a very thorough look at the facts and some predictions:

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/03/trayvon-martins-killer-was-looking-for-trouble-and-found-it/254815/

3/21/2012 1:11:11 PM

Quote :

"Shooting a police dog is a criminal act Shooting a black kid isn't though Signed, Sanford Police & wdprice3"

oh grow up. you know that's bullshit

3/21/2012 1:16:37 PM

When something happens in a gated community in Sanford Florida, nothing happens.

It's just anotha nigga dead...dead...dead...dead...dead...dead...

3/21/2012 1:19:36 PM

ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass.......

3/21/2012 1:23:38 PM

I believe that Zimmerman had every intent on shooting to kill and had his mind made up well in advance. The fucked up part is that he will get off on the semantics of the written law and how some numbskull FL juror will interpret it.

ATTN Child killers! Go to Florida! You can kill children and get away with it. First Casey Anthony, next George Zimmerman!


LOL, Florida.

3/21/2012 1:26:41 PM

From Str8BacardiL's link on last page
http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/20/opinion/toobin-trayvon-martin/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

Quote :

"Does Florida law let killers go free? (CNN) -- Trayvon Martin went out to buy some Skittles -- and was shot dead before he made it home. The case is horrifying, maddening, grotesque. And -- perhaps worst of all -- there may be nothing Florida law enforcement can do about it. As the world now knows, the 17-year-old Martin walked to a store in Orlando to buy some snacks on the night of February 26. George Zimmerman, a volunteer Neighborhood Watch captain, thought the boy looked suspicious and called 911. The 911 operator told Zimmerman to keep his distance -- police would be sent -- but there was a confrontation between Zimmerman and Martin. Martin was killed with a single shot to the chest. Florida authorities have not arrested Zimmerman, and federal authorities recently joined the investigation. The legal question at the heart of the case involves Florida's so-called "stand your ground" law, which the legislature passed, at the behest of the National Rifle Association, in 2005. Before that time, Florida law resembled that of most other states; during confrontations, individuals had a duty to retreat rather than to respond to provocations. Under the new law, a person is allowed to use deadly force if he is in a place he has a right to be and feels reasonably threatened with serious harm. In this case, then, the question is whether Zimmerman was in such a place and felt reasonably threatened. The 911 operator told Zimmerman to keep his distance from Martin, but Zimmerman had a right to be on the street. That's where neighborhood watch volunteers work. Clearly, the question at the heart of the case is whether Zimmerman reasonably felt threatened. On this issue, the evidence currently seems murky. There appears to have been some sort of confrontation between Zimmerman and Martin. Police found Zimmerman with an injury to his head. Most important -- and most tragic -- the police will hear only one side of the story about this confrontation. Trayvon is not around to tell his story. The continuing investigation will surely focus on finding other witnesses. The facts of this case show why the "stand your ground" law is so important. The law focuses on the subjective understanding of the shooter. Was his understanding of the situation "reasonable"? Ultimately, that would be a question for the jury to decide, but it still gives a lot of deference to the perpetrator of a violent act. The new law even allows a disproportionate response; if someone comes at you with a fist, you can reply with a gun. In light of the shift in the law, it's not surprising that since the law went into effect, reports of justifiable homicides have tripled, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Another case under litigation in Florida highlights the effect of the law. In September 2010, David James was playing basketball with his 8-year-old daughter on an outdoor court in Valrico. A boy was skateboarding on the court at the same time, and Trevor Dooley, a man who lived in the area, told the boy he shouldn't be skateboarding there. James stood up for the boy, and he and Dooley had a confrontation. Dooley was carrying a gun and wound up shooting James dead. Dooley asserted that he felt threatened by James, and has asked that the case be dismissed before trial under the "stand your ground" law. (The judge will soon make a ruling.) In both of these cases -- in the deaths of both James and Martin -- the legal defense for the shooters appears to rely almost completely on the "stand your ground" law. In the death of David James, prosecutors are doing their best against tough odds. In the death of Trayvon Martin, it's prosecutors who are taking the heat for failing, thus far, to bring any charges against George Zimmerman. But this outrage, understandable though it is, might be directed somewhere else as well. The Florida legislators who voted for the "stand your ground" law -- and Gov. Jeb Bush, who signed it -- have something to answer for as well."

