shoot, you have to be in such imminent danger that the only option is shooting to kill, otherwise you can't fire the gun at all. That's the actual legal doctrine everywhere in the country, and it's not going to change.

[Simon_Jester]

True.

I'm not so sure I like it, though. It seems to me like this really sets a perverse incentive- if you know your options and shooting someone dead really is smarter than firing a warning shot, because you have a good chance of pleading self defense as long as "dead men tell no tales" is working for you... just... ugh.

It's a bit hard for me to believe that this is actually better than the alternative.

[hunter5]

That is the woman who left the house got her gun and then went back into the house I can see how most prosecutors would say "self defense" is weak at best.

Maybe, maybe not. But 20 years for a warning shot? And overcharging her in hopes of a plea deal?

Some of the reports I heard was that she shot at his head and missed doesn't sound much like a warning shot but more like bad aim. The 20 years is some stupid mandatory sentencing rule. There is more information about the case in a prior topic link

[aerius]

http://news.yahoo.com/zimmerman-complai ... 29899.html

Zimmerman complained about Sanford police in 2011
Associated PressBy KYLE HIGHTOWER | Associated Press – Wed, May 23, 2012

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — George Zimmerman accused the Sanford police department of corruption more than a year before he shot Trayvon Martin, saying at a public forum the agency covered up the beating of a black homeless man by the son of a white officer.

"I would just like to state that the law is written in black and white," Zimmerman said during a 90-second statement to city commissioners at a community forum. "It should not and cannot be enforced in the gray for those who are in the thin blue line."

The forum took place on Jan. 8, 2011, days after a video of the beating went viral on the Internet and then-Sanford Police Chief Brian Tooley was forced to retire. Tooley's department faced criticism for dragging its feet in arresting Justin Collison, the son of a police lieutenant.

"I'd like to know what action the commission is taking in order to repeal Mr. Tooley's pension," Zimmerman said to the commission. "I'm not asking you to repeal his pension; I believe he's already forfeited his pension by his illegal cover-up in corruption in what happened in his department."

Zimmerman's public comments could be important because the Martin family and supporters contend the neighborhood watch volunteer singled Martin out because he was black. Zimmerman has a Peruvian mother and a white father. His supporters have said he is not racist.

The Miami Herald first reported details from the January 2011 community forum Wednesday. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the tape from the meeting.

In the speech, Zimmerman said he witnessed "disgusting" behavior by officers when he was part of a ride-along program, though the agency said it did not know when, if ever, Zimmerman was in that program.

"The officer showed me his favorite hiding spots for taking naps. He explained to me he doesn't carry a long gun in his vehicle because in his words, 'Anything that requires a long gun requires a lot of paperwork and you're gonna find me as far away from it.'"

[Related: Medical report shows broken nose, lacerations]

Zimmerman also said the officer in question "took two lunch breaks and attended a going away party for one of his fellow officers."

Sanford Mayor Jeff Triplett and interim police chief Richard Myers were both unavailable for comment.

Zimmerman is free on bond awaiting his second-degree murder trial for shooting Martin. Martin was walking back to a townhome he was staying at when he got into a fight with Zimmerman, who shot him in the chest at close range.

Zimmerman, who claims the Feb. 26 shooting was self-defense, was initially not arrested. But after protests around the country and an investigation by a state prosecutor, he was charged.

Tooley's successor, Bill Lee, temporarily resigned his post following a no-confidence vote by city commissioners.

Lee offered to resign permanently, but his commissioners turned down his request. He is on paid leave.

Here's the fun part. The above was reported on in various blogs and small independent new sites back in early April, and conveniently ignored by the mainstream media until now. So now we have clear proof that Zimmerman stood up for a black man, but everyone knows that he's racist, right? Right? Yeah, that's what I thought.

