Your source for breaking U.S. & international news, political & social commentary from a centrist's point of view
Judge Debra Nelson: Jurors in the George Zimmerman trial will be sequestered. The trial into the murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin will last two to four weeks, not counting jury selection.
Judge Nelson did not reveal how the jurors will be sequestered once a panel is found. Jury selection continued for a fourth day. No jurors have yet been seated in the case.
George Zimmerman’s Attorneys Apologize for “Mischaracterizing” Evidence About Trayvon Martin Fighting (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
George Zimmerman’s attorneys have apologized Sunday for “mischaracterizing” evidence they said boosted their claim that Trayvon Martin was the aggressor that night when he was fatally shot by the wannabe cop.
Last Tuesday during a hearing, attorney Mark O’Mara said the defense had obtained video footage of three fights, including one in which two of Trayvon Martin’s friends were “beating up a homeless guy.” One problem with Mark O’Mara’s statement — Trayvon Martin wasn’t the one beating up the homeless men.
A statement was posted on George Zimmerman’s website, stating the footage actually showed ”two homeless guys fighting each other over a bike.” What else are they blowing out of proportion? Trayvon Martin isn’t here to defend himself.
Judge Rules Trayvon Martin’s Past Marijuana Use Won’t Come into George Zimmerman’s Trial. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
BREAKING: Florida Circuit Judge Debra Nelson rules Trayvon Martin’s past marijuana use will not come into George Zimmerman’s trial. The defense is trying to portray the victim as a troublemaker, but the fact still remains, Trayvon Martin was unarmed when George Zimmerman went against the instructions of the 911 dispatcher and followed the teen.
The judge also blocked Trayvon Martin’s text messages from trial, unless defense shows they are relevant and probative. Defense Mark O’Mara’s hypocrisy has been on display since he took the case. For all the mud they are slinging, one fact remains — Trayvon Martin doesn’t have an arrest record. George Zimmerman, on the other hand, is a whole different story, but that won’t stop the haters from attacking Martin, who isn’t here to defend himself.
The judge also ruled that some of the Martin’s texts and other social media statements won’t be allowed in opening statements, though some of his personal material could be allowed later depending on how the case progresses.” Zimmerman has pleaded not guilty.
Zimmerman’s attorney, Mark O’Mara, told the judge that Martin’s marijuana use and past fighting was central to the argument that Zimmerman used self-defense when he confronted Martin last year at a gated community in Sanford.
“We have a lot of evidence that marijuana use had something to do with the event,” O’Mara said. “It could have affected his behavior.” Source: Tampa Tribune
Had Judge Nelson not put a stop to the defense tactics, we would have seen the public lynching of Trayvon Martin. You see, had this been introduced into evidence, the prosecution could demolish this in five minutes on the grounds of how would George Zimmerman have known about Martin’s drug use and text messages before gunning him down? They want to paint a picture that the “black thug” was looking for a fight and deserved to be murdered, even though all he had on his person was a bag of Skittles and a can of iced tea. That’s despite the fact that he was followed by a wannabe neighborhood watch captain. Yep, the black kid is always up to no good.
Port Canaveral Police Sgt. Ron King was fired after an internal investigation showed he offered other officers a hoodie-wearing Trayvon Martin to use for shooting practice. Sgt. Ron King, who is a two-year veteran of the force, offered the target at a range near Cocoa on April 4, the officers refused.
Port Canaveral Interim Chief Executive Officer John Walsh apologized publicly to Trayvon’s family Saturday. ”Whether his [King's] act is one of hatred or stupidity, neither one is tolerable,” Walsh said.
Benjamin Crump, an attorney representing Trayvon’s parents, issued a statement condemning the target. ”Using a dead child’s image as target practice is reprehensible,” Crump said.
The Trayvon targets, which feature a bull’s eye over his heart, a package of Skittles in his pocket and a drink can in his right hand, are sold online. The night he was killed,Trayvon was on the way back to a relative’s home from a convenience store, where he had bought the candy and an iced tea. Source
Either Sgt. King was stupid or racist. You be the judge. Not only was that insensitive, it’s disturbing. Here’s a teenager who is not here to defend himself but is being ripped to shreds by his murderer, George Zimmerman’s family, right in front of his parents.
Robert Zimmerman Jr., the brother of Trayvon Martin’s murderer, George Zimmerman is on a racist PR campaign by smearing the name of the victim any way he can. He took to Twitter to compare Trayvon Martin to alleged baby-killer DeMarquise Elkins. Um, one problem — George Zimmerman was the murderer, not Trayvon Martin. Utterly shameful. So, because Trayvon Martin flipped the bird in a ridiculous picture on some social media site, somehow it legitimizes George Zimmerman killing him? Absolutely unbelievable. The reality is that DeMarquise Elkins has more in common with George Zimmerman than Trayvon Martin does. At the end of the day, they both killed two people who were unarmed.
