Well . . . in less than two weeks we should have some sort of answers on what really happened in the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman case. The Grand Jury will likely hear it -- and then all the clatter should begin to dissipate -- and real facts be revealed. Some of the things that were evident to me from the beginning was that information was being slanted -- that's not unusual in these type cases. You saw a photo of Trayvon that was obviously taken at a younger age. We now know he was over six foot, and on TV they said he was on the varsity football team. Facts that matter, if true. We also have a witness report that Zimmerman was on the concrete being pounded. Again -- I need to have that verified -- but a very important fact. And again . . . there is some hint that Trayvon approached Zimmerman in the end -- not the other way around. All things that need to be verified. However, I can tell you that if Zimmerman was getting his head pounded into the pavement -- I handled a second degree murder case just like that when I was a young prosecutor -- and the guy who I was prosecuting was the guy doing the pounding. The other guy died from the head injuries. So yeah -- if that's what happened -- it can be a life or death situation.
Last, but not least. I don't know how you can try to defend someone you've never met -- but an interview on today's NBC Saturday "Today Show" with Zimmerman's attorneys establishes that all the contact with him has been by one of the attorneys -- totally by phone. Not a great way to do things -- but possibly because Zimmerman waited too long to get an attorney involved -- and had fled the area? Again -- I don't know. What I do know is that getting Hal Uhrig involved in the case as part of the legal team was a smart move. You could see the difference as soon as he came in.
So . . . the misinformation and second-guessing continues. Still nothing of substance for the public to really know what happened. Only emotions.
However -- let me clarify one thing -- if Trayvon Martin is approaching Zimmerman -- it's not "Stand Your Ground". Why? Because it appears Zimmerman did not pull out the firearm until he was on the ground. Thus, if he used self defense -- it occurred at a point where there's no place to go, anyway. (of course -- that's also a pure guess on my part -- but a guess I think will play out). A legal point missed on the TV interview with the lawyers, this morning.
Can't anyone get this law right?
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There's a school across the street from the gated community in Sanford, FL where Zimmerman fatally shot that Trayvon kid.
ReplyDeleteCould Zimmerman be guilty of a Federal felony (the Gun Free School Zone Act) even though he has a Florida concealed weapons license, and was on private property at the time?
No. He was definitely lawfully where he had a right to be under both Florida and Federal law. Page 169 of the 7th edition.
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