SANFORD, FL - JANUARY 10: In this handout photo provided by Seminole County Sheriff`s Office, George Zimmerman poses for a mug shot photo after being arrested and booked into jail at the John Polk Correctional Facility January 9, 2015 in Sanford, Florida. Florida officials report that Zimmerman has been charged with aggravated assault and domestic violence with a weapon. (Photo by Seminole County Sheriff`s Office via Getty Images) | Handout via Getty Images
Huffington Post
The Department of Justice will not file charges against George Zimmerman for the 2012 killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, ABC News and CBS News reported Tuesday.
ABC reports:
ABC News has learned Martin’s family will soon be notified that the Justice Department will not be filing charges against George Zimmerman, who shot the 17-year-old after a confrontation in 2012. Thursday marks three years to the day since Martin was killed.In October 2014, the Washington Post reported DOJ investigators had determined there was insufficient evidence to charge Zimmerman, but still wanted to “dot their i’s and cross their t’s."
Federal prosecutors concluded there is not sufficient evidence to prove Zimmerman, a neighborhood watchman in Sanford, Fla., intentionally violated Martin’s civil rights, sources told ABC News.
The Justice Department first announced in July 2013 it would look into the killing of the 17-year-old, who was shot by Zimmerman -- a neighborhood watchman in Sanford, Florida -- while walking home carrying a bag of Skittles and an iced tea.
After four weeks of testimony, a jury found Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder in July 2013.
My guess is that next on the schedule for this saga will be a civil suit by Martin's family, though there really isn't anything to win.
ReplyDeletegun rights hero
ReplyDeleteI'm curious, Mikeb--care to name a gun rights advocate who has lauded Zimmerman as a "hero"? Can you name one?
There you go again, Kurt, demanding a literal piece of evidence where there may very well be none. Nevertheless, many of the comments and posts written about Zimmerman in his defense by pro gun folks did laud him as a hero.
DeleteReally? Does that mean the posts we see in defense of Martin are also lauding him as a hero?
Delete"There you go again, Kurt, demanding a literal piece of evidence where there may very well be none"...If there is no evidence then there should be no false accusations or assertions.
DeleteIf there may very well be no evidence why do you believe as you do? Now since you have just claimed that there are many comments and posts that laud him as a hero why not provide them? In a debate its your duty to provide evidence as to why your position is correct. Not ours to provide evidence that it is incorrect, though we do so consistently.
Delete"Nevertheless, many of the comments and posts written about Zimmerman in his defense by pro gun folks did laud him as a hero."
DeleteIf that is the case, there should be plenty of evidence. Doesn't your head hurt when you say two contradictory statements like that back to back? Usually you have at least a few sentences for padding.
No, TS, the pro Martin people were not lauding him as a hero. He was the victim.
DeleteMike Z. and SJ, you read the same comments and posts that I did. If you didn't see them like I did, fine, but don't break my balls and ask for examples. That's just tedious bullshit.
"No, TS, the pro Martin people were not lauding him as a hero. He was the victim."
DeleteOr perhaps both.....
"Trayvon Martin you are an American Hero. Even though he died a tragic death, he showed America that we still have a longs way to go before America can be more united. If he wasn’t stereotyped for being a bad black person, he would still be here today. "
http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-766701
It's a convenient cop out here MikeB. When it comes to evidence, we do read the same posts and comments you did, and we didn't see what you did, so what/how do you see the comments that makes you construe them as lauding him as a hero? What bias/perspective are you reading them with that makes you see them the way you do? When asked for evidence, show what was said and explain why you believe it is lauding him as a hero. Or you can use your tedious bullshit response as a cop out to absolve yourself of having to actually support your bias and accusations.
DeleteMike, see that post of Ssgmarkcr at 8:03? That's called providing evidence of someone lauding Martin as a hero.
DeleteAnd no, "hero" and "victim" are not mutually exclusive terms. Think Victoria Soto or the passengers of United flight 93.
George Zimmerman, American Hero on Facebook
Deletehttps://www.facebook.com/GeorgeZimmerman819
I hate it when you guys make me do that - even though it took about 3 seconds.
