Trayvon Martin case: A collision of race, guns and Florida law

[Oldtimer]

Now the spin is that it doesn't matter if he was bleeding since he started the fight. Thus, using a gun to keep from being beat up is no excuse. According to the news report I saw, the prosecutor has had those pictures of his bloody head since early in the investigation.

[John81]

There is now debate over whether this special prosecutor is pushed charged while supressing the photos for political purposes rather than looking at the case fairly.

What happened to the eyewitnesses which said Zimmerman tried to walk away and Martin then attacked him?

What about the fact the photos back Zimmerman's and the initial responding police reports of what happened?

This case should have been left in the hands of the local authorities as it is nothing more than a local incident.

A couple years ago two white guys were beat nearly to death by a group of blacks yelling racial slurs and "black power" yet when there was an attempt made to get this case labled a hate crime and get federal attention, the decision was the racial slurs and chants of "black power" didn't make it a hate crime or anything that falls under federal jurisdiction!

[JerryNumbers]

Dershowitz: Prosecutor in Trayvon Martin case overreached with murder charge

In part:

“If she in fact knew about ABC News’ pictures of the bloody head of Zimmerman and failed to include that in the affidavit, this affidavit is not the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth,” Dershowitz said. “It’s a perjurious affidavit.

Even worse, Dershowitz warned that by overcharging Zimmerman, Cory may have planted the seed for riots if he is acquitted, as Dershowitz predicted will happen.

“If there are riots, it will be the prosecutor’s fault because she overcharged, raised expectations,” Dershowitz said. “This prosecutor not only may have suborned perjury, she may be responsible, if there are going to be riots here, for raising expectations to unreasonable levels.”

Dershowitz is not the first legal expert to question the second-degree murder charge. The Florida statute requires proof that the defendant acted in a manner that was “evincing a depraved mind.” Prominent Miami criminal defense attorney John Priovolos told The Associated Press the charge was a “huge overreach” and said Corey will be hard-pressed to show Zimmerman had the “ill will, spite, malice or hatred” needed to prove a “depraved mind.”

Edited April 26, 2012 by Jerry80871852

[Invicta]

I should have thought this should be left to the court to decide?

[John81]

I should have thought this should be left to the court to decide?

Too much political hay for some folks to make out of this one. What should have been nothing more than a local incident, handled by the local authorities, has been turned into a national cause for blacks, liberals and even the president to rally around regardless of the facts.

[JerryNumbers]

Everything in American is political, that is politics plays a big part in everything.

And if you know the right person, you can make justice be what you want it to be. And its been that way many years.

[John81]

BUT, WHAT ABOUT JUSTICE FOR ZIMMERMAN?

April 25, 2012 NewsWithViews.com

By Lloyd Marcus

I keep thinking of an episode of the 1973 TV show, “Kojak: The Marcus-Nelson Murders.” Homicide detective Kojak suspects that the black teenager accused of murdering two white girls is being framed by his fellow detectives.

believes him. Kojak educates the defendant to the cold harsh reality of the situation. Kojak informed the kid that despite his innocence, the case had become such a political hot button and because the police held the kid in jail for so long, he must be found guilty of something.

The case gets a lot of media attention; politics and careers enter the mix. The frightened accused black kid pleads his innocence to detective Kojak who

I see this same scenario developing in the Martin/Zimmerman case.

Most Americans desire a fair and just outcome of this tragedy. But, Lord help us if the evidence proves Zimmerman to be innocent. If Zimmerman is ruled not-guilty and allowed to walk, I foresee Rodney King-type riots in the streets. Thus, is Zimmerman's fate already sealed? Will a jury decide Zimmerman must be declared guilty of something?

While Al Sharpton, New Black Panthers and all of the other racist race-hustling usual suspects clamor for justice for Trayvon Martin, I wonder if justice is even possible for George Zimmerman.

Will political correctness ensure that Zimmerman be found guilty of something regardless of the evidence?

Tragically and frighteningly, we live in a time in which the law and truth appears to be losing relevance in America.

