Zimmerman/Martin trial in FL

[Lurker66]

My son is smart enough to keep on walking. And If he did end up face to face I doubt he'd be cracking somebody in the nose unless there was a good reson to defend himself.

Of course he is smart enough not to get in that situation and has had a CPL since he turned 21.. and learned to run a pistol way before that.

Some of you folks mus not deal with todays crop of young people. I have had... and have observed more that a few kids "throw" down at the least provocation against people they percieve as an annoyance. Us older folks were raised to respect authority... even if we were thinking "f- you" we took the grilling and left under our own steam.

There are two sides to this story... sadly lab data will tell most of one of the versions and those basic scientific facts lend some support to the surviors version of events.

perhaps TM was smart enough to keep on walking and tried.
Perhaps he was confronted face to face,
Perhaps when confronted by a total stranger with NO authority he cracked him in the nose.
Perhaps TM was defending himself, got the upper hand and was shot and killed by a stranger who was following him.

Im also one of them "older" folks that was taught to respect authority. If i knew you were in a position of authority, i would be respectful, but if you were stranger and you were following me, then confronted me, got loud, touched me or acted aggressive. I WOULD DEFINATLY GET THE FIRST PUNCH IN.
Thats what i was taught, to fight back. Thats what i taught my kids.

Sadly there are two sides of the story, NOTHING is fact yet, even the lab reports you claim lends some support to GZ.

The facts will come out at the trial, the facts will be disputed at trial, then a jury will decide.

 

[HackerF15E]

Also, did anyone see the interview between the lawyers in this case on the Today show this morning? Matt Lauer brought up the fact that the police has Zimmerman's text messages from that night and they would be released soon. And when Zimmerman's lawyer was asked about it he seemed pretty nervous about it to me. His attitude made me think there was something in those messages that he didn't like. I don't know, but I'll be interested to see what is on those text messages.

The biggest thing I got from that interview is that Ben Crump, the Martin family attorney, is planning on a civil suit regardless of what happens with the murder trial.

 

[Jefpainthorse]

The biggest thing I got from that interview is that Ben Crump, the Martin family attorney, is planning on a civil suit regardless of what happens with the murder trial.

and he will be pressing blood from a turnip. The only money to be had in this --- is a cut of the money coming on the TM trademark or the defense fund donations.

OJ Simpson lost his civil case... but he's too broke to pay off. The only folks who make out on this are Nancy Grace and her flock of psuedo media stars.

 

[Clay]

Pulling out a concealed weapon and shooting the boy because he was kicking your ass is not ok with me. It is a ***** move of the first order.

When a simple ass whippin turns into a life or death situation, you are justified in shooting. Ass whippins dont always end when one is down and out and obviously has lost. TM was bouncing GZ head on the concrete, that goes beyond ass whipping, thats life or death in my book. GZ was heard by witnesses hollering for TM to stop, conceding defeat and he wants no more. TM proceeded to attempt to kill GZ with his hands anyway. Was he trying to kill GZ? From the evidence I have seen thus far, I say yes.

 

[inactive]

cHis parents didnt do a good job or else he would have been in bed at the wee early morning hours he was shot in. ... He saw someone not where they should be at those times and stepped up. Police wouldnt come as he hadnt done anything yet they knew of, just out past cerfew. If Martin would have calmly went to Zimmerman and told him "Hey man Im just a kid wanting some candy at 3am and my parents dont care if I go wondering the streets at this time" Im sure Zimmerman would not have shot him. Instead he acted like a punk and thought he had a right to be there at 3am in a place that has had alot of crime durring those hours and gave a nieghborhood watch guy a bad time.

Umm... you realize he was shot on a public street at 7 in the evening?

 

[farmerbyron]

When a simple ass whippin turns into a life or death situation, you are justified in shooting. Ass whippins dont always end when one is down and out and obviously has lost. TM was bouncing GZ head on the concrete, that goes beyond ass whipping, thats life or death in my book. GZ was heard by witnesses hollering for TM to stop, conceding defeat and he wants no more. TM proceeded to attempt to kill GZ with his hands anyway. Was he trying to kill GZ? From the evidence I have seen thus far, I say yes.

Ditto.


The eyewitness testimony is what will determine the outcome of this case. If TM was on top of GZ beating him to death, it really doesn't matter how he got there.

 

[Clay]

Umm... you realize he was shot on a public street at 7 in the evening?

I've heard 3:00am, 10:00pm and now 7:00pm
What is the truth here. That should be a simple fact to find.

 

[inactive]

TM proceeded to attempt to kill GZ with his hands anyway. Was he trying to kill GZ? From the evidence I have seen thus far, I say yes.

What we don't know is if TM was using responsive force (up to and including deadly force) because GZ initiated a physical confrontation. I'm not disagreeing with your facts as presented, just noting there may be other aspects to the situation that vastly change the legality of force used by both parties, namely who initiated the gross physicality of the conflict. If it was GZ, then arguably (as everything is arguable) he can't claim justifiable self defense.

 

[Jefpainthorse]

I've heard 3:00am, 10:00pm and now 7:00pm
What is the truth here. That should be a simple fact to find.

a cursory recap of the media and stuff thats been relased so far... the kid was heading back for the NBA game on TV...it was twilight when it started... IIRc the scene was packed up 10 ish and they had GZ at the jail house before midnight.

I have never scene any indication that this was a late late night event.

 

[Clay]

What we don't know is if TM was using responsive force (up to and including deadly force) because GZ initiated a physical confrontation. I'm not disagreeing with your facts as presented, just noting there may be other aspects to the situation that vastly change the legality of force used by both parties, namely who initiated the gross physicality of the conflict. If it was GZ, then arguably (as everything is arguable) he can't claim justifiable self defense.

I dont see how this matters at all, with all due respect though:
If I confront you and initiate something by grabbing your arm, your ninja skilz turn out to be more than I have considered and you beat my ass to the ground. I start crying like a girl and I repeatedly concede defeat but you continue and move to more deadly tactics, bouncing my skull on the concrete, well, I'm going to shoot you if I can and I believe I am justified in doing so. Now up until the time you started play harlem globe trotters with my head, there was no reason for me to shoot you. You chose that action, not me. My bad for starting a non deadly confrontation, your bad for escalating it into one.