Zimmerman Trial And Lessons Learned

LOL. Zimmerman didn't racially profile, and even if he did so what? After a string of burglaries in the neighborhood, seeing a black guy dressed like a Blood, peeping in windows should set off some alarms for everybody.
And don't bring a loaded gun into a dangerous situation? WTF does that mean? Should people go into dangerous situations without guns? Should they unload the gun before they go in? Aren't guns typically intended for 'dangerous situations'? Again, lol

 

Martin was peeping in windows? Says who?

Correct. That's how people get shot.

 

There wasn't a string of burglaries in the "neighborhood".. There was a string of burglaries in Twin Lakes which includes trailer parks, apartments and single family dwellings.. Most were in the day time on week-days.

 

If my teenage kid was walking home from the corner store at night and some stranger started following him around, I could understand my kid fearing for his safety... Especially if the guy refused to identify himself immediately when asked what his problem was.

Stand Your Ground laws applied to Martin too... He had every right to use force to defend himself against what he perceived to be a threat.

The primary learning for many folks was that SYG makes no sense.

 

That's usually the best policy.

We were not leaving for anyone. We'd fight before we let anyone intimidate us. I dunno. We just wanted to hang out there. Not for any particular reason that I can recall. It was just to hang out by the railroad tracks for no particular reason.

 

To bash someone's head in on concrete?

Eh... no.

So Trayvon had a right to kill Zimmerman because Zimmerman talked to him, but Zimmerman is a bad guy for defending his life when Martin was attempting to beat his head in?

Alright. That makes sense.

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Had Zimmerman left his firearm in the truck he would have been killed.

 

Or, George may have identified himself as NW if he was unarmed.

 

Martin was unarmed. If Zimmerman left his gun at home, nobody would have been shot.

 

Zimmermans head would have been killed via traumatic head injuries.

Unarmed does not mean not dangerous.

 

It must be nice to be able to predict the future.

How are my investments doing?

 

The extent of which you lack common sense is astounding.

You are on your back, someone is pounding your head into a sidewalk, what do you suppose their intentions are? Inviting you out for a cup of coffee?

 

[video=youtube;fz6MOO0tdVQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fz6MOO0tdVQ[/video]

Oh look another thread about the zim zam.

My two cents the prosecution would have had a better chance if they tried him for manslaughter. Murder implies he planned to kill him in advance. While a lot of things could have been done differently to prevent the situation the prosecution could not prove that.

 

Also, keep in mind SYG was not invoked.

SYG is used when a person could retreat to safety, but choose not to, SYG gives victims no duty to retreat. When you are on your back having your head pounded in, you have no ability to retreat, and SYG does not come into play.

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It was a political game played by race baiters. Manslaughter isn't dramatic enough.

 

Thank you, will certainly have a look

 

Yeah only Zimmerman would be dead, or severly injured.

 

Who cares about that though? Trayvon would probably be almost through with his astronaut training by now

 

I see... So if Martin had shot Zimmerman for being a creep who followed kids home from the corner store at night, that would have been ok?

Zimmerman didn't talk to him. The only conversation that occurred was initiated by Martin when he asked Zimmerman "What's your problem?".
Are you saying Martin would have been wrong to fear for his safety when being followed around at night by a stranger?

Had Zimmerman left his fat ass in the truck, nobody would have been killed.

 

SYG may not have come into play in Zimmerman's defense, but it certainly relates to Martin's actions.
A person (especially a teen) being followed around the neighborhood at night while coming home from a local store would be justified in fearing for their safety. SYG - including use of force (even lethal force) - clearly applies if you have reason to fear for your safety.

When I say that SYG makes no sense, I am pointing out that it allows a legal way to attack each other on the basis of their subjective bias - and results in the death of citizens for no good reason.

 

I don't know Florida law, but fearing for your life does not justify attacking someone until they actually threaten you. Following someone is not a threat. If Z had brandished his gun or took a swing at Martin or said he was going to kill him before the confrontation, that would be a threat. I know Texas use of force law doesn't mention fear as a grounds for deadly force justification.

Whoever didn't start the fight could benefit from SYG, but there is only one side of the story, so the outcome is obvious.

 

So then Martin had the right to bash Zimmerman's head on concrete? lol

 

Your entire premise is wrong. SYG was introduced into law in many states because prior to SYG or other similar laws, it was the subjective opinion of oh say a prosecutor, whether the victim did enough to avoid a conflict with an attempted assault by a criminal. If it was judged that not enough was done to avoid a situation by a person who was not even there then your premise that it was self defense didn't matter. You could be tried for murder even if it was a completely justified self defense act.

SYG does not relieve anyone of providing proof that they were under imminent threat of death or great bodily harm so your comment that a teen being followed around a neighborhood at night while coming home from a store was fearing for his life still doesn't provide any significant evidence that he was in imminent threat of death or great bodily harm. Your imaginary self defense use of force would fall short in almost any court in any state. Fearing for your life because someone is following you does not convey any actual threat that would constitute a belief you were about to die or be seriously injured.

SYG makes perfect sense because as law abiding citizens we no longer have to run away and avoid attempts by criminals to assault us or our family in a place we have a perfectly legal right to be. SYG does not allow a legal way to attack each other, that is a bogus claim. Even with SYG you still have to provide proof that you had to use force to defend yourself from an attempt to kill you or cause a significant change in life style. Hence the reason SYG was really never an issue in the Martin case by either side of the court. They focused on the law that allowed a person to defend their life if what was happening to them could kill or injure them for the rest of their life.

SYG was introduced in the Martin case by the race hustlers and liberal news medias as a way to whip up a frenzy in the antigun crowd.

 

Anything after this is BS.
The statute in Florida states that defense requires only "reasonable fear of imminent peril".
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes...ute&URL=0700-0799/0776/Sections/0776.013.html

Are you suggesting that a teenager being followed around at night is being unreasonable if concerned for their safety?

 

I don't disagree that the law is stupid.

 

Fearing for your safety is not the standard. Everyone fears for their safety from time to time. The standard that must be proved to law enforcement is if you can demonstrate why your "life was in IMMINENT danger".

 

You're ignoring the fact that the law clearly stipulates only "reasonable belief" is required, not "a threat proven beyond reasonable doubt".