3/21/2012 1:27:13 PM

Quote :

"In light of the shift in the law, it's not surprising that since the law went into effect, reports of justifiable homicides have tripled, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. "

Ugh. Stupid law.

3/21/2012 1:34:00 PM

Quote :

" oh grow up......"

Know who will never have a chance to grow up? Trayvon Martin.

3/21/2012 1:35:05 PM

3/21/2012 1:36:16 PM

Don't be white at night

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/2534527/

3/21/2012 1:50:04 PM

In all seriousness, what type of precedent is this setting?

Shoot someone
Make sure to kill him good, so that he can't refute anything you're saying; and make sure there aren't any witnesses
Claim self defense under the Stand Your Ground law.




^ awesome, so do you automatically assume her killers were acting in self defense, or....?

[Edited on March 21, 2012 at 1:54 PM. Reason : l]

3/21/2012 1:51:44 PM

Nah, I assume it's not safe for white people to be outside at night.

3/21/2012 2:00:01 PM

lol clearly wdprice3 is not a racist who defends concealed carriers to the point of delusion

clearly

3/21/2012 2:01:49 PM

Its amusing to see wdprice3 attempting to save face. Carry on please...

3/21/2012 2:02:02 PM

wdprice3: but why isn't there a W.E.T?

3/21/2012 2:03:28 PM

A black guy just walked by. I've got my firearm ready.

3/21/2012 2:05:01 PM

you liberals sure are vindictive and blood thirsty

3/21/2012 2:07:17 PM

sucks that an otherwise good law is going to be used as this dbag's out....clearly not the intent of that statute

3/21/2012 2:13:11 PM

He's gonna try to use it as his out. It's not gonna work.

3/21/2012 2:19:28 PM

How could he prove that he felt reasonably threatened with serious harm if the little 140 pound kid didn't even have any weapons, and there if proof the kid was screaming "help" until Zimmerman shot him? He can't hide behind that law, as stupid as that law is.

3/21/2012 2:32:14 PM

Guns don't kill people, skittles kill people

3/21/2012 2:35:32 PM

^^, ^^^ - You'd be surprised. Florida jurors, LOL.

3/21/2012 2:39:42 PM

Quote :

"sucks that an otherwise good law is going to be used as this dbag's out....clearly not the intent of that statute"

The intent of the law was to increase gun sales for the companies who are associated with the NRA.

Just like the Arizona anti-immigration law was actually written and funded by for-profit prisons.



You think these laws are designed to protect you? Hahahaha, fuck you, you're nobody. The laws are written and designed to increase profits for corrupt corporations.

[Edited on March 21, 2012 at 2:45 PM. Reason : ]

3/21/2012 2:41:24 PM

I think some people are overlooking the fact that this could have just been a big accident or misunderstanding. I'm not saying it was, but its a possibility.

Sure, this Zimmerman guy doesn't seem like the most upstanding citizen, and he took his role of neighborhood watch guy a little to seriously, but that doesn't change the fact that according to police reports, there had been a rash of break-ins and crime in the gated community.

Now, lets look at the night this happened. Zimmerman is out on "patrol". It's raining and most people are going to be indoors. Now, he spots someone in a hoodie out in the rain. At first appearance, based on the time and rainy conditions its possible the person he sees is up to something, especially since Zimmerman knows there has been a little crime wave in the neighborhood. Nothing reasonable about this assumption so far.

So, Zimmerman calls 911 to report what he sees and is following the kid at this point in his car. Notice I said follow, not chasing. Now, according to Zimmerman, and Trayvon's GF, Trayvon notices someone following him in the car, acting suspicious. This person is Zimmerman. Perhaps Trayvon was up to a little no good before and had thrown some rocks at something, or smashed a bottle in someones driveway and thinks its the cops at first so he starts to walk a little faster but probably realizes that its not the cops and since Trayvon lives in the neighborhood and is also aware of the recent crime wave, thinks its someone that is up to no good and is following him to cause him harm or whatever. People aren't going to just start fleeing the scene for no reason just because a car gets behind them going slow.