Zimmerman has, thus far, tweeted the comparison to the Anthony half of Opie and Anthony, Michael Moore, the NAACP, and a Breitbart News editor, as well as the NRA. If Zimmerman’s point is that anyone who uses that gesture is a murderer, then they’re going to have to arrest the entire Garden State Parkway. If you suspect that wasn’t his point, you might be right.
Earlier in the day, in case anyone did miss the point, Zimmerman tweeted several other revealing comparisons between his brother’s case and the slaying of 13-month-old Antonio Santiago, including one that might be particularly unhelpful. In one, Zimmerman promotes his brother’s versionof events:
Teen to West: “Do you want me to shoot your baby?” #TrayvonMartin to#GeorgeZimmerman : You’re gonna die tonight Motherf**ker”
And in another, he cuts to the proverbial chase:
Lib media shld ask if what these2 black teens did 2 a woman&baby is the reason ppl think blacks mightB risky. Source
If his family had any decency, they would tell Robert Zimmerman Jr. to stop the ugly racist rhetoric. It will only backfire. T. J. Lane, who is white, didn’t evoke such feelings of hate from Robert Zimmerman Jr., when he appeared in court for his sentencing last week wearing a t-shirt with the word KILLER written across it to taunt the victims and smirked while the proceedings were underway. I guess that’s okay because black kids are the only troublemakers running around.
George Zimmerman’s Brother, Robert Zimmerman Jr., Compares Trayvon Martin to Alleged Baby-Killer DeMarquise Elkins (Photo credit: Twitter)
DISGRACE: Todd Kincannon, a former executive director and general counsel for the South Carolina Republican Party, is under fire for his tweets mocking Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black teen who was killed by George Zimmerman, an overzealous neighborhood watch captain, in Sanford, FL.
Todd Kincannon, who calls himself “The Honey Badger of American Politics,” posted on his Twitter account, a series of incendiary tweets on Super Bowl Sunday, commenting on the blackout inside the New Orleans Superdome. He tweeted: “It hasn’t been this dark in the Superdome since all those poors occupied it after Hurricane Katrina.” His attacks on Travyon Martin drew outrage, including the Superbowl “sucks more d— than adult Trayvon Martin would have for drug money.” Despite the outrage, he continued to tweet about Martin.:
Todd Kincannon, Former SC GOP Leader, Under Fire for Tweets Mocking Trayvon Martin
Michael David Dunn Charged with Murder in Death of Unarmed Black Teen Jordan Russell Davis Over Loud Music (Photo credit: Think Progress)
Another unarmed black teen has died under suspicious circumstances in Florida, months after Trayvon Martin was killed by George Zimmerman in central Florida. Jordan Russell Davis was killed by Michael David Dunn, the 45 year old vice president of Dunn & Dunn Data Systems in Vero Beach, who was reportedly in Jacksonville for his son’s wedding last weekend.
Jordan Russell Davis, 17, and several other teenagers were sitting in a sport utility vehicle in the parking lot when Dunn pulled up next to them in a car and asked them to turn down their music, [Jacksonville sheriff's Lt. Rob] Schoonover said.
Jordan and Dunn exchanged words, and Dunn pulled a gun and shot eight or nine times, striking Jordan twice, Schoonover said. Jordan was sitting in the back seat. No one else was hurt.Dunn’s attorney Monday said her client acted responsibly and in self-defense. She did not elaborate. Source
Michael David Dunn is invoking the “Stand Your Ground” law that was used by George Zimmerman as his defense for shooting Trayvon Martin in Sanford nearly nine months ago. Dunn was arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder. He is being held without bail. Jordan Russell Davis’ funeral will take place on December 1.
I am trying to figure out how this shooting could be deemed as in self-defense when Jordan Russell Davis was seated in the back of a SUV and not face to face with Michael David Dunn. Retaliating over trash-talking doesn’t rise to the level of self-defense.
George Zimmerman Says He Wouldn’t Do Anything Differently: ‘It Was God’s Plan’ For Me To Kill Trayvon Martin
George Zimmerman appeared on Sean Hannity’s show Wednesday night and said Trayvon Martin reached for his waistband and it intimidated him. He also said Trayvon Martin wasn’t running, but skipping away from him. He claims Trayvon Martin asked him what was his f*cking problem and punched him one time breaking his nose. He said as soon as he broke his nose he was disoriented and calling for help. He became disoriented and the teen punched him in the head several times — more than a dozen.