[Alyrium Denryle]

Here's the fun part. The above was reported on in various blogs and small independent new sites back in early April, and conveniently ignored by the mainstream media until now. So now we have clear proof that Zimmerman stood up for a black man, but everyone knows that he's racist, right? Right? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Well, there goes that one. Well played sir.

That said, I have an urge to interpret this evidence in the most fucked up, ironic, and surreal way possible*. However, that is just me, and I tend to err on the side of "this whole situation is absurd" due to the assumption of absurdity holding true in as many cases as it does. Again however, that is just me.

*Spoiler

Step 1) Zimmerman accuses Sanford PD of racist corruption
Step 2) Zimmerman happens to be a bit paranoid about a kid walking around in his neighborhood
Step 3) Follows said kid
Step 4) Said kid becomes agitated/afraid
Step 5) Conflict ensues in unknown fashion
Step 6) Kid dies
Step 7) Sanford Police are corrupt/incompetent/racist and bungle the investigation in such a way that the details of Step 5 are unknowable, thus getting Zimmerman off irrespective of the circumstances(I no longer really care what those might be), and proving his own year old point regarding their corruption/racism/incompetence.

[SirNitram]

Stories are changing. Never a good sign. Link

Evidence released last week in the second-degree-murder case against George Zimmerman shows four key witnesses made major changes in what they say they saw and heard the night he fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford.

Three changed their stories in ways that may damage Zimmerman. A fourth abandoned her initial story, that she saw one person chasing another. Now, she says, she saw a single figure running.

They were reinterviewed in mid-March, after Sanford police handed the case off to State Attorney Norm Wolfinger. The case changed hands again when Gov. Rick Scott passed it on to a special prosecutor. Zimmerman was arrested April 11 on a charge of second-degree murder.

Here are the key ways in which their stories changed.

Witness 2

A young woman who lives in the Retreat at Twin Lakes community, where Trayvon was shot, was interviewed twice by Sanford police and once by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

She told authorities that she had taken out her contact lenses just before the incident. In her first recorded interview with Sanford police four days after the shooting, she told lead Investigator Chris Serino, "I saw two guys running. Couldn't tell you who was in front, who was behind."

She stepped away from her window, and when she looked again, she "saw a fistfight. Just fists. I don't know who was hitting who."

A week later, she added a detail when talking again to Serino: During the chase, the two figures had been 10 feet apart.

That all changed when she was reinterviewed March 20 by an FDLE agent. That time, she recalled catching a glimpse of just one running figure, she told FDLE Investigator John Batchelor, and she heard the person more than saw him.

"I couldn't tell you if it was a man, a woman, a kid, black or white. I couldn't tell you because it was dark and because I didn't have my contacts on or glasses. … I just know I saw a person out there."

Witness 12

A young mother who is also a neighbor in the town-home community never gave a recorded interview to Sanford police, according to prosecution records released last week. She first sat down for an audio-recorded interview with an FDLE agent March 20, more than three weeks after the shooting.

During that session, she said she saw two people on the ground immediately after the shooting and was not sure who was on top, Zimmerman or Trayvon.

"I don't know which one. … All I saw when they were on the ground was dark colors," she said.

Six days later, however, she was sure: It was Zimmerman on top, she told trial prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda during a 21/2-minute recorded session.

"I know after seeing the TV of what's happening, comparing their sizes, I think Zimmerman was definitely on top because of his size," she said.

Witness 6

This witness lived a few feet from where Trayvon and Zimmerman had their fight. On the night of the shooting, he told Serino he saw a black man on top of a lighter-skinned man "just throwing down blows on the guy, MMA-style," a reference to mixed martial arts.

He also said the one calling for help was "the one being beat up," a reference to Zimmerman.

But three weeks later, when he was interviewed by an FDLE agent, the man said he was no longer sure which one called for help.

"I truly can't tell who, after thinking about it, was yelling for help just because it was so dark out on that sidewalk," he said.

He also said he was no longer sure Trayvon was throwing punches. The teenager may have simply been keeping Zimmerman pinned to the ground, he said.

