Her testimony should have taught all of us something very, very important. That is, calling a stranger a "creepy-*** cracker" is not a racial or derogatory insult. AND, she wants us to believe that she couldn't recall TM ever using the phrase, even though she testified that he did indeed use the phrase. This girl has lied under oath, minced words, repeatedly added to sworn testimony, denied her testimony was accurate, held the court in darn near contempt, but the media is holding her up as a patron saint of honesty. It's the media responding to the dog-whistle of race-baiters that formed this event into a case in the first case. If Zimmerman is found guilty of murder 2, I'd guess that the prosecuter's 'star' witness will be a slam dunk for getting any and all charges overturned. Heck, the judge is almost leading the case right toward successful appeal. But, I'm no lawyer, I just stayed in a Holiday Inn Express.
They had a discussion of the rules for neighborhood watch and following are exerpts: “Their duty is to be the eyes and ears. Report crime as they see it,” said Dorival, adding that she provided handouts stressing this and also explained it verbally during the meeting. Zimmerman was there as the neighborhood watch coordinator, a role he told Dorival had been assigned him by the president of the homeowners' association. Guy asked Dorival what the handouts and her instructions tell volunteers to do if they begin following a suspicious person. “We tell them they don’t do that. That’s the job of law enforcement,” she replied. The same instructions apply to confronting a suspicious person, Dorival said. She said her presentation would advise people, “Not to confront, to let … the police department do the job. “They’re not supposed to take matters into their own hands. … Let law enforcement take the risk of approaching a suspect,” Dorival said. The "you don't need to do that" should have been enough of a reminder the Zimmerman had no business following the suspect in the vehicle, much less on foot carrying a weapon.
So as a young Hispanic, you are walking though a neighborhood and a gangsta looking Hispanic (the way Zimmerman looked a year ago, not that suited-up tub of lard on trial) you don't know slows down with his lights on you and follows you through a neighborhood, You don't know if he's a nosy homeowner, a robber or a rapist. You are suspicious and worried and try to duck out of his vision. He gets out of his vehicle to follow you. You worried? You ready to tell him your business? You ready to fight? Maybe up to this point, nobody has done anything illegal, but we have created fear, anger and tension. Put those together and sometimes there are explosive, tragic outcomes. If you and Major think it's OK to take your guns out and tail people you find suspicious walking thorugh your neighborhood, go ahead. I think it's dangerous and presents opportunity for bad outcomes where the reward is outweighed by the risks. I think that's why it's against the rules for someone acting in a Neighborhood Watch to follow and confront suspicious characters. No matter how the trial ends (and I'm predicting acquittal) Zimmerman does not exit this as a winner. His family, almost as much as Martin's, would have benefitted if he had followed the Nighborhood Watch rules.
"Gangsta looking Hispanic"? You libs are so racist. Don't you mean Creepy *** Wetback? If it were me, I guess I would throw my skittles, er, tortillas at him and jump the fence to freedom hollering adios mofo!!!! The star witness was completely discredited. If she had a cooking show, it would be pulled. If the defense shows Zimmerman's interrogation video and on site walk through of what happened, he should be acquitted. Of course, Casey Anthony should have been convicted. It is Florida, who knows?
"Gangsta' was an admittedly poor word choice. I'm am saying that photos taken at the time of the killing had me see Zimmerman as a much more formidible-character than we're seeing on our TV screens now. He looked tough and intimidating and I expect he wanted to look tough an intimidating.
This whole case was centered around Zimmerman and his supposed racism-the takeaway from today is that Trayvon was the racist, the prosecution is flailing, and the evidence will exonerate him from any trumped up charges The only things Zimmerman needs to be focused on are where to live out his days in relative obscurity, and how many 0's to put in his civil suit against the State of Florida and NBC and the other booger-eating networks that trotted out the doctored audio tapes when this was first making headlines. I'd put the over/under on Sharpton/Jackson arriving to lead riots in Sanford at about 15 minutes after not guilty verdict is handed down.
Dalhorn, right on except you missed the book deal on the hipocrocsy(sp) of the liberal racist accusing media.....I will buy Zimmermans book...... How about the Single, Straight, Never Married, No Children, White, Male, top 95% earner, college educated person, who gets my SS benefits, where is my outcry? I earned my **** without anybodies help.........What do I get for free from the government? I don't want anything, I just want to be left alone why do I feel so discriminated against these days?
I wonder if the police ever figured out who owned the jewelry they found in Trayvon's locker along with his burglary tools.
Eye witness just testified that he believes Trayvon was on top and Zimmerman was screaming for help. Case closed on murder 2 conviction. Too much reasonable doubt.
Zimmerman is acquitted. Racial unrest and demonstrations(riots) abound. Holder charges Zimmerman with violating the civil rights of Trayvon. New trial.
croc you posted, " a gangsta looking Hispanic (the way Zimmerman looked a year ago" could you provide some photos of this gangsta looking Hispanic?
Seems like the defense is scoring more points with the prosecutions witnesses than the latter is. I laughed out loud when I heard someone say that Rachel Jeantel is the prosecution's star witness.
How the hell this case made it to trial...how police investigators and a grand jury thought this worthy of a trial is beyond me. What a waste of taxpayers money. It's obvious the DA was bullied into pushing this to trial. The ADAs assigned to this case know they're just cannon fodder...I feel bad for them. Hey Croc...I'm still confused on what "Hispanic Gangstas" look like. Do they wear red North Face jackets?
The reverends Jackson and Sharpton hold this country hostage with their power to label anyone that doesn't see eye to eye with them as a racist, white devil. They're social terrorists, and will most certainly have blood on their hands if the case doesn't go the way they want the narrative to read. Engineering of fear is why this case was made.
I've admitted that 'gangsta' was a poor choice of words. I am not urban nor urbane. I will say that the photo of Zimmerman you dredged up is pretty much what I was picturing in my head and I think that leaner, with a shaved scalp and a beard he looked less like a pushover than he does at the trial. I've predicted an acquittal and i'm more confident of that prediction now than before. In fact, my perception has changed from "not guilty because of reasonable doubt" to "not guilty by the preponderance of the evidence." I hope people can accept the verdict, the vigorous prosecution of this case and the horrible impact this circumstance/trial/situation has put on Zimmerman and say "OK -- that's enough -- we've adjudicated this tragic circumstance." My lone point of contention (and I'd bet Zimmerman would be on my side of it now) is that it's a bad idea for civilians to pack a pistol (holstered or not) and follow suspicious characters through the neigborhood.
While I am sure Zimmerman wishes the incident never happened, I doubt he stops carrying a weapon or encourages anyone on neighborhood watch to do so without one.
Crocket just wants so badly for this to be something it isn't. The tip toe dance you are doing by qualifying your comments aren't fooling anyone. The pic of Zimm looks like 85% of males that age and is in no way even remotely threatening. The irony is that if anyone else saw a pic of travon in his "gangsta" clothes and we said it frightened them, you would be the first to say that was a racist stereotype. And just stop with the HOA rules. The guy was doing the job HIS own neighborhood asked him to do. The neighborhood was scared and on alert do to break-ins. Agreed that after the recent testimony by the defense witnesses that this is an acquittal. I can not imagine why this is at trial, especially at the charge level it is. The prosecutors had to have deposition testimony that was going to show obvious self defense. Very odd.