Ah, looks like it has about as many likes as the page that was supporting Eric Frien, the guy who led the police on a merry chase after killing a state trooper.
DeleteOops, my mistake, Frien seems to be more popular.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Support-Eric-Frein/1552769784953519
Perhaps we should just agree that there are some on either side of the bell curve who are quite happy with their extreme views and move on. The legal system has done its work. At least till the requisite anniversary ceremony commentating the event. Then it will be rehashed all over again.
So the idiot behind that Facebook page is a gun rights advocate? What restrictive gun laws has he advocated against, or what gun laws has he advocated repealing?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHolder and so many others so badly wanted to get him for a hate crime that did not take place...well on to the false accusations of hate against the next person and so on
ReplyDeleteI don't know about scouring the web for idiots that thought Zimmerman was a hero. But I do seem to recall some assholes that wanted to buy him guns when he got his piece confiscated as evidence. Didn't that go through? He was something of a celebrity, showing up at gun shows. Sarge, didn't you say he "mentored" young black men. That's being a hero, right? I know for a fact that you defend Zimmerman's slaying of this young man to this very day. Unless you just had a change of heart.
ReplyDeleteAnd maybe we are splitting hairs. George Zimmerman is only a hero to people that think it's wonderful to kill a black man and not go to prison. Who would want to admit to that? There were certainly a lot of toxic bloggers who referred to Trayvon Martin as a "thug." I can personally attest to that. I have visited some real cesspool blogs. I try to avoid them as much as possible.
Very true FJ, though in my case there wasn't much scouring to be done, especially with it falling under the CNN aura.
DeleteI personally don't count him as a hero. I think that the use of that word has been overused to the point where it's meaning becomes blurred. Zimmerman's activities and causes were discussed here ad nauseum and while mentoring the less fortunate and calling the police to task for mistreatment of citizens is a good thing, it doesn't make you a hero.
As for my defense of Zimmerman's actions, I base that on the evidence, just like the jury did. There was both physical and eyewitness evidence that he was being assaulted by Martin. And that doesn't make him a hero either.
I would also agree with you that there are likely those out there who do think him to be a hero for the reasons you mention. However, what those pitiful folk think and what really happened aren't the same thing.
As is often the case with survivors of events like this, Zimmerman seems to be momentously messed up and hopefully is getting some help dealing with that.
Well stated Sarge.
DeleteWhat BS as usual by gun loons. The whole not guilty verdict was based on NO evidence to convict, not evidence to excuse him. Dead men tell no tales. The trial and evidence would have been totally different if Martin was around to testify; that's why the old saying, make sure you kill them so they are not around to say anything.
DeleteWell Sammy, that is the way we do it here, the burden of proof being on the prosecution to prove guilt. Again, we had physical and direct eyewitness evidence. And they even let the girlfriend testify about their phone conversation that went right up to the two getting face to face.
DeleteZimmerman's story was backed up by the other evidence.
No evidence is different than evidence to excuse, but you want to hero worship this guy so much, you try to lie about that important distinction. So he got away with murder, it happens all the time in our justice system. But you go ahead and hold him high as a citizen. At least I know I'm not a kill happy gun loon with attitudes like yours out there.
Delete"No evidence is different than evidence to excuse,"
DeleteYou're right, it is difference. But please read again as to how the U.S., and many other Justice systems work in regard to burden of proof.
So you're willing to call it murder while admitting there is no evidence to support that. How do you know it's murder then? I sure hope in the name of justice you are never called to serve on a jury.
DeleteI'm aware of how the system works. Do you really want to stand on a silly insulting comment like that?
DeleteYes, you usually do., but thanks for agreeing with me, that was my point, which you tried to deny.
Does anyone really think we have heard the last of George Zimmerman and his run ins with the law?
DeleteWe can hope....
DeleteGiven his past, that's false hope, or stupidity.
DeleteSays a lot about the gun crowd when they hold up Zimmerman as a an example of righteous shooting example and a good American.
ReplyDelete