He did not equivocate, though, about who was on top.

"The black guy was on top," he said.

Witness 13

He is important because he talked with Zimmerman and watched the way he behaved immediately after the shooting, before police arrived.

After this neighbor heard gunfire, he went outside and spotted Zimmerman standing there with"blood on the back of his head," he told Sanford police the night of the shooting.

Zimmerman told him that Trayvon "was beating up on me, so I had to shoot him," the witness told Serino. The Neighborhood Watch captain then asked the witness to call his wife, Shellie Zimmerman, and tell her what happened.

In two subsequent interviews about a month later — one with an FDLE investigator and one with de la Rionda — the witness described Zimmerman's demeanor in greater detail, adding that he spoke as if the shooting were no big deal.

Zimmerman's tone, the witness said, was "not like 'I can't believe I just shot someone!' — it was more like, 'Just tell my wife I shot somebody …,' like it was nothing."

Those witnesses are likely to be interviewed at least once more before Zimmerman's trial. Defense attorneys in Florida routinely question witnesses under oath as they prepare for trial.

Never good when changes are made.

[Agent Fisher]

Yeah, witness 12 doesn't mean shit. She said she compared their sizes after seeing pictures of them on TV. Like the ones they were showing that were both years out of date? With the fat Zimmerman and the young little kid Martin?

[Flagg]

MSNBC

Judge revokes bail for George Zimmerman in Trayvon Martin case
By NBC's Jamie Novogrod

A Florida judge on Friday revoked the bail for George Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin case, saying he had misled the court about his finances, and ordered him to present himself to the court within 48 hours.

Prosecutors alleged that Zimmerman, 28, misled the court regarding his finances when $150,000 bail was granted April 20 and accused him of holding a second U.S. passport that he did not surrender to the court. Zimmerman is facing second-degree murder charges in the shooting death of Martin, 17, in February.

In a hearing in Sanford, Fla., Judge Kenneth Lester said Zimmerman engaged in a "material falsehood" about his finances.

The state attached a copy of the application for that passport to its motion. The state claims in its motion that Zimmerman obtained the second passport after filing a claim that his original passport had been lost or stolen.

Zimmerman's attorney, Mark O'Mara, conceded there was a second passport, saying, "It's not devious or inappropriate" to have a second passport if first one is lost or stolen. He said the second passport has never been stamped.

He said Zimmerman filed for a second passport after thinking he had lost his first one; Zimmerman later discovered he had not lost the first one. O'Mara said it's his fault court did not have the second passport earlier.

Lester said he was not swayed by the prosecution's argument on the passport.

The revocation motion was filed as a hearing opened on the confidentiality of evidence in the case, including Zimmerman’s statement to police.

Assistant State Attorney Bernie de la Rionda asked that the names of witnesses be sealed.

He told Judge Kenneth Lester that the case is being tried in the public court as opposed to the court of law, partially due to social media -- including Twitter and other technologies that he added he has "never heard of."

He called the topic an area where "state and defense will agree."

A consortium of more than a dozen media groups is asking the judge not to seal some records in the case. Prosecutors and Zimmerman's attorney fear witnesses will be harassed if their names are publicized.

The media groups say those aren't good enough reasons to keep what is usually a public record from being released.

Zimmerman is accused of killing Martin as he walked through a gated residential community in Sanford, Fla., near Orlando, on Feb. 26.

Police initially declined to arrest Zimmerman, who claimed self-defense, but a special prosecutor who was subsequently appointed charged Zimmerman with second-degree murder.

What a fine upstanding citizen!

[Dalton]

Zimmerman's wife was just arrested for perjury.

[Kuja]

Zimmerman's wife was just arrested for perjury.

First news source I could find-

http://www.mediaite.com/online/george-z ... r-perjury/

Shellie Zimmerman, wife of George Zimmerman the man arrested for the shooting of Florida teen Trayvon Martin, was arrested this afternoon on charges of perjury in relation to his trial.