So at this point, both Zimmerman AND Trayvon think they are seeing someone up to no good. Zimmerman thinks he is following a criminal and Trayvon thinks he is being followed by a criminal. Notice at no point does Zimmerman make contact with the kid verbally while following him while he is on the phone with 911, so Trayvon has no clue who this person is. For all he knows it's someone that has just followed him from the store where he just came from. Maybe he has some beef with someone at school or whatever.

So, Trayon makes the decision at this point to start to try and get away from this person because he fears for his safety. So he runs. Zimmerman, thinking that it is a criminal trying to get away, chases after him. If Zimmerman had been the cops instead, they also would have chased after Trayvon at this point too. I've seen countless episodes of COPS where someone will start running at the sight of the patrol car, and the cops pursue without even knowing why the person is running. When someone starts to flee like that there is usually a reason. In this case, Trayvon thinks he is being chased/followed by a criminal or someone after him. Zimmerman, not wanting to let another neighborhood criminal get away, goes after him.

Then it sounds like Trayvon ran into a dead end area, and Zimmerman caught up with him. So, at this point, Zimmerman is trying to apprehend what he thinks is a criminal until the cops can get there, and Trayvon thinks the bad person has caught up with him so he is going to try and defend himself. So, Zimmerman thinks the criminal is trying to fight him in order to get away and it is safe to say at this point is probably fearful for his safety, even if he is bigger than the guy. Someone is screaming for help, and we don't know for sure who it was. Perhaps it's the kid screaming for help, perhaps its Zimmerman seeking help in detaining the "criminal".

We don't know what exactly happened, but we already know that Trayvon had his cell phone in his hand. Zimmerman could have seen it, or Trayvon could have been reaching for it to try and call for help. Now given the rainy conditions, and the fact that its night and the chaos of the moment, its not to ridiculous to think that Zimmerman thought Trayvon had a gun and chose to defend himself.



People are acting like the guy was just driving by, saw some black kid in his neighborhood and shot him drive by style. While the guy is obviously a giant douche, I do believe in my opinion that the guy thought he was doing the right thing at the time, felt threatened for reasons I listed, and killed the kid in a mass confusion of adrenaline and fear. When two people think that the other one is the bad guy and is trying to harm them, its usually not going to end well.


Now the media and others don't want to see this as a possibility because its not news. They want to turn it into a hate crime where a kid armed with Skittles was gunned down by a Nazi.



[Edited on March 21, 2012 at 2:48 PM. Reason : .]

3/21/2012 2:42:31 PM

Disregard Florida antics, it's not gonna work. Kid's on the phone and says a guy is following him and he is trying to get away.

3/21/2012 2:44:28 PM

Quote :

"ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass......."

obviously not a fan of NWA

3/21/2012 2:46:31 PM

tacolu, please stop your rational thought process immediately - the poor kid was eating SKITTLES for God's sake

[Edited on March 21, 2012 at 2:49 PM. Reason : D=S]

3/21/2012 2:48:56 PM

I'm not saying this guy shouldn't be allowed to own a gun, but I cannot see how this guy can NOT go to jail. He definitely deserves AT LEAST that. But my faith in humanity, especially the south, is so so low.

3/21/2012 2:52:19 PM

Tacolu, if that happened, Zimmerman should have to prove it in court. Also, it doesn't explain the police misconduct. The killer should be arrested.

3/21/2012 2:54:50 PM

Quote :

"tacolu, please stop your rational thought process immediately"

haha how did you get this out of tacolu's post? it's full of made up assumptions, and several parts don't coincide with any version of the story, including zimmerman's account

3/21/2012 2:55:01 PM

What parts don't coincide?

I haven't heard all the accounts he has given.

I was just throwing that situation out to show how things could have gone down. From all the stuff I've read/heard it doesn't sound impossible.

3/21/2012 3:02:27 PM

I didn't read tacolu's post because it was too long and that guy is an idiot, but....can it be turned into a t-dub meme??

3/21/2012 3:08:23 PM

holy hell he wrote a book.

No where in Florida statutes does it saying walking while black in a white neighborhood is legal. This kid broke the law and got busted.

3/21/2012 3:11:25 PM

^^lol why am I an idiot?

