True, the facts of the cases are obviously different, but the court of public opinion --cable television, blogs, websites, is always open. Comparisons of the climates which surround the two cases have yielded interesting commentary, IMO. That and other elements will have interest for some and not for others. Still, I do not understand this request to fall silent until the gavel falls.



Regarding Anthony's guilt post acquittal/ Zimmerman...

Ok, that's your opinion and you have the ability to analyze and answer/rebut/ignore those posts based on your POV. Anyone does. But others will see things that are interesting, and worthy of comment, to them.

I feel some kind of way about the fact that in some quarters' there is a belief that there's been an "oversaturation" of media coverage of the Martin/Zimmerman case. I don't think there was such talk when the subject was Natalie Holloway, or Casey Anthony, seemingly 24/7?

We are all more individualistic media consumers than we were a generation ago and that will be reflected in the social media contributions we make, GreekChat included.

I wish this were true, but unfortunately, it's not. Public discourse and pretrial publicity are proven to influence juries in all sorts of cases, but particularly in "pop-culture" cases. We may not directly influence jurors, but we're adding to the public discourse, and not in a positive manner.

Hold yourself to a higher standard - just because we pop off all the time with inane and uninformed opinions doesn't mean it's something we should do in this instance. There's a difference between a trial and Pinterest, a distinction that is apparently being lost on some.

Well, if they were of a mind to accept your assertion that their posts represented "inventing or misinterpreting facts or just pure conjecture" that could be the case for some...

Not me.

So there's been no conjecture in this thread? Nobody has relied on "facts" out of context or without checking their veracity?

Bond hearing for Zimmerman set for April 20

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/nationa...#ixzz1rwDZ6z9U

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/20...svGgaM.twitter

And again, you continue to make the mistake the other poster makes -- that your opinions of what is "just and pure and right" should carry the day on what others post. They do not. Everyone can weigh and sift what they read and make a determination on what they accept. Your choices on what and when you add to the public discourse, and whether they are sufficiently positive are just that -- your choices. You do not get to make that choice for others.

I've appreciated and agreed with some of the points you've made upthread, and others I've disagreed with. Eh, that's how it goes in America.

You obviously have confidence in your ability to separate and weigh the information as presented. Perhaps you should have a bit more confidence in others' ability to do the same.

It may be interesting information, but is it reliable information? And if it is not, what is the value in passing it along?


Co-sign.

FYP.

That was brought up on GC (i.e., GCers hated Nancy Grace) and around the media world. But people who said "innocent until proven guilty," etc. were sometimes called meanies who have no compassion (and apparently the required anger) for a sweet little girl's tragic outcome.

There definitely has.

To my mind, this sounds like, essentially, the "EVERYBODY HAS A RIGHT TO THEIR OWN OPINION!" and/or "IT'S NOT RIGHT OR WRONG, IT'S THEIR OPINION!" notions, re-packaged for this thread.

Both are demonstrably false - opinions can be wrong, misplaced, uninformed, ill-gotten, and etc. and nowhere is opinion protected against reprisal in the public forum for being wrong/dumb/whatever. Knowing this is not a "mistake" - the mistake is thinking otherwise.

But either way, I'm not asking people to withhold making their own determinations. I'm asking them to refrain from idle speculation and wanton disregard for such standard practices as "fact-checking" and "responsible reporting."

Of course they are free to ignore that request. They have that choice. However, that choice has consequences, real-world consequences, which have been proven out by science - regardless of whether or not you think it matters.

Up until the post in question, I didn't even think this was up for debate.

Meet the Judge Who Drew George Zimmerman’s Case
The Florida judge assigned to George Zimmerman’s case is among the newest on the circuit court’s bench, but former colleagues and adversaries say Jessica Recksiedler’s previous life as a tough-as-nails trial lawyer and prosecutor makes her a good fit for what could be one of the highest-profile trials in recent memory.

After graduating Stetson University College of Law, she spent about two years as a state prosecutor in Florida’s Ninth Judicial Circuit, leaving for private practice in 1998. Judge Recksiedler, 39, was elected to the bench in 2010.

“Her main claim to fame is she knows her way around the courtroom,” said Paul Thompson, her former law partner at Thompson & Evangelo in Altamonte Springs, Fla.

Thompson’s firm handles insurance defense and personal injury cases, and Judge Recksiedler handled both during her time there.
http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2012/04/12/...mermans-case/#

Attorney for George Zimmerman seeks judge's recusal

Sanford neighborhood watch volunteers charged with second-degree murder
SANFORD, Fla. -
The attorney for George Zimmerman, who's charged with murder in the death of Trayvon Martin, said he will likely filing a motion for the judge to recuse herself from the case because of a possible conflict of interest.
During a 10-minute status hearing that was held Friday in Seminole County, attorney Mark O'Mara said the filing of the motion to have Circuit Court Judge Jessica Recksiedler removed may be "imminent."

O'Mara became Zimmerman's attorney after being recommended by attorney Mark NeJame, who was contacted by Zimmerman's family. Recksiedler's husband works at NeJame's law firm.
http://www.news4jax.com/news/Attorne...i/-/index.html

George Zimmerman judge: My husband works for a lawyer who'll do case commentary for CNN
SANFORD – The judge hearing the George Zimmerman case today announced that her husband works for the law firm of Mark NeJame, who's been hired to act as a CNN analyst for this case.

Circuit Judge Jessica Recksiedler said she had an ethical obligation to disclose that and allow Zimmerman's attorney or the special prosecutor to ask her to step down.

No one's made that request yet, but Zimmerman's attorney, Mark O'Mara, said that's an issue that worries him and next week he may ask her to give the case to another judge.

The judge scheduled the 10-minute hearing on her own, specifically to tell attorneys about the issue.

Zimmerman did not appear. Neither did the attorneys, who were tied into the courtroom by phone.

When Zimmerman and his family were looking for a lawyer, O'Mara told the judge, they talked to NeJame and even signed paperwork. NeJame, however, decided he'd rather be a case analyst for CNN, O'Mara said.
http://www.cltv.com/news/os-george-z...,3434387.story

Yes, you're absolutely right. No one made any assumptions about Casey Anthony prior to her trial. Seriously, no one talked about the case at all. It totally happened in a vacuum.

Of course, it's pretty near impossible to put a sweet looking dead toddler on trial in the court of public opinion, so perhaps the character attacks on a teenager who is not here to defend himself are included the "half-assed reporting" you're referring to in the Martin case.

I think one of the concerns that TonyB06 is raising is "why now?" Of course, the answer to that is "we can't change everything but we can change this."

However, it goes back to what I was saying in previous posts. Consistency in "no rush to judgment" and "(public /media/legal treatment of) innocent until proven guilty" gives those more credibility rather than it being perceived as subjective. I do remember, for example, those Casey Anthony threads.

The Zimmerman Circus: The Latest from LIONEL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVyASDWnKsY

And yes, Lionel is a radio personality. He also has a rather interesting back-story:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_...personality%29
http://lionelmedia.com/
He is also a Brother of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.