The Trayvon Martin Case

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TheAccountant

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And would you stop and answer a question of what you were doing in a neighborhood asked by a total stranger with no legal authority?
Which is harder and most likely to be fatal:

"Hey man, I'm just walking home from the store. My dad lives a few houses down at [address]" or initiate a physical altercation inflicting injuries to the nose and back of head of said stranger and so-called "cracker"?

In my youth, I answered plenty of questions about what I was up to in the neighborhood or in the woods. It's not hard and I certainly never thought about attacking anyone.
 
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RollTideMang

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Which is harder and most likely to be fatal:

"Hey man, I'm just walking home from the store. My dad lives a few houses down at [address]" or initiate a physical altercation inflicting injuries to the nose and back of head of said stranger and so-called "cracker"?

In my youth, I answered plenty of questions about what I was up to in the neighborhood or in the woods. It's not hard and I certainly never thought about attacking anyone.
Not defending TM's actions at all (I'm of the belief that GZ is innocent in this one), but most kids these days are brought up with fear instilled in them. i.e. "Don't talk to strangers". While this is mainly meant for very young children, the message sticks with some kids until adulthood. It's definitely a lot easier to look at this from the outside and say why didn't they just talk about it, but things become a lot different when some guy is following you. I can say that I would have have probably been scared had some guy been tailing me in his car when I was 17. I would have ran as fast as I could too to get away.

While it may also be just as easy to ask "why didn't TM just call the police?", I have noticed that a lot of black people are taught not to trust the police.
 

Bodhisattva

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When I moved into my apartment, I got locked out of the main building and had to walk around a while to try and find an entrance. At some point, a lady tapped me on the shoulder and ask what I was doing. It was difficult, but I refrained from knocking her down, breaking her nose, smashing her head into the ground, and telling her she was going to die tonight.
Was she a weird arse cracka?
 

TheAccountant

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... I would have ran as fast as I could too to get away.

While it may also be just as easy to ask "why didn't TM just call the police?", I have noticed that a lot of black people are taught not to trust the police.
Trayvon and Zimmerman probably wish that he decided to run away that night instead of initiating a physical altercation.
 

Bamaro

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Trayvon and Zimmerman probably wish that he decided to run away that night instead of initiating a physical altercation.
Again, we dont know for sure who initiated it. My best guess would be TM but GZ cant be ruled out completely especially considering his previous arrest for assaulting an undercover officer (charge subsequently reduced to a misdemeanor) 8 years ago.
 

Tide1986

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No way she should allow that in my view. The defense should know from the beginning what they are up against. To add it now would be bad news, and it would send a message to the jury that they could split the baby and go that way. The only way I could see it is if they could already find him guilty of the lesser charge, and even then I would say no.
I agree...it'd be encouragement for the jury to find him guilty. I hope she doesn't allow the addition of the charge.
 

Tide1986

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Thanks for posting this. I've been waiting to hear from Chief Lee. I'm wanting a "not guilty" verdict for his benefit too.

One of his greatest regrets, he said, is that the Zimmerman investigation ultimately shattered his childhood dream to be police chief of the community where he was raised.

"It's a dream of a vision that is going to be unrealized," he said. "I'm at peace with it on most days. I'm a man of faith. But it stings."
 

bamacon

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No way she should allow that in my view. The defense should know from the beginning what they are up against. To add it now would be bad news, and it would send a message to the jury that they could split the baby and go that way. The only way I could see it is if they could already find him guilty of the lesser charge, and even then I would say no.
Corey KNEW EXACTLY what she was doing when she settled on 2nd degree murder. It was a nearly impossible bar to meet given the evidence. If the judge does this it will be an absolute shame. If they had wanted a good chance of SOME type of conviction they could have gone with a much lesser charge from the beginning. ALLLLL of this circus has been politically driven.


This tells me that the prosecution thinks they have ZERO shot on the charge of 2nd Deg. murder.
 

Al A Bama

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I may have missed it somewhere along the line on the number of jurors.

Why are there only 6 jurors in this major trial (apparently 6 official jurors and 3 alternates)? I thought with a major case like this there would be 12 jurors.

Now, I have served on a 6 jury case but it was a very minor case. I have served on many 12 juror cases.
With 2nd Degree Murder, I don't understand this.

Is this just part of Florida law that on a major case like murder, you only need 6 jurors?
 

Bazza

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I may have missed it somewhere along the line on the number of jurors.

Why are there only 6 jurors in this major trial (apparently 6 official jurors and 3 alternates)? I thought with a major case like this there would be 12 jurors.

Now, I have served on a 6 jury case but it was a very minor case. I have served on many 12 juror cases.
With 2nd Degree Murder, I don't understand this.

Is this just part of Florida law that on a major case like murder, you only need 6 jurors?
Yes Al - all Florida criminal trials have only 6 jurors.

Less expensive!
 

Relayer

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For those of you who wish to get an objective understanding of the wide-ranging issues involved in the "Trevon" Martin case, here is your opportunity. Offered for your consideration, from George Mason University, Sociology and Anthropology...

http://soan.gmu.edu/courses/1844/course_sections/13174

SOCI 395-005:
Race&Politics, Trevon Martin — Rutledge M Dennis
04:30 PM to 07:10 PM W — Krug Hall 210
 

bamacon

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Here's a link with Florida's aggravated assault punishments and explanations since that may be allowed in jury instructions:

http://www.criminaldefenselawyer.co...minal-offense/florida-aggravated-assault-laws

Hope it isn't allowed but my guess is the judge will want an out. She will bow down to the "we want a guilty verdict whatever it may be or we will destroy this town race hustling crowd" as opposed to telling the prosecution "you wanted 2nd and you got it".
 
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