3/21/2012 3:14:04 PM

Quote :

"haha how did you get this out of tacolu's post? it's full of made up assumptions"

I'm not sure how accurate the story was but it just illustrated that we don't know the details yet - anything could have happened - and I'm trying to not PREJUDGE a man who has yet to be arrested

3/21/2012 3:16:17 PM

^Exactly

3/21/2012 3:16:49 PM

Zimmerman's only defense is the "stand your ground" law which does not even apply to his case, so unless there is corruption that we don't see, the guy is going to prison for at least 2nd degree manslaughter

3/21/2012 3:17:40 PM

has the phone conversation Martin was having with his friend during this been released yet?

3/21/2012 3:21:32 PM

^the kid was interviewed, but I haven't seen the actual transcript or anything.

Quote :

"“Why are you following me?” with Zimmerman replying, “What are you doing around here?”"

I also read this from the article

Quote :

""It’s really sad that he's already been convicted in the public media and has already been sentenced to the gas chamber,” Taaffe said. “Let's let justice do its job.""

I so agree that the media always gets too involved (ex: Casey Anthony). But what would you have done if your son was killed in this manner and the shooter did not have to go to jail. Obviously FA has different laws, so to the rest of the country I am guessing this seems insane.

[Edited on March 21, 2012 at 3:26 PM. Reason : .]

3/21/2012 3:22:19 PM

Quote :

"has the phone conversation Martin was having with his friend during this been released yet?"

LOL you are joking right?

3/21/2012 3:23:16 PM

Quote :

"and I'm trying to not PREJUDGE a man who has yet to be arrested"

That's for a jury to decide. The cops have more than enough reason to arrest him.

3/21/2012 3:24:51 PM

IT WENT A LITTLE LIKE THIS

HELP HELP HELP HELP POW POW POW POW FLOCKA gargling noises and then silence

3/21/2012 3:24:55 PM

Why the fuck would I be joking? I know she didn't hear the gunshot because the phone went dead just before but it would let us know if he was really causing the ruckus.

3/21/2012 3:26:55 PM

Quote :

"has the phone conversation Martin was having with his friend during this been released yet?"

I mean seriously, I hope you are joking, but I know you're not.

It amazes me how out of touch some people are with reality and how things work.

You honestly believe that every single cell phone call made is recorded and can be recalled at any time?

Really????

3/21/2012 3:27:40 PM

^it amazes me how many sleuths come out with their expert opinions in message boards when there is a media sensationalized court case. They see the opportunity to be condescending and take it.




look out, this guy is smart!

[Edited on March 21, 2012 at 3:31 PM. Reason : .]

3/21/2012 3:29:49 PM

ahhhh...I know all phones don't have recored devices but that girl's testimony is valid.

[Edited on March 21, 2012 at 3:31 PM. Reason : they were talking about it on On Point last night.]

3/21/2012 3:29:59 PM

^^Well considering that she thinks every phone call is recorded and is stored somewhere so it can be accessed at any time is just god damn fucking ridiculous.

Quote :

"ahhhh...I know all phones don't have recored devices but that girl's testimony is valid."

Hers is just as valid as Zimmermans.

She can basically say whatever she wants since her BF is dead and not around to verify it. She could say that she heard Zimmerman say "I'm going to kill your little nigger ass just for being black" and all Zimmerman has to say is "No I didn't" and there is really no way to prove whether he did or didn't. So in the eyes of the law, it didn't happen.

3/21/2012 3:35:06 PM

Quote :

"but it just illustrated that we don't know the details yet "

This is what wdprice3 said earlier. Now that more details keep coming out, he's pretty much shut up (to the extent that he can).

Now for some reason you guys keep reaching for more and more stuff. The more stuff that comes out, the worse it keeps looking for the fat, wanna-be cop.

3/21/2012 3:35:52 PM

Quote :

"She can basically say whatever she wants since her BF is dead and not around to verify it"

So can Zimmerman.

3/21/2012 3:36:17 PM

Quote :

"^it amazes me how many sleuths come out with their expert opinions in message boards when there is a media sensationalized court case"

It's not an opinion, its a fact that every phone call made is not recorded and stored for the cops to access whenever it's needed.

^Exactly my point. So when there are no witnesses they just can't arrest the guy for what the think might have happened. They really can't prove that Zimmerman wasn't acting in self defense, as he claims, at this point.



[Edited on March 21, 2012 at 3:38 PM. Reason : .]

3/21/2012 3:36:26 PM