Feds: No civil rights charges for George Zimmerman in Trayvon Martin shooting Posted on February 24, 2015 by Tribune News Service ORLANDO, Fla. (TNS) Citing a lack of evidence, the U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday announced that George Zimmerman will not face federal civil rights charges in the February 2012 shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida. In a statement, the DOJ said that a federal investigation found insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights charges against Zimmerman, who shot the unarmed Miami Gardens teen during a struggle Feb. 26, 2012. Despite the decision not to charge Zimmerman, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in the statement called Martins death a devastating tragedy that sparked a painful but necessary dialogue throughout the country. Though a comprehensive investigation found that the high standard for a federal hate crime prosecution cannot be met under the circumstances here, this young mans premature death necessitates that we continue the dialogue and be unafraid of confronting the issues and tensions his passing brought to the surface, Holder said. He added: We, as a nation, must take concrete steps to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future. Zimmerman did not answer a call seeking comment after the decision was announced Tuesday afternoon. In a statement distributed by their attorneys, Martins family expressed disappointment, but thanked federal officials for an extensive and thorough investigation. We would also like to thank the millions of people around the world who have supported us through prayer and vigilance, the familys statement said. On the night of the shooting, Zimmerman called police to report Martin as suspicious, after seeing the teen walking through his neighborhood, the Retreat at Twin Lakes. Martin, who was staying with his father in the community, was on his way back from a nearby 7-Eleven. Zimmerman excited his vehicle as he spoke to police, leading to a confrontation with the teen. Zimmerman said he fired in fear for his life after Martin attacked him and began beating him. Martin suffered a fatal gunshot to his chest. Zimmerman was not initially arrested, leading to outrage that spread to worldwide protests. Federal agents began their investigation amid the initial fervor, but paused it when state authorities charged Zimmerman with second-degree murder. The federal probe resumed after Zimmermans acquittal in July 2013. According to the DOJ statement, federal officials reviewed all evidence from the state court case, independently conducted 75 new witness interviews and also studied Zimmermans interactions with police since his acquittal. Federal investigators also retained an independent biomechanical expert who assessed Zimmermans descriptions of the struggle and the shooting, the Department of Justice said. In the agencys statement, officials detailed their efforts to weigh Zimmermans actions against federal civil rights laws. This included investigating whether there is evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that Zimmerman violated (civil rights laws) by approaching Martin in a threatening manner before the fatal shooting because of Martins race and because he was using the residential neighborhood, the statement said. The evidence was found to be insufficient, so the case was closed, the DOJ said. Although the department has determined that this matter cannot be prosecuted federally, it is important to remember that this incident resulted in the tragic loss of a teenagers life, Vanita Gupta, acting assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division, said in a statement. She added: Our decision not to pursue federal charges does not condone the shooting that resulted in the death of Trayvon Martin and is based solely on the high legal standard applicable to these cases. Jeff Weiner and Rene Stutzman Orlando Sentinel http://personalliberty.com/feds-civil-rights-charges-george-zimmerman-trayvon-martin-shooting/ just like the saner people knew. This is now officially over. Z has been cleared of any and all charges. I know this is going to frost a lot of people, but that's the way it is. Now, move on with your less than complicated lives..................
