The Murder of Trayvon Martin

[SOM]

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

I don't know about this. As I know it, Zimmerman was merely ACCUSED of domestic violence, never did he face charges or was convicted for domestic violence.

Originally Posted by knight_shadow

I read that Zimmerman and his ex both filed restraining orders against each other, citing domestic violence, but neither was charged.

ETA: PiKA2001 types faster than I do.

"This is the one that pertains to Mr. Zimmerman:
If you have been issued an injunction that is currently in force that restrains you from committing acts of
domestic violence or acts of repeat violence, you will be disqualified from eligibility until that injunction is
no longer in force.
Mr. Zimmerman had a charge of domestic violence and his ex-fiance took out a restraining order against him."
Had this rule of law been adhered to as it would have been for me or you, Mr. Martin would still be alive today.

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by SOM

"This is the one that pertains to Mr. Zimmerman:
If you have been issued an injunction that is currently in force that restrains you from committing acts of
domestic violence or acts of repeat violence, you will be disqualified from eligibility until that injunction is
no longer in force.
Mr. Zimmerman had a charge of domestic violence and his ex-fiance took out a restraining order against him."
Had this rule of law been adhered to as it would have been for me or you, Mr. Martin would still be alive today.

We were addressing the bold.

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by SOM

And on another note: There maybe reason(s) to wonder why Mr. Zimmerman was still even permitted to carry the gun that he used to kill Mr. Martin.
Mr. Zimmerman carried a loaded firearm on his person as he was “acting” as a neighborhood watch “Captain“. That is in direct violation of ALL neighborhood watch rules and regulations. Had Mr. Zimmerman obeyed the neighborhood watch rules and regulations, Mr. Martin would be alive today.

Mr. Zimmerman had a permit to carry a firearm. Mr. Zimmerman should never have been allowed to have a permit to carry based on Florida law for domestic abuse restraining orders:
DISQUALIFYING CRIMES: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
• If you have been convicted of a domestic crime of violence, you will be deemed ineligible unless you can
show proof of one of the following three conditions:
a) that you have received relief from federal firearms disabilities;
b) that you have received a presidential pardon; or,
c) that a court has sealed or expunged the record.
• If you have had adjudication of guilt withheld or imposition of sentence suspended on any misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, you will be INELIGIBLE for licensure UNLESS THREE YEARS HAVE ELAPSED SINCE PROBATION OR ANY OTHER COURT-IMPOSED CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN FULFILLED (or the record has been sealed or expunged).
This is the one that pertains to Mr. Zimmerman:
If you have been issued an injunction that is currently in force that restrains you from committing acts of
domestic violence or acts of repeat violence, you will be disqualified from eligibility until that injunction is
no longer in force.
Mr. Zimmerman had a charge of domestic violence and his ex-fiance took out a restraining order against him.
Had this rule of law been adhered to as it would have been for me or you, Mr. Martin would still be alive today.
http://theobamacrat.com/2012/04/11/t...rge-zimmerman/

I read that Zimmerman and his ex both filed restraining orders against each other, citing domestic violence, but neither was charged.

ETA: PiKA2001 types faster than I do.

[Senusret I]

WOW. Good info.

[SOM]

What the State and Federal groups have to sort through-how much evidence was really collected and is it in a form that can be brought to trail?
Trayvon Martin Case Spotlights Florida Town's History Of 'Sloppy' Police Work

SANFORD, Fla. -- In the summer of 2010, a masked man gunned down Ikeem Ruffin, 17, in an apartment complex on this city's north side. When police arrived, they found Ruffin dead and another teenager beside the body calling for an ambulance. The next day, police charged the teen with robbery and murder.
Prosecutors dropped the murder charge last August and said another man, still unidentified, pulled the trigger. Teresa Ruffin, the victim's mother, said the police overlooked important evidence -- including a witness who pointed to another suspect -- and allowed her son's killer to go free.
"They didn't do their job," Ruffin said of the police.
Ruffin, who is black, said she sees parallels between how Sanford police officers handled her son’s murder and how they investigated the killing of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed teenager shot to death Feb. 26 by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer who told police he acted in self-defense.
Police said they couldn't refute Zimmerman's claim and haven't arrested him, unleashing withering criticism over perceived missteps and favoritism.
"All this with Trayvon is just bringing the light on the Sanford Police Department," Ruffin said. "This happened for a reason."
Martin's killing has sparked national outrage. But it is not the first criminal investigation to upset Sanford's black community, whose leaders say police have repeatedly failed to properly investigate crimes involving black victims.
A string of recent scandals involving department personnel has added to community anger. In the past three years, officers have been caught demanding bribes from motorists, fabricating evidence and drawing weapons unlawfully.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1409277.html

