George Zimmerman to be charged in Trayvon Martin shooting, official says
Florida special prosecutor Angela Corey plans to announce as early as Wednesday afternoon that she is charging neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in the shooting of Trayvon Martin, according to a law enforcement official close to the investigation.
It was not immediately clear what charge Zimmerman will face.
[...]
Corey told reporters Tuesday night that she would hold a news conference about the case within 72 hours. A news release from her office said the event will be held in Sanford or Jacksonville, Fla.
I’ll believe it when it happens. I don’t want to speculate right now, but y’all feel free to go ahead. Just remember – the standard of proof for filing charges is probable cause. The standard for convictions is beyond a reasonable doubt.
UPDATE:
CNN reports that Zimmerman is in custody (voluntary surrender) and has retained an new attorney named Mark O’Meara
Presser with Angela Corey:
“Blah, blah, blah, we worked hard blah, blah, we’re wonderful people blah, blah, blah, today we filed an information charging George Zimmerman with murder in the second degree blah blah blah.”
Filed under: Uncategorized
WAPO and NBC say charges being brought against him. Press conference at 6:00pm EST. Sanford Police Department say they do not know anything about it.
My question is still, where in this country could be get a fair trial. The Jury Pool has to have been tainted by all the carrying on over this case
Srsly.
Helen — I totally agree. Who can be impartial at this point? Perhaps a professional will.
OT, but WOW. New Quinnipiac poll out, and NJ Gov. Christie’s approval rating at 59%. For a budget-slasher in true blue New Jersey, that’s incredible. Mittens might want to take another look at the Big Man for VP.
http://twitchy.com/2012/04/11/washington-post-zimmerman-to-be-charged-in-the-trayvon-case/
The twitter lynch mob is already out in full force
They already have him dead in jail.
Best comment I’ve seen on Zimmerman charged:
“I am relieved Zimmerman will be tried under evidentiary standards somewhat more robust than those of cable news”
Alan Dershowitz’s (not one of my favorite attorneys, but…) take on the case is probably as good as anyone’s.
“On the basis of the evidence currently in the public record, one likely outcome of the case against George Zimmerman is a mixed one: There may be sufficient evidence for a reasonable prosecutor to indict him for manslaughter, but there may also be doubt sufficient for a reasonable jury to acquit him.
All she needs in order to indict is probable cause that a crime has been committed. A jury that ultimately decides whether the defendant is guilty needs much more: proof beyond a reasonable doubt. But what if a prosecutor concludes that there is both probable cause and a reasonable doubt?
That is the nightmare scenario that this prosecutor may well face. In ordinary circumstances, most prosecutors would not bring such a case, because it would be a waste of resources to indict someone who will probably be acquitted. But this is anything but a run-of-the-mill case.
Moreover, the Florida statute provides an additional layer of protection to a defendant claiming self-defense: A judge must decide whether the defendant is “immune from prosecution,” that is, if the judge believes his actions fall under the law of self-defense.
So the following mixed outcome is certainly possible: The special prosecutor indicts; the judge does or doesn’t grant immunity; if he doesn’t, the jury acquits.
Many people would be unhappy with such a mixed outcome, but it is not the job of the law to make people happy.”
http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/10/opinion/dershowitz-trayvon-prosecutor-nightmare/index.html?eref=rss_us
they still keep showing the picture of martin when he was about 12years old and zimmerman looking like a criminal in an orange jumpsuit. Oh yeah that will not create a biased image in people’s mind.
I just wish they would show the latest picture of the kid and one of zimmerman in something besides an orange jump suit.
Twitter going nuts over new report out that WH pays its women employees 18% less than men.
Conservative women and a few brave liberal women are sticking it to the Whitehouse with a vengeance. Good.
bout danged time.
George Zimmerman’s arrest is expected soon, official with knowledge of the investigation tells @AP
New Black Panther Party Chief of Staff Interview
“In an online interview this week, Michelle Williams spoke openly of her frustration with what she calls the massive racial problem in this country, especially over the Trayvon Martin case. She admits that her sadness over the case was overwhelming and that she spoke harshly during the online segment.
Her words were not taken lightly and were replayed Tuesday morning by nationally syndicated radio talk show host Bubba the Love Sponge.
Michelle said during the interview, “Let me tell you, the things that’s about to happen, to these honkeys, these crackers, these pigs, these pink people, these —- people. It has been long overdue. My prize right now this evening … is gonna be the bounty, the arrest, dead or alive, for George Zimmerman. You feel me?”
http://www.wtsp.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=1555874635001
My guess is that George Zimmerman is somewhere within about 30 miles of where I am right now. He is probably either in the Manassas Virginia area or in South America.
OT: Best. Advertising. Stunt. EVER.
good ad
have you seen the ads for direct tv?? the consequences of not having direct tv. Some of the best ads and very funny
#TrayvonMartin’s parents are in #Sanford, Fl. with Rev. Al Sharpton, waiting for 6 p.m. news conference. #GeorgeZimmerman
funny how couldn’t quite make it in time for Easter as promised, but he can be there now to get his mug in front of the camera
myiq
is this near you????
http://www.kcra.com/weather/30875688/detail.html
about an hour north
It got kinda lively around here for a while.