For example. Clearly, the individual mandate in Obamacare is unconstitutional. And yet, Obama believes he can bully the Supreme Court to rule in his favor because “he” believes the mandate is a good thing. Ponder that folks, the president is pressuring U.S. Supreme Court justices to bend the truth and the law to suit his desires. Obama, the president who would be King.

For years, Democrats have been trying to abort the thorn-in-the-side stumbling block to their socialistic agenda known as the U.S. Constitution. Who could have imagined deceiving the American people into putting a black Trojan Horse extreme left liberal into the Oval Office would “Git-r-done”?

If Obama successfully forces U.S. Supreme Court justices to succumb to his politically correct interpretation of the law and rule Obamacare constitutional, setting such a precedence could mean so-called “white Hispanic” George Zimmerman is toast. It would mean facts, truth and the law are no longer relevant – only what the people/mob want rules the day.

Regardless if the evidence proves otherwise, Zimmerman will be found guilty of “something” to avoid riots in the streets. We are talking political correctness on steroids.

Folks, I am not saying Zimmerman is innocent. I do not know. I am simply saying in these morally bankrupt times in which we live, I am concerned that facts and truth are becoming irrelevant.

Since Zimmerman posted $150,000 bail, here are just a few of the shocking tweets calling for violence against him.

“I think imma personally kill George Zimmerman…anyone’s welcome to join (: …Leggggoooo !” ‘I WOULD KILL DA SHYT OUTTA DAT ZIMMERMAN DUDE IF I SAW HIS A** BOAAAA’ “Someone pass me a gun, imma go follow zimmerman, shoot and kill him and say #imstandingmyground” “Lets kill #zimmerman” “They let Zimmerman free lets kill that MF” “”

“Ima kill Zimmerman myself *loads semi* where he at”

George Zimmerman Released From Jail 150,000 Bail! WTF! Ni**a You Are About To Die, Start Writing Your Will!…

Have you heard the slightest hint of media outrage over the threats on Zimmerman's life? Have you heard any rebuke or threat of the Obama administration taking action against these thugs? Oh I know, they are still busy investigating Ted Nugent for passionately encouraging voters to “vote” Obama out in November.

But seriously folks, the media and Obama administration’s passivity regarding the threats on Zimmerman's life is shocking and should be an eye opener to us all. Anyone on the left's excrement list can expect no justice and no peace.

word came down from above to, “Never bring another lawsuit against a black or other national minority, apparently no matter what they do.”

If those threatening Zimmerman's life are black, Attorney General Eric Holder has pretty much given them a pass. In 2010,

Justice Department whistle-blower, J. Christian Adams said

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Where was the national media investigation, outrage and clamors for Holder's immediate resignation? Are we living in an Obama administration parallel universe bizarre-o world? Do I really need to state the obvious re-action had there been accusations of Bush's Justice Department saying they would not pursue white defendants?

No presidential call for civility toward George Zimmerman. Zimmerman is for the most part, on his own. All Zimmerman can do is hide. My fellow Americans, this is so very, very wrong. What is becoming of our great country? Lord help us!

Chairman –

Lloyd Marcus, Proud Unhyphenated American

CampaignToDefeatObama.com

http://www.newswithviews.com/Marcus/lloyd230.htm

[HappyChristian]

Zimmerman won't get a fair trial no matter where he goes because the media has inflamed too many people...as they intended.

[JerryNumbers]

I fear its true, with the pressure put on them my a United States congressman with the threat of civil unrest, & the threat others have made, truth is unimportant, what is important at this time is to sacrifice an innocent man to make those that made the threats happy, so they will not truly start civil unrest in the street of that community.

Nothing new about this, throughout our history many innocent men have been found guilty because its great for a career, just as many have been found innocent for the same cause.

Every man has his on idea of justice, as those who have called for Mr. Zimmerman to be arrested, tried, & convicted, one group even put a price on his head. They do not want justice, they want vengeance.

Even during the day our Lord will rule this world, man will rebel against His perfect rule of this world, for man does not want justice & truth, what they want is justice that favors them, & their idea of truth, which does not even come close to resembling God's justice & truth.

