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My money is on a not guilty verdict. Zimmermen will lose in civil court. His gross stupidity was not illegal. It should be, but it ain't. Inconsistencies and even downright lies do not negate the high probably that Martin, though obviously provoked, initiated the physical confrontation.
What the jury is going to see is that the only injuries, besides the gunshot wound and a scraped knuckle, were all to Zimmerman.
Martin had a right to provoke a physical confrontation (which I don't believe he did anyway) because Zimmerman was stalking him with a gun.
If an armed man was following me first in his truck and then by foot, on a dark rainy night in Florida as I returned from the store, I would assume he was trying to rob me. (The Orlando area has a very high crime rate.)
How did Zimmerman catch up with Martin? Do you really think Zimmerman was faster?
The fact is you can provoke someone into attacking you and then kill them in many states including Florida. You should be talking to your legislators if your state is one of those.
No offense, but you're just not thinking here. Has nothing to do with speed. Two people can run in different directions. Zimmerman can take an entirely different angle. Speed's not that important. Martin could have become disoriented, considering he might not have been as familiar with the neighborhood as Zimmerman. Ever tried running around a gated community in the dark from strangers and then tried to find your way back to some random address?!
How did Zimmerman catch up with Martin? Do you really think Zimmerman was faster?
The fact is you can provoke someone into attacking you and then kill them in many states including Florida. You should be talking to your legislators if your state is one of those.
Not really, but then again, these self-defense cases are not black-and-white.
You can't ordinarily provoke someone into attacking you and then claim self-defense. Unless, that is, you are able to show that the person responding used force beyond what was sufficient to repel an ordinary attack. But it's not accurate to say that you can just go around baiting someone and then claim victimization - the Florida law explicitly rejects that.
It's just that these cases are complicated. A person may not be allowed to bait someone into an attack for the purposes of claiming 'defense', but a person is allowed to carry a firearm (with the right permits); a person is allowed to monitor the behavior of others; and a person is allowed even to confront someone and ask what he's doing in the neighborhood. The question in this case is, was there something that was done beyond what we've just talked about. It's still too early to tell yet. My gut says, yes, Zimmerman did more than just behave like a concerned citizen, but we need the proof.
As much as it might suck to admit it, the physical evidence on Zimm's face points to an intense physical struggle, which a person could reasonably conclude that served to legitimize Zimmerman's claims of self-defense. Common sense says that there must have been something that Zimmerman did to provoke the attack or make the incident much more likely, but right now, it's not clear what evidence there is to show that this is true. I'm guessing the prosecution has it though.
I am just astounded at the amount of people who clearly want to believe that Martin initiated an attack on Zimmerman, despite not a single shred of evidence to support that and multiple circumstancial facts that would indicate the opposite.
I am just astounded at the amount of people who clearly want to believe that Martin initiated an attack on Zimmerman, despite not a single shred of evidence to support that and multiple circumstancial facts that would indicate the opposite.
Yes, like the lack of Zimmerman's DNA on Martin's hands or knuckles. If you're beating someone to a pulp it's likely some of their DNA will get on your hands.
For all we know Zimmerman injured himself accidentally getting knocked off balance, not getting pounded by Martin's hands which had none of his DNA on them.
For all we know Zimmerman injured himself accidentally getting knocked off balance, not getting pounded by Martin's hands which had none of his DNA on them.
The gun also only had Zimmerman's DNA on it too.
I agree. It would be hard to injure someone's nose as shown in the pics of Zimmerman and not get a drop of your victim's blood on your knuckles. And that's where Zimmerman's lies can be picked apart because he already has produced this version of events in which Martin was beating him up.
What fact are you basing the "high probability" that Martin initiated the physical confrontation? Your fantasies?
By his own words, Martin has started to run from him...Have you EVER heard of a situation that a pursued person running doubling back to initiate an assault? Does that make the least bit of sense to you?
If it doesn't make sense, it's not true. If it were true, your boy Z wouldn't have multiple accounts that do not jive with the chronology of the 911 call to make Trayvon out to be the aggressor. If Trayvon was the aggressor, he was the aggressor, no need to make up a tale.
So Zimmerman got injured in the attack he initiated? Perhaps even more than the person he initially aggressed...Zimmerman was a lot bigger than the 140 lb Martin but maybe Martin was quick and he was clumsy, the ultimate outcome is that he shot Martin with a gun.
In what universe is that self-defense? In what universe can you stalk/aggress an unarmed person then claim you had to shoot them in self-defense??? I'm afraid for my life around people like you. If it is not self-defense (which it clearly isn't)...he is guilty of a crime.
I'm betting you don't have the vaguest idea how silly you sound. Read all your posts in this thread. And you actually think people are lining up to kill you?
You have my sympathy. And my behind-the-hand snickers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jasper12
Do I think Zim should serve time? Yes. He is an idiot. CCW permits should not be handed out like candy, especially to paranoid racists.
Do I think Trayvon came after Zim? Yes. Trayvon was also paranoid, pot smoker, Zim was obviously followed him, and he confronted Zim.
Zim created the escaltion of violence by following Trayvon,
Is the "Stand Your Ground" law stupid? Yes.
Is Zim going down? Yes.
And you think someone should serve time because you think he's an idiot?
Well, that should cut down on a lot of posts, lol.
And btw, CCW aren't handed out like candy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by xxbabeechick
For all we know Zimmerman injured himself accidentally getting knocked off balance, not getting pounded by Martin's hands which had none of his DNA on them.
The gun also only had Zimmerman's DNA on it too.
This is a classic!
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