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+--- Thread: Trayvon Martin case: After police chief steps aside, state prosecutor recuses himself (/showthread.php?tid=133889)
Re: Trayvon Martin case: After police chief steps aside, state prosecutor recuses himself - $tevie - 03-26-2012
Sounds like the witness saw the fight after it had already begun. Remember, Zimmerman was not a policeman and was not authorized to be chasing Martin in the first place: if he was following Martin and especially if he pulled a gun on him, Martin was more than justified in doing whatever he felt necessary to escape an unknown gunman.
I'd like to remind everyone that THIS is why we have police take a shooter into custody or at the very least have an investigation of the incident, rather than let someone go with no questions asked, just because he claims he was "Standing His Ground". Had the police done so in the first place a lot of this brouhaha might have been avoided. It's why the Stand Your Ground law is so fatally flawed.
Re: Trayvon Martin case: After police chief steps aside, state prosecutor recuses himself - August West - 03-26-2012
if he was following Martin and especially if he pulled a gun on him, Martin was more than justified in doing whatever he felt necessary to escape an unknown gunman.
These have been my thoughts, too. How does one react to being stalked at night by a car driven by a gunman?
Re: Trayvon Martin case: After police chief steps aside, state prosecutor recuses himself - Bill in NC - 03-26-2012
Except you're forgetting that what the witness saw is completely consistent with Zimmerman's claim that he was jumped on his way back to his truck.
Without another witness, or other evidence, there doesn't appear to be anything to contradict the above.
As for the latter, there would be significant civil liability for both the officer(s) and department for taking someone into custody (for simply being the shooter, without probable cause for an arrest), so I'm not surprised that didn't happen.
$tevie wrote:
Sounds like the witness saw the fight after it had already begun. Remember, Zimmerman was not a policeman and was not authorized to be chasing Martin in the first place: if he was following Martin and especially if he pulled a gun on him, Martin was more than justified in doing whatever he felt necessary to escape an unknown gunman.
I'd like to remind everyone that THIS is why we have police take a shooter into custody or at the very least have an investigation of the incident, rather than let someone go with no questions asked, just because he claims he was "Standing His Ground". Had the police done so in the first place a lot of this brouhaha might have been avoided. It's why the Stand Your Ground law is so fatally flawed.
Re: Trayvon Martin case: After police chief steps aside, state prosecutor recuses himself - $tevie - 03-26-2012
WTF. People are taken into custody every day for a lot less than holding a weapon which killed a person. For heaven's sake, we've got an entire legal system set up and we're supposed to use it, not circumvent it.
Re: Trayvon Martin case: After police chief steps aside, state prosecutor recuses himself - hal - 03-26-2012
The stupid law specifically forbids arresting someone for 'standing their ground' - it's very clear. The police would most certainly be open to a civil case against them.
Re: Trayvon Martin case: After police chief steps aside, state prosecutor recuses himself - August West - 03-26-2012
Except you're forgetting that what the witness saw is completely consistent with Zimmerman's claim that he was jumped on his way back to his truck.
The witness say a physical struggle, it is extrapolation that he was on his way back to his truck. One someone is killed, the situation merits more than extrapolation of one witness' statement.
Re: Trayvon Martin case: After police chief steps aside, state prosecutor recuses himself - Lux Interior - 03-26-2012
Bill in NC wrote:
As for the latter, there would be significant civil liability for both the officer(s) and department for taking someone into custody (for simply being the shooter, without probable cause for an arrest), so I'm not surprised that didn't happen.
"simply being the shooter"
WTF?
He shot and killed an unarmed civilian. Even a cop who does that will get taken off the street pending an investigation.
Re: Trayvon Martin case: After police chief steps aside, state prosecutor recuses himself - $tevie - 03-26-2012
Not to mention the quote from the witness in that link says nothing about how that apparent struggle ensued. So it proves nothing.
Everyone knew Zimmerman had cuts and bruises. But he very craftily claimed "fear for his life" and hid out while they healed and were no longer useful for any investigation.
Re: Trayvon Martin case: After police chief steps aside, state prosecutor recuses himself - Grace62 - 03-26-2012
hal wrote:
The stupid law specifically forbids arresting someone for 'standing their ground' - it's very clear. The police would most certainly be open to a civil case against them.
Ugh! It defies common sense and centuries of common law interpretation in the western world, but no you won't be arrested or sued under "stand your ground" unless the person you kill is a cop.
150 Section 4. Section 776.032, Florida Statutes, is created
151 to read:
152 776.032 Immunity from Criminal prosecution and Civil
153 action for justifiable use of force.--
154 (1) A person who uses force as permitted in s. 776.012, s.
155 776.013, or s. 776.031 is justified in using such force and is
156 immune from criminal prosecution and civil action for the use of
157 such force, unless the person against whom force was used is a
158 law enforcement officer, as defined in s. 943.10(14), who was
159 acting in the performance of his or her official duties and the
160 officer identified himself or herself in accordance with any
161 applicable law or the person using force knew or reasonably
162 should have known that the person was a law enforcement officer.
163 As used in this subsection, the term "criminal prosecution"
164 includes arresting, detaining in custody, and charging or
165 prosecuting the defendant.
Re: Trayvon Martin case: After police chief steps aside, state prosecutor recuses himself - Bill in NC - 03-27-2012
His injuries are consistent with his version of events.
Again, given current evidence what crime do the local police charge him with, considering Zimmerman doesn't have to prove anything, but the local DA does?
I appreciate you don't like the guy, but exactly what crime has been committed?
$tevie wrote:
Not to mention the quote from the witness in that link says nothing about how that apparent struggle ensued. So it proves nothing.
Everyone knew Zimmerman had cuts and bruises. But he very craftily claimed "fear for his life" and hid out while they healed and were no longer useful for any investigation.