[Invicta]

Zimmerman won't get a fair trial no matter where he goes because the media has inflamed too many people...as they intended.

Oh dear.

You don't have much faith in your justice system?

I must admit that many over here don't either,

BBC News


Who is Christopher Tappin, the retired UK businessman extradited to the US on charges of plotting to sell weapons parts to Iran?
And why do US authorities want the Briton behind bars?
Perhaps Christopher Tappin wanted peace and quiet in his retirement.
Maybe he wanted some time to reflect after more than two decades spent running his own freight business.
But the 65-year-old probably didn't expect the solipsistic silence of solitary confinement.
In Texas, thousands of miles from the beautifully manicured fairways in Kent on which he had planned to improve his golf handicap, the Briton found himself alone in a windowless cell.
The grandfather-of-one was held at New Mexico's Otero County detention centre for two months following his extradition from the UK in late February.
Aggressive inmates
Mr Tappin told the Times newspaper about conditions at the prison.
"I've never had an experience like it. Psychologically, I felt myself slipping away... I can't tell you how difficult it was," he said.
He told the newspaper he spent 10 days in solitary confinement before being moved to a cell he shared with six aggressive inmates.
Mr Tappin was released from custody in April on bail of $1m (£620,000).
The Briton's prison stay followed a two-year fight against his extradition to the US, where authorities accuse him of being a willing participant in a cross-border conspiracy.
Mr and Mrs Tappin have been married for more than 30 years
Mr Tappin, from Orpington, south-east London, is accused of conspiring to export batteries for Hawk surface-to-air missiles from the US to Iran.
The Briton strongly denies the offences, which carry a sentence of up to 35 years in jail, meaning he would probably spend the rest of his life behind bars.
A date for his trial is yet to be arranged.
The Briton says he believed he was exporting batteries for the car industry in the Netherlands.
Unbeknownst to him, he says, his client had been dealing with a fictitious company set up by Immigration and Customs Enforcements.
He claims he was the victim of a FBI "sting" operation.
The 2003 Anglo-American extradition treaty didn't allow him to challenge the evidence against him in a British court.
Mr Tappin, who part-owned Surrey-based Brooklands International Freight Services, claims the FBI agents pretending to belong to the fictitious export company set out to deceive him.
He also claims the company selling the parts was a fake one set up by a US customs sting operation.
"I didn't know these batteries were for Hawk missiles and I didn't know they were destined for Iran," he told the BBC.
"I'm just appalled that things could come to this - especially in my life now, when I'm 65, been retired for four years and enjoying retirement."
Extradition controversy
Mr Tappin was indicted in 2007 but didn't find out about this until three years later when he was arrested by UK police.
The case against him follows an investigation which started in 2005 when US agents asked technology providers about buyers who might have raised concerns.
Those customers were approached by undercover companies which had been set up by government agencies.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote

I cann

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describe the utter desolation we b

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Elaine Tappin
A British associate of Mr Tappin who agreed to co-operate with US authorities was jailed for 24 months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to export defence articles.
He provided customs agents with about 16,000 computer files and emails indicating that he and Mr Tappin had long-standing commercial ties with Iranian customers.
Mr Tappin's extradition is one of a number of recent cases that have fuelled controversy surrounding the UK-US extradition treaty.
Critics say the treaty makes the extradition of British nationals easier than extraditing US nationals to the UK because the US authorities have to produce less evidence to support their case than their British counterparts.
The US maintains that all extradition requests between the US and UK must meet the same evidentiary standard - probable cause.
All requests from the US must meet the standard of "reasonable suspicion" required under UK law, however, the US says, all requests from the US must also be based on a charging document that meets the "probable cause" standard required under US law.
The Briton's legal team have said their client was the victim of an abuse of power.
However, Home Secretary Theresa May and the British courts upheld the extradition request from US authorities concerning Mr Tappin.
And the European Court of Human Rights refused to intervene.
In its ruling, the Court of Appeal in London found that it did not need to consider detailed arguments about US export rules because it was clear that the US had accused Mr Tappin of offences comparable to those found in English law.