CBS Miami’s Gio Benitez tweeted out the news earlier today, complete with her mugshot, above. Her bail, reports CF News 13, is set at $1000. While the details are yet unknown about the arrest, the judge in the case had declared that he believed she “testified untruthfully at the bond hearing,” so the arrest in that context was expected. Zimmerman returned to jail earlier this month for violating the terms of his bail.

[Haruko]

MSNBC

Judge revokes bail for George Zimmerman in Trayvon Martin case
By NBC's Jamie Novogrod

A Florida judge on Friday revoked the bail for George Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin case, saying he had misled the court about his finances, and ordered him to present himself to the court within 48 hours.

Prosecutors alleged that Zimmerman, 28, misled the court regarding his finances when $150,000 bail was granted April 20 and accused him of holding a second U.S. passport that he did not surrender to the court. Zimmerman is facing second-degree murder charges in the shooting death of Martin, 17, in February.

In a hearing in Sanford, Fla., Judge Kenneth Lester said Zimmerman engaged in a "material falsehood" about his finances.

The state attached a copy of the application for that passport to its motion. The state claims in its motion that Zimmerman obtained the second passport after filing a claim that his original passport had been lost or stolen.

Zimmerman's attorney, Mark O'Mara, conceded there was a second passport, saying, "It's not devious or inappropriate" to have a second passport if first one is lost or stolen. He said the second passport has never been stamped.

He said Zimmerman filed for a second passport after thinking he had lost his first one; Zimmerman later discovered he had not lost the first one. O'Mara said it's his fault court did not have the second passport earlier.

Lester said he was not swayed by the prosecution's argument on the passport.

The revocation motion was filed as a hearing opened on the confidentiality of evidence in the case, including Zimmerman’s statement to police.

Assistant State Attorney Bernie de la Rionda asked that the names of witnesses be sealed.

He told Judge Kenneth Lester that the case is being tried in the public court as opposed to the court of law, partially due to social media -- including Twitter and other technologies that he added he has "never heard of."

He called the topic an area where "state and defense will agree."

A consortium of more than a dozen media groups is asking the judge not to seal some records in the case. Prosecutors and Zimmerman's attorney fear witnesses will be harassed if their names are publicized.

The media groups say those aren't good enough reasons to keep what is usually a public record from being released.

Zimmerman is accused of killing Martin as he walked through a gated residential community in Sanford, Fla., near Orlando, on Feb. 26.

Police initially declined to arrest Zimmerman, who claimed self-defense, but a special prosecutor who was subsequently appointed charged Zimmerman with second-degree murder.

What a fine upstanding citizen!

A CBS report aired today also pointed out that Zimmerman was speaking to his wife in "code" over the phone about the finances he did not mention in court.

[Irbis]

Here's the fun part. The above was reported on in various blogs and small independent new sites back in early April, and conveniently ignored by the mainstream media until now. So now we have clear proof that Zimmerman stood up for a black man, but everyone knows that he's racist, right? Right? Yeah, that's what I thought.

I have refrained on commenting on this case due to too little details available now, but I'd like to point that yes, you can absolutely be dead-on racist and yet use the fate of someone you hate as excuse, or even genuinely decide this one person for whatever reasons is excluded from hated group. Humans are very good at doublethinking, racism isn't some binary state.

[une]

Sorry for the necro. But, I thought this new information was worth bringing this thread back up.

Possible new motive found for Zimmerman.

June 28, 2012
George Zimmerman investigators: Startling motive for shooting Trayvon Martin

As the FBI closes in on commencing the initial phase of what is foreseen as a long and grueling investigation into the fatal shooting of Miami Gardens teen Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida, investigators have begun to scour the residence of George Zimmerman, 27, in search of key details and evidence that may shed light on the circumstances surrounding the February 26 shooting that claimed the life of Martin, 17. “It’s a process that must be respected and given time to unravel itself,” stated lead FBI investigator, Marques Graves Saturday afternoon. However dismaying, Florida state prosecutor Angela Corey could soon face an ultimatum once Zimmerman’s Aspiron laptop is admitted into evidence at the trial’s opening arguments.

