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[Stinkles]

Why do I have the feeling that Zimmerman did threaten the guy with his own gun, but this guy is going to end up in jail anyways.

I hardly think George Zimmerman would pull a gun for no good reason.

 

[mre]

Sometimes jury's get it wrong, and oh boy, did they fuck up in ZimmerMan's case.

This guys story isn't going to end until someone else is dead - either himself or someone else.

The state's attorney fucked up by overcharging.

 

[vas_a_morir]

The state's attorney fucked up by overcharging.

Without going into discussions of what might have happened but cannot be proven one way or another... There is nothing he could conceivably be charged with, is there? A wItness had Trayvon on top of Zimmerman attacking him while he screamed for help. Before that, it is unknown what happened. But, IIRC you are a criminal lawyer... what else could they have charged him with and won? I just don't see it, given the circumstances accepted by both sides. But, I'm no lawyer. Just a regular Joe Schmo reading newspapers.

 

[norm9]

This guy has worse luck than Charlie Brown.

 

[mre]

Without going into discussions of what might have happened but cannot be proven one way or another... There is nothing he could conceivably be charged with, is there? A wItness had Trayvon on top of Zimmerman attacking him while he screamed for help. Before that, it is unknown what happened. But, IIRC you are a criminal lawyer... what else could they have charged him with and won? I just don't see it, given the circumstances accepted by both sides. But, I'm no lawyer. Just a regular Joe Schmo reading newspapers.

Not a criminal attorney, thank god. Manslaughter would have worked, but they over reached and went for murder and as such directed all of their efforts towards proving that Zimmerman intentionally ended Martin's life. Whether you believe he did or not, is irrelevant, the evidence produced by the state made finding Zimmerman guilty of this all but impossible.

Manslaughter can be a lesser included charge of second degree murder, and the jury ultimately deliberated on manslaughter. However, I believe that manslaughter by culpable negligence was ruled by the judge not to be a lesser included offense due to the state attorney's focus on Zimmerman having intentionally killed Martin, and having failed to appropriately allege culpable negligence.

Here was the jury instruction on Manslaughter that the jury received:

MANSLAUGHTER
To prove the crime of Manslaughter, the State must prove the following two elements
beyond a reasonable doubt:
1. Trayvon Martin is dead.
2. George Zimmerman intentionally committed an act or acts that caused the
death of Trayvon Martin.

Had the state appropriately charged Zimmerman with manslaughter through culpable negligence, they could have had an instruction to the effect of:

To prove the crime of Manslaughter, the State must prove the following two
elements beyond a reasonable doubt:
1. (Victim) is dead.
2. The death of (victim) was caused by the culpable negligence of
(defendant).

I will now define “culpable negligence” for you. Each of us has a duty to act
reasonably toward others. If there is a violation of that duty, without any conscious
intention to harm, that violation is negligence. But culpable negligence is more than a
failure to use ordinary care toward others. In order for negligence to be culpable, it must
be gross and flagrant. Culpable negligence is a course of conduct showing reckless
disregard of human life, or of the safety of persons exposed to its dangerous effects, or such
an entire want of care as to raise a presumption of a conscious indifference to consequences,
or which shows wantonness or recklessness, or a grossly careless disregard for the safety
and welfare of the public, or such an indifference to the rights of others as is equivalent to
an intentional violation of such rights.
The negligent act or omission must have been committed with an utter disregard for
the safety of others. Culpable negligence is consciously doing an act or following a course of
conduct that the defendant must have known, or reasonably should have known, was likely
to cause death or great bodily injury.

I think he's convicted with these instructions.

 

[Enzom21]

This guy has worse luck than Charlie Brown.

Worse? He got away with murder, I would say his luck is pretty damn great.

 

[vas_a_morir]

Not a criminal attorney, thank god. Manslaughter would have worked, but they over reached and went for murder and as such directed all of their efforts towards proving that Zimmerman intentionally ended Martin's life. Whether you believe he did or not, is irrelevant, the evidence produced by the state made finding Zimmerman guilty of this all but impossible.

Manslaughter can be a lesser included charge of second degree murder, and the jury ultimately deliberated on manslaughter. However, I believe that manslaughter by culpable negligence was ruled by the judge not to be a lesser included offense due to the state attorney's focus on Zimmerman having intentionally killed Martin, and having failed to appropriately allege culpable negligence.

Here was the jury instruction on Manslaughter that the jury received:


Had the state appropriately charged Zimmerman with manslaughter through culpable negligence, they could have had an instruction to the effect of:


I think he's convicted with these instructions.

I think it's still an uphill battle, but definitely more feasible. Thanks, bruh. Roll Tide.

 

[Link]

Worse? He got away with murder, assaulting a police officer, and multiple accounts of domestic abuse, I would say his luck is pretty damn great.

That's more like it.

 

[vas_a_morir]

That's more like it.

Yeah, well nobody's luck lasts forever. He's addicted to guns like a pill fiend. His life would be a lot better if he just left that shit behind and bailed to Wyoming or somewhere

 

[Particle Physicist]

Sometimes jury's get it wrong, and oh boy, did they fuck up in ZimmerMan's case.

This guys story isn't going to end until someone else is dead - either himself or someone else.

All these stories seem to have that theme. Zimmerman threatens someone with his gun. I wonder if he did the same thing to Trayvon, which is what triggered the tussle

 

[Tansut]

This is the purest form of irony I've seen in quite some time.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/29/matthew-apperson-stand-your-ground_n_7472894.html

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

You see irony whereas, I expected it.

But how can you stand your ground in a moving car?


You can't explain that.

 

[zeemumu]

There must always be a "Stand Your Ground" King

 

[captive]

There must always be a "Stand Your Ground" King

Is it like highlander, there can be only one?

 

[mre]

This is the purest form of irony I've seen in quite some time.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/29/matthew-apperson-stand-your-ground_n_7472894.html

It might have been ironic if Zimmerman had used the stand your ground defense. This is more like "rain on your wedding day" sort of ironic.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

This is the purest form of irony I've seen in quite some time.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/29/matthew-apperson-stand-your-ground_n_7472894.html

Don't see it as Zimmerman didn't use Stand Your Ground as his defense, IIRC.

Edit: Covered already.

 

[zeemumu]

Is it like highlander, there can be only one?

Nah it's like the Flying Dutchman. It must always have a captain.

 

[Tansut]

Shit, I misremembered and kind of assumed he did use that defense. My bad.

 

[RPGCrazied]

This dude looks for trouble at this point. Does he have a family member in the supreme court or something? He keeps dodging the law.

 

[CrimzonSamurai]

This dude looks for trouble at this point. Does he have a family member in the supreme court or something? He keeps dodging the law.

I think you missed the article... Zimmerman actually didn't do anything this time.

 

[jmood88]

This dude looks for trouble at this point. Does he have a family member in the supreme court or something? He keeps dodging the law.

His dad is (or was) a judge.

 

[captive]

I think you missed the article... Zimmerman actually didn't do anything this time.

Other than stalking, road rage and brandishing his weapon at the same guy.

This article doesnt mention it, but there are others that describe the stalking.