Elaine Tappin: "We had nine days notice... we stared into a wholly uncertain future"
It also dismissed Mr Tappin's allegations of entrapment and said it had to assume the US request had been made in good faith, unless there was particularly strong evidence to the contrary.
A review by senior judge Sir Scott Baker last year found the treaty was fair to British citizens.
Prior to his extradition, Mr Tappin had a very different life.
Golf is his great passion.
And, as the president of the Kent County Golf Union, he presided over all 95 golf clubs in Kent.
He shared his life with Elaine, his wife of more than 30 years.
Following the extradition decision, the couple had nine days together before Mr Tappin was flown to the US, leaving the couple facing what she described as a "wholly uncertain future".
In February, Mrs Tappin broke down while giving evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee, which was looking into the UK's extradition procedures.
She told MPs of her "heart-rending sadness, despair and utter disbelief" at the home secretary's decision to allow the extradition to go ahead.
"I cannot describe the utter desolation we both felt," she said, before she broke down, unable to finish her prepared statement.
'Fearing the future'
Mr Tappin used his house and car to raise funds for his legal costs in the US and the UK.
Neil Tappin, one of the couple's two children, said the situation had placed a great deal of strain on his mother, who has a chronic health problem.
"She's struggling, there's no two ways about it. We all are," he said.
"What unites us all at the moment is a sense that the extradition treaty has really let us down.
"Not a single shred of evidence has been given for or against this case in the UK. My father never left the UK in any of these dealings and yet he as been sent away. And that's the sense of injustice that's spurring us all on at the moment.
"When we get over that and the next stage begins, I think that is going to be the point at which the worry and a fear of the future will kick in."
What that future holds - be it a golf jacket or prison overalls - now lies in the hands of the US judicial system.

[John81]

Sad to say but most of the justice system in America is corrupt. Most who find themselves involved in it have bad or very bad experiences.

[JerryNumbers]

Town hall meeting

The event is being held by the Florida Civil Rights Association, & sound like an even that hopes to influence the citizens of this community to side with Trayvon, & the event has nothing whatsoever to do with honest justice.

[John81]

Pretty much anything with the term "civil rights" in the title these days means they are very biased and only interested in their own groups perceived best interests at the expense of anyone else.

[Anon]

Now the spin is that it doesn't matter if he was bleeding since he started the fight. Thus, using a gun to keep from being beat up is no excuse. According to the news report I saw, the prosecutor has had those pictures of his bloody head since early in the investigation.

You can die from being beat up...you don't know if you're going to die until you die, though, so yes, defending yourself against a thug by using a gun is fine.

I don't think Zimmerman started a fight...he was following the guy, which was a mistake, but he did NOT start a "fight".


I think the thing that bothers me the most in this whole thing is that Zimmerman is very obviously a good deal Hispanic. So, duh, this should not be "white vs black" at ALL!!!!! I guess maybe because he's middle class maybe that makes him "white" but he's just as Hispanic as Obama is black.....

[John81]

You can die from being beat up...you don't know if you're going to die until you die, though, so yes, defending yourself against a thug by using a gun is fine.

I don't think Zimmerman started a fight...he was following the guy, which was a mistake, but he did NOT start a "fight".


I think the thing that bothers me the most in this whole thing is that Zimmerman is very obviously a good deal Hispanic. So, duh, this should not be "white vs black" at ALL!!!!! I guess maybe because he's middle class maybe that makes him "white" but he's just as Hispanic as Obama is black.....

They are not calling Zimmerman a "white hispanic"!

From the evidence they have put forth, they have eyewitnesses which say Zimmerman was following Martin, then Martin turned and confronted Zimmerman, then Zimmerman turned away and started walking away, then Martin attacked Zimmerman, knocked him to the ground, jumped on him and began bashing his head into the ground. It was when Martin was on top of Zimmerman bashing his head into the ground that Zimmerman shot Martin.