Video: Decision in the Trayvon Martin case
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/msnbc.com/47018080#47018080
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/04/11/Holder-Sharpton-Trayvon
this is sickening and so NOT what justice should be
http://www.businessinsider.com/george-zimmerman-criminal-charges-decision-2012-4?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+businessinsider+%28Business+Insider%29
the is the latest update that I have seen
2nd degree murder and already in custody
someone mentioned the other day that unless he was arrested there could be no civil suit. Does this mean now he could be sued???
Presser with Angela Corey: Blah blah blah
Pray for the prosecution team….wow.
North Korea picked a bad day to try and grab attention in the US media.
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/04/official-north-korea-missile-launch-expected-in-next-24-to-48-hours/
Shep Smith said the launch can go anytime now. Yikes.
Watched the new conference. She laid it on thick about the purity of the wonderful Martin family and the “murder” victim, etc. I’d say Zimmerman is about to by lynched. The sharks are out. It’s hard to believe he will get a fair trial.
“Alibi” is not an affirmative defense.
She said it is. So I guess that tells us where she’s coming from.
Fox cut the Q&A short, but Greta explained she can’t say much more anyhow. These are just the charges, a jury may downgrade or find him not guilty at all ?
Probably 2 years away from the trial ?
She filed under second degree, it seems like an all or nothing attempt. Unless she updates the charges to include manslaughter, the jury can’t down grade.
I am glad someone else saw what I saw. I doubt very much that he will get a fair trial. Where are you going to get a jury???? She sounds like she talked to Al Sharpton before the press conference
Florida Statutes:
What’s a depraved mind, legally?
Moi
That’s the best comedy set up question, ever.
http://miami.cbslocal.com/2012/04/11/report-zimmerman-to-be-charged-in-trayvon-shooting-wednesday-afternoon/
Miami paper on the charges
Crazy Al did a press conference just after. Talking about the “murder” and saying we wouldn’t have gotten this far if we didn’t wear hoods and protested. And then he talked about Democrats vs. Republicans, I shit you not.
Case should be instructive to Hispanic Dems – see how quickly you get tossed under the bus when there’s a race card circus.
Absolutely. And they’re welcome under the bus. It’s getting rather crowded. Ha, pretty soon everyone but the immediate WH staff will be under the bus.
I can tell you that here in San Antonio, they are watching very closely.
Sharpton is claiming that it was only due to the public pressure that the case was even given a proper review. Essentially that the police weren’t investigating until they/he got involved.
What a circus this all is. I’d like to think a judge would toss it out because of the stand your ground law (which I don’t like I must say). But I fear we’ll have a crazy show trail, on TV of course. All politics all the time.
so what happens if he is acquitted?? Will we get the race riots that sharpton and jackson and the black panthers want??
I would like nothing more than a fair trial that upholds the law and shows that the justice system can work. I can not see that happening in this case
Someone with Al, National Action Network, just said the most important thing to keep pushing for civil rights, which of course the Martin/Zimmerman case is all about, is that you must register to vote. Left unsaid but implied was that you should of course vote for Obama.
It’s official, this will, wait for it, be the trail of the century.
I need to drink more.
That would be a Trail of Beers
Oh joy, scanning all the news sites and comments, it’s like a big reunion with all my OJ, Duke Lacrosse and Casey Anthony pals
The trial may not be for another year, good, after the election.
Since GZ turned himself in, is he entitled to the 10k NBPP reward?
Charlie Manson denied parole again today. He’s not eligible again until he’s 92
His new lawyer seems like he does not get flustered easily. Calling for calm and no prejudgement was a good thing to do. Trying to get a change of venue and bond seem like good ideas.
That’s an accurate transcript.
I’ll have more to say on this later. I want to read up on Florida law first.
on Hannity yesterday they were talking about the stand your ground law. another law was mentioned sudden combat law.
will that law make a difference in this case???
I’ll be very interested to read your take. IMO, the “evidence” in the charging documents can be easily disputed by a good defense attorney. There’s so much room for reasonable doubt, I was stunned and can only assume that they have some aces they’re holding on to for the trial. Either that or they’re trying to use the 2nd degree charges to force a plea deal for manslaughter.
Two important takeaways, IMO, are: 1) GZ did not use a racial epithet (which the witch hunters insisted they heard) and 2) TM was shot in the chest (the witch hunters have aggressively speculated that he had been shot in the back). So two memes disproved but, unfortunately, they were already released into the memesphere and we can’t unring the bell.
I’m really worried about this trend of trying people through the press. We’ve always had some of that, but in the last few years the media has actually presented false evidence, edited photos, and hosted polls where people can vote guilty or innocent. The whole reason we have a legal system in the first place is because mob rule and the court of public opinion never delievers anything close to truth and justice.
Me too. How can someone like Zimmerman get a fair trial now, which is his constitutional right?
Impossible.
this is from www. breakingnews.com I do not know how to link a pdf
Trayvon Martin shooting
View the probable cause affidavit, prepared in support of a second-degree murder charge against George Zimmerman (PDF) – via @NBCNews