The former neighborhood watch leader charged with fatally shooting Trayvon Martin told a judge Tuesday that he agrees with his defense attorneys’ decision not to seek an immunity hearing under the state’s “stand your ground” self-defense law.
Under questioning from Circuit Judge Debra Nelson, Zimmerman repeatedly said “yes” to a series of questions asking if he was aware he was giving up the right to a hearing before his second-degree murder trial in June. A judge would have sole discretion in an immunity hearing to decide if Zimmerman is exempt from culpability in the shooting. A jury would make the determination in the murder trial.
George Zimmerman’s trial is scheduled to begin on June 10th. Anybody think he’s actually going to walk away from this?
A Port Canaveral police sergeant was fired Friday after an internal investigation showed he offered other officers a target resembling Trayvon Martin to use for shooting practice.
Sgt. Ron King, a two-year veteran of the force of about 35 sworn officers, offered the target of a hoodie-wearing Trayvon at the range near Cocoa on April 4, Rosalind Harvey, a port spokeswoman, said Saturday.
The other officers, who were on duty, refused.
Much credit to the cops who turned down the officer’s offer. Also, WTF?
Lawyers acting for George Zimmerman, who shot dead the unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin on a Florida housing estate, have abandoned their attempt to have his murder charge thrown out on the grounds of self-defence.
Neighbourhood watch leader Zimmerman, 29, had been expected to claim immunity from prosecution at a hearing in April under the state’s stand-your-ground law, which allows for the use of deadly force when a person feels their life is in danger.
But in a surprise move, his lawyer, Mark O’Mara, told a judge that the defence would take its chances at Zimmerman’s trial in June for second-degree murder. He said he still intended to pursue the argument that his client was acting in self-defence in February 2012 under a violent onslaught from 17-year-old Martin.
To be clear, Zimmerman is maintaining his innocence, saying that the death of Trayvon Martin was an act of self-defense; however, he will now face a jury trial instead of potentially being granted immunity by Judge Debra Nelson. George Zimmerman’s trial is scheduled to begin on June 10, 2013.
From that day until now, I’m still in disbelief. I just feel like he’s away. He’s away. I mean, in actuality, I know that he’s not coming back. I’ve had people to die, pass away in my family. But the level that I’ve gone through with this is just, it just surpasses everything that I’ve been through. Not only because it was a sudden death. It was a minor. It was a teenager. It was a, you know, it was my baby.Sybrina Fulton • Discussing what her life has been like since losing her son, Trayvon Martin, to gun violence after a scuffle with Florida resident George Zimmerman turned deadly. With Zimmerman expected to begin trial later this year, Fulton sat down with the Washington Post to give an update on her life and day-to-day mentality after losing her son. Martin died one year ago this week. source
It’s not just local eyes that are looking. It’s the international eyes that are looking too. Sometimes you can fall weak and can’t stand upon your own feet to fight a battle, but people look at that battle and fight it for you. And that’s what happened in Sanford.Sanford, Fla. resident Shantree Hall • Discussing the international scrutiny her town has received in the year since 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was killed at the hands of George Zimmerman—a story which, in the past year, has become a key talking point for the issue of race in the United States. Martin died one year ago this week, with many of the circumstances around his death, including the Skittles he had just bought from a local convenience store and the hoodie he was wearing, becoming catalysts for public protests. In the year since the shooting, Sanford has slowly started to heal and recover from the months of public scrutiny that followed the case, but Zimmerman’s case is still pending in court with a trial date set for June.
Forensic tests made public Wednesday show that George Zimmerman’s was the only DNA that could be identified on the grip of the gun used to fatally shoot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
The results rule out Martin’s DNA from being on the gun’s grip. Zimmerman’s DNA also was identified on the gun’s holster, but no determination could be made as to whether Martin’s DNA was on the gun’s holster, according to the report from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
….
The question of whose DNA is on the gun and holster could play a role in Zimmerman’s defense.
Zimmerman says Martin had been on top of him, slamming his head against the ground and smothering his mouth and nose with his hand and arm when he grabbed his gun from a holster on his waist before Martin could get it. He shot the teenager once in the chest.