[SOM]

Some interesting details and links within story:
Zimmerman Won't Walk Free Today
In a court appearance that lasted all of three minutes, George Zimmerman had his arraignment and bail hearing scheduled for May 29, and will stay in custody until then. According to the Associated Press, "Zimmerman stood up straight and wore a gray prison jumpsuit. He spoke only to answer "Yes, sir," after he was asked basic questions about the charge against him and his attorney. He entered no plea.
Zimmerman's attorney asked the judge to seal the documents in the case, but Judge Mark Herr reportedly said he would leave some parts of the files public, CBS Miami's Gio Benitez tweets. But they'll be sealed going forward, as ABC points out: "Zimmerman's attorney asked for future court files to be sealed. Both sides agreed. Think Progress tweeted that that decision was "likely to be challenged by news media."
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/natio...e-today/51072/

[DeltaBetaBaby]

In addition to the specific case, is there movement afoot to reconsider the "Stand Your Ground" law?

[SOM]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

In addition to the specific case, is there movement afoot to reconsider the "Stand Your Ground" law?

Yes-There is. At several levels and places. Even the FL state politicians who passed the law are saying that there are problems with it.
And matters goes all the way up to the NRA and The American Legislative Exchange Council, A/K/A: ALEC

[Kevin]

Also, those restraining orders don't really prove anything. He took one out against his ex as well. Does that mean she's automatically violent? Those things are often misused to do things like temporarily displace the other side to gain sole access to the house/apartment during a messy cohabitation breakup.

Only in cases where there is evidence presented and a finding found that one party should give up their guns does such a thing happen. Besides that, with all the folks out there wanting to crucify Zimmerman, as RC said, that'd be all over the place right now.

[SOM]

George Zimmerman and the Rush to Judgment
George Zimmerman faces charges of second-degree murder for fatally shooting Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla., on Feb. 26.
And though Zimmerman has yet to appear before a jury, many people, with little firsthand knowledge of the case, have already judged him guilty or not guilty.
Psychologists say this rush to judgment is part of being human, and we do it all the time. Think of Amanda Knox or former Rutgers student Dharun Ravi or even former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, arrested on charges -- later dismissed -- of sexually assaulting a New York hotel maid.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/george-...6#.T4gm6sh63To

[DrPhil]

Speaking of a rush to judgment, it is both predictable and cliche` that some (many?) of the people who urge against drawing conclusions regarding George Zimmerman were quick to judge in previous incidents and cases---such as Casey Anthony who was judged by many people from the beginning and after she was acquitted.

It just goes to show that people's level of patience and response tend to be based on what they deem important or what they deem an "emergency topic."

[PiKA2001]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Speaking of a rush to judgment, it is both predictable and cliche` that some (many?) of the people who urge against drawing conclusions regarding George Zimmerman were quick to judge in previous incidents and cases---such as Casey Anthony who was judged by many people from the beginning and after she was acquitted.

It just goes to show that people's level of patience and response tend to be based on what they deem important or what they deem an "emergency topic."

I disagree. I think this case is different than others in the sense of all of the misinformation and spin being put out by the "legitimate" media. I think its perfectly fine to draw conclusions once all of the facts are presented, but we aren't there yet in the Zimmerman/Martin case

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

I disagree. I think this case is different than others in the sense of all of the misinformation and spin being put out by the "legitimate" media.

I guess you missed all of the misinformation and spin from previous incidents and trials. Misinformation and spin are most likely to occur for incidents that garner public attention, sensitivity, and outrage. Es lo mismo.

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

I think its perfectly fine to draw conclusions once all of the facts are presented, but we aren't there yet in the Zimmerman/Martin case

"All of the facts" are never presented. And people didn't wait for "all of the facts" before rushing to judgment in previous incidents and cases.

[PiKA2001]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

I guess you missed all of the misinformation and spin from previous incidents and trials. Misinformation and spin are most likely to occur for incidents that garner public attention, sensitivity, and outrage. Es lo mismo.



"All of the facts" are never presented. And people didn't wait for "all of the facts" before rushing to judgment in previous incidents and cases.

True but there is a big difference between judging a case based on evidence and testimony presented during a trial (Anthony) and judging a case based on half assed reporting (Martin).

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

True but there is a big difference between judging a case based on evidence and testimony presented during a trial (Anthony) and judging a case based on half assed reporting (Martin).

Are you pretending that people waited for evidence and testimony to judge Casey Anthony? Read the GC threads.