He said he feared for his life when Martin was banging his head against the concrete and wanted to get to the grass. He was able to get to the grass by shimming. Um, didn’t he claim he was disoriented? George Zimmerman said Trayvon Martin tried to suffocate him and kept telling him to shut up. He said Trayvon Martin put his hand over his mouth to silence him from shouting. He knew he was talking to the police and wanted the police to hear him. Trayvon Martin isn’t here to give his side of the story. This is bad, really bad.
He said he felt Trayvon Martin moving his hand down his chest to his holster to grab his gun. A lot of thoughts for someone who was disoriented. He is blaming the victim, who isn’t here to speak up for himself. There is no witness to the actual shooting but himself and Trayvon Martin. As usual Sean Hannity is on George Zimmerman’s side. He isn’t asking him tough questions. He’s leading him by the hand like they’re on a date. George Zimmerman said he didn’t realize Trayvon Martin was killed until he went to the police station. Um, big lie.
George Zimmerman says it was in God’s plan for what happened and he wouldn’t have done anything differently. He said he doesn’t regret following the teenager or having the gun. Sean Hannity asked why did he think Trayvon Martin came after him in that way. George Zimmerman couldn’t answer, but blames the media. He said he would tell Trayvon Martin’s parents that he is sorry. He loves his children even though they aren’t born yet. He prays for them daily. He said he would like to talk to them at some point. One thing I will give Sean Hannity is that he doesn’t seem to believe Trayvon Martin pursued George Zimmerman.
George Zimmerman said he believes he will prevail in court. He said he did not look over at Trayvon Martin at any time after he shot him. He didn’t know he was dead. Right. “I was scared, nervous after discharging my gun. Worried police would find me and shoot me,” Zimmerman said. He seems to think Rev. Al Sharpton and Spike Lee owe him an apology. Um, as though racial profiling doesn’t exist in this country.
George Zimmerman claims the inmates treated him differently and a few inmates made a sign of strength to him. Really, I wonder if those same inmates would make the same sign if he’s found guilty. What sign of strength? The Klan? Of course he won’t answer questions on the molestation accusation against him but gladly paints himself as the victim and Trayvon Martin as the aggressor.
Tracy Martin, Trayvon Martin’s father, said ”We must worship a diff god bc no way that MY God would’ve wanted Zimmerman to kill my son.”
Zimmerman said “it was god’s plan”. Trayvon’s father: “We must worship a diff god bc no way that MY God would hv wanted GZ to kill my son.”
— Matt Gutman (@mattgutmanABC) July 19, 2012
Watch George Zimmerman’s interview with Sean Hannity:
GEORGE ZIMMERMAN’S BOND SET AT $1 MILLION: Judge Kenneth Lester Jr. set, Trayvon Martin shooter, George Zimmerman’s new bail at $1 million. That’s $100,000, which he should have from all the donations he received, since his lawyer said he had $211,000 in that account.
So, George Zimmerman walks for now, but this time “tarnished” in the eyes of the judge, who called him a manipulator for lying under oath about his finances, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Zimmerman could have also lied about what really transpired that night when he killed unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin.
George Zimmerman Claims “You Got Me” Were Last Words Trayvon Martin Uttered Before Dying (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)
George Zimmerman says Trayvon Martin’s last words were “you got me.” But how do we really know that’s what the decedent said? We only have George Zimmerman’s account of what happened, plus his many, many untruths and half-truths. So, why should I believe someone who was willing to mislead a court of law?
Zimmerman said he stepped out of the car to find a street sign so he could tell police his location. After told by the dispatcher not to pursue Martin, Zimmerman said, “As I headed back to my vehicle, the suspect emerged from the darkness and said ‘you got a problem’ [?] I said ‘No.’ The suspect said ‘you do now.’” Martin then punched him in the face and knocked him to the ground, he said.
Zimmerman said he reached for his gun after Martin “took my head and slammed it against the concrete several times, and each time I thought my head was going to explode and I thought I was going to lose consciousness.” He said that, during their struggle — in which “he tried to smother my mouth and my nose” — his firearm became exposed. At that point, he said he felt Martin’s hand slide down in his chest, and Martin told him, “You’re gonna die tonight, motherfucker.” “In fear for my life as he has assured me he was going to kill me,” Zimmerman wrote he fired one shot into Martin’s torso. Source
While I have no doubt Mr. Zimmerman may have felt threatened for his life, since he was beaten-up by a teenager, I still maintain had he followed the instructions of the 911 dispatcher this would not have happened. Better yet, had he not assumed to be the neighborhood vigilante, he would have never crossed paths with Trayvon Martin, who was minding his own business on his way to his father’s home from the store.
George Zimmerman Written Statement
Memeorandum REUTERS BUSINESS NEWS AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE WORLD NEWS
Connect With Us