What chief FBI investigator Hallen Jameson stumbled upon Saturday afternoon generated a rift in the initial search of Zimmerman’s property. Among facebook messenger, eBay biddings, and Bank of America online banking, also dwelt a Firefox Mozilla browser history containing URLs to several pornographic websites aimed toward gay Black men. The sites visited were Taggaz.com, CocoDorm.com, and Thugboy.com, to name a few, with the latter being visited four times just hours prior to the shooting. Graphic in nature, the sites are premium adult pay sites containing images, videos, and erotic stories of Black ‘thug’ males engaging in sexual acts with other men. Several investigators and detectives have begun incorporating these findings into what may be an incredible twist in what may factor a role into the true motivation behind Zimmerman fatally shooting the Black teen in February. Perhaps an unreciprocated sexual invitation gone awry? Zimmerman’s residence had been warded off immediately after the fatal shooting. The IT programmer assigned to the investigation has declined to give further detail into the brow-raising discovery.Image

Zimmerman faces a second-degree murder charge, and is awaiting a bond hearing on Friday, June 29, after having his inital bail and bond revoked upon investigators discovering a sum of almost 200,000 dollars sitting in a PayPal account.

From this evidence, it seems that Zimmerman was sexually attracted to young, thuggish black men. If this evidence is true, it might explain why Martin just "flipped out." He might have been reacting to an unwanted sexual advance.

It's also possible that these websites were being browsed by Zimmerman's wife, but it's still an interesting piece to this puzzle.

[Kamakazie Sith]

From this evidence, it seems that Zimmerman was sexually attracted to young, thuggish black men. If this evidence is true, it might explain why Martin just "flipped out." He might have been reacting to an unwanted sexual advance.

It's also possible that these websites were being browsed by Zimmerman's wife, but it's still an interesting piece to this puzzle.

so, Zimmerman calls police and reports a suspicious black male but then decides to get a date? I guess it's possible but I don't see how they fit it into the timeline.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Someone is taking a random blog with this as the sole post seriously?

[Mr Bean]

Someone is taking a random blog with this as the sole post seriously?

It's so titillating and such a twist people want to believe.

[Alyrium Denryle]

From this evidence, it seems that Zimmerman was sexually attracted to young, thuggish black men. If this evidence is true, it might explain why Martin just "flipped out." He might have been reacting to an unwanted sexual advance.

It's also possible that these websites were being browsed by Zimmerman's wife, but it's still an interesting piece to this puzzle.

so, Zimmerman calls police and reports a suspicious black male but then decides to get a date? I guess it's possible but I don't see how they fit it into the timeline.

Wait.... I have seen this before...



That said, I can... envision the scenario, but yeah. It seems like a bit of a stretch. More likely the wife was into that sort of thing.

[Kamakazie Sith]

From this evidence, it seems that Zimmerman was sexually attracted to young, thuggish black men. If this evidence is true, it might explain why Martin just "flipped out." He might have been reacting to an unwanted sexual advance.

It's also possible that these websites were being browsed by Zimmerman's wife, but it's still an interesting piece to this puzzle.

so, Zimmerman calls police and reports a suspicious black male but then decides to get a date? I guess it's possible but I don't see how they fit it into the timeline.

Wait.... I have seen this before...

<snip video>

That said, I can... envision the scenario, but yeah. It seems like a bit of a stretch. More likely the wife was into that sort of thing.

Next we'll learn that he's an atheist. That will make him a godless, homosexual, racist, gun nut, potential rapist who murdered a teenager. Seems like character assassination to me...

[Beowulf]

Any bets on whether someone put this up simply to attempt to poison the jury pool in some fashion? Pure character assassination.