While this doesn’t prove anything, considering Zimmerman’s original story never said definitively whether or not Martin actually made contact with his holstered weapon, it certainly doesn’t look good for the man facing second-degree murder charges. George Zimmerman’s trial is expected to begin some time in 2013. source
Mark O’Mara, who is defending George Zimmerman against a second-degree murder charge in the fatal February shooting, said the traditional self-defense approach is appropriate because the facts suggest his client couldn’t retreat from a beating Martin was giving him.
Zimmerman’s attorneys had said last week that they would use Florida’s controverial “stand your ground” law, which allows people to use deadly force - rather than retreat - if they believe their lives are in danger.
“The facts don’t seem to support a ‘stand your ground’ defense,” O’Mara said.
“I don’t like ‘stand your ground’ because I’m not sure it’s a ‘stand your ground’ case,” O’Mara also said.
FOX: George Zimmerman breaks his silence on Trayvon Martin case
Worth noting that Zimmerman and Hannity had a prior relationship — while with his original lawyers, Zimmerman talked directly to the Fox News host, even though he wasn’t authorized to.
Everyone loved him and he made everyone happy. I knew that if I said anything he would just deny it.A woman referred to as “Witness 9” • Discussing sexual abuse allegations she made against George Zimmerman, who is currently facing trial in the shooting of Trayvon Martin. The victim, who is two years younger than Zimmerman, says that the incidents took place between the ages of 6 and 16, and she’s tried to block them out of her mind ever since. The witness also claimed that Zimmerman and his family showed prejudiced tendencies. The witness’ testimony came to light as part of an evidence release by Special Prosecutor Angela Corey. (Editor’s note: Audio of the testimony is available, but is very graphic; be advised. This post only touches basic details covered in the testimony.)
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Tumblr this morning. [h/t anne]
#@#$%!.tumblr.com
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There’s more where that came from: Trayvon Martin’s alleged killer has an online legal defense fund containing over $200,000. His initial bond was revoked due to Zimmerman and his wife lying to the court about how much money and assets the family actually had. (His wife was also arrested and charged for related reasons.) Notably, however, the influx of monetary support Zimmerman had upon his initial arrest has significantly slowed down — partly as a result of his original site being taken down and being replaced with this. Though Zimmerman has been released on bond, the conditions are much stricter this time around — he can’t open a bank account, go to an airport, or order a passport; he must wear an electronic monitor at all times; and he faces a tight curfew of 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily. source
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This video, which appears to have been shot shortly after the shooting (there’s a bandage on the back of Zimmerman’s head), shows Zimmerman explaining that he only fired on Martin when he felt that he was in serious danger. “I didn’t want him to keep slamming my head on the concrete so I kind of shifted,” he says in the clip. “But when I shifted my jacket came up…and it exposed my firearm. That’s when he said you are going to die tonight. He took one hand off my mouth, and slid it down my chest. I took my gun aimed it at him and fired.” The video was initially posted on the site for Zimmerman’s legal defense, but that site is currently extremely down this morning — too much traffic, perhaps? In related news, the Sanford, Fla. police chief was fired on Wednesday.
» A possible crime vs. a questionable statement: Some have strongly criticized the audio, which paints Zimmerman as possibly making a joke about something which some might find offensive. (Here’s one example.) But, while troubling, the real issue to keep an eye on here is the possible money laundering. There is evidence (in the form of bank records) that Zimmerman and his wife tried to transfer the money at totals below $10,000 in an effort to avoid scrutiny of the money his Web site raised. A possibly tasteless joke? Definitely not great on top of everything else this case has thrust forward. But, of what’s been presented today, it’ll be those financial transactions which will have a real impact in the weeks and months ahead. Keep an eye out.
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Jail audio from George Zimmerman case released: Beyond this moment between him and his wife, the transcripts show that the couple seem to be discussing how to transfer money from the Paypal account which Zimmerman set up for his legal case. Our pal Matthew Keys has been uploading transcripts from the jail audio all morning — you can read them in full over here.
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