[Kevin]

Originally Posted by Low C Sharp

Really -- so you don't think the fact that Zimmerman was finally charged had anything to do with the quieting down of attention?

Scenario 1: A man shot and killed an unarmed minor and walked away free without even a grand jury investigation. Scenario 2: A man shot and killed an unarmed minor, got charged with second-degree murder, and the justice system tries to determine what happened.

Scenario 1 is shocking, almost unprecedented. Scenario 2, unfortunately, happens every day in this country. Scenario 2 barely makes the local news unless the events were extra grisly. It's normal. This case (thanks to national media attention and general outrage) morphed from 1 to 2. Why should people pay equal attention before and after the change?

Scenario 1 happens quite a bit. It's neither shocking nor unprecedented. It's called prosecutorial discretion. That's probably why it took so long to charge. In murder cases, prosecutors aren't always going to charge a crime when they know the Defendant has a pretty solid defense.