JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Amid furious public pressure to make an arrest in the Trayvon Martin slaying, the special prosecutor on the case went for the maximum Wednesday, bringing a second-degree murder charge against the neighborhood watch captain who shot the unarmed black teenager.
George Zimmerman, 28, was jailed in Sanford - the site of the killing Feb. 26 that set off a nationwide debate over racial profiling and self-defense - on charges that could put him in prison for life.
In announcing the arrest, prosecutor Angela Corey would not discuss how she reconciled the conflicting accounts of what happened or explain how she arrived at the charges, saying too much information had been made public already. But she made it clear she was not influenced by the uproar over the past six weeks.
“We do not prosecute by public pressure or by petition. We prosecute based on the facts on any given case as well as the laws of the state of Florida,” Corey said.
Martin’s parents, who were in Washington when the announcement came, expressed relief over the decision to prosecute the killer of their 17-year-old son.
“The question I would really like to ask him is, if he could look into Trayvon’s eyes and see how innocent he was, would he have then pulled the trigger? Or would he have just let him go on home?” said his father, Tracy Martin.
Many legal experts had expected the prosecutor to opt for the lesser charge of manslaughter, which usually carries 15 years behind bars and covers reckless or negligent killings, rather than second-degree murder, which involves a killing that results from a “depraved” disregard for human life.
The most severe homicide charge, first-degree murder, is subject to the death penalty in Florida and requires premeditation - something that all sides agreed was not present in this case.
“I predicted manslaughter, so I’m a little surprised,” said Michael Seigel, a former federal prosecutor who now teaches law at the University of Florida. “But she has more facts that I do.”
Zimmerman’s new attorney, Mark O’Mara, said Zimmerman will plead not guilty and will invoke Florida’s powerful “stand your ground” law, which gives people wide leeway to use deadly force without having to retreat in the face of danger.
The lawyer asked that people not jump to conclusions about his client’s guilt and said he is “hoping that the community will calm down” now that charges have been filed.
“I’m expecting a lot of work and, hopefully, justice in the end,” O’Mara said.
Zimmerman, whose father is white and whose mother Hispanic, turned himself in earlier in the day and will make a court appearance as early as Thursday.
Corey’s decision followed an extraordinary 45-day campaign by Martin’s parents to have Zimmerman arrested despite his claim that he shot in self-defense. They were joined by civil rights activists such as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, as well as many politicians and supporters in Sanford and cities across the nation.
Protesters wore hooded sweatshirts like the one Martin had on. And the debate reached all the way to the White House, where President Barack Obama observed last month: “If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.”
The confrontation took place in a gated community where Martin was staying with his father and his father’s fiancée. Martin was walking back in the rain from a convenience store when Zimmerman spotted him and called 911. He followed Martin despite being told not to by a police dispatcher, and the two got into a struggle.
Zimmerman told police Martin punched him in the nose, knocking him down, and then began banging Zimmerman’s head on the sidewalk. Zimmerman claimed he shot Martin in fear for his life.
A judge could dismiss the charge based on “stand your ground,” legal experts said. But not if prosecutors can show Zimmerman was to blame.
“If you’re the aggressor, you’re not protected by this law,” said Carey Haughwout, public defender in Palm Beach County.
On Tuesday, Zimmerman’s former lawyers portrayed him as erratic and in precarious mental condition. O’Mara, who signed on after Zimmerman’s previous attorneys withdrew, said that Zimmerman seemed to be in a good state of mind but that the pressure had weighed mightily on him.
“He is troubled by everything that has happened. I cannot imagine living in George Zimmerman’s shoes for the past number of weeks. Because he has been at the focus of a lot of anger, and maybe confusion and maybe some hatred, and that has to be difficult,” the attorney said.
O’Mara also said the difficult case is compounded by the heavy media attention, which might make it hard to seat an impartial jury. Corey, similarly, complained: “So much information got released on this case that never should have been released. We have to protect this prosecution and this investigation for Trayvon, for George Zimmerman.”
Corey, the prosecutor in Jacksonville, was appointed to handle the case by Republican Gov. Rick Scott after the local prosecutor disqualified himself. She has tried hundreds of homicide cases and is known for tough tactics aimed at locking up criminals for a long time and making it difficult to negotiate light plea bargains.
The U.S. Justice Department’s civil rights division is conducting its own investigation. But federal authorities typically wait until a state prosecution is complete before deciding how to proceed.
Tensions had risen in recent days in Sanford, a town of 50,000 outside Orlando. Someone shot up an unoccupied police car Tuesday as it sat outside the neighborhood where Martin was killed. But as the hour of the prosecutor’s announcement neared, the Martin family and their lawyer pleaded for calm.
Outside Sanford City Hall, Stacy Davis, a black woman, said she was glad to see Zimmerman under arrest.
“It’s not a black or white thing for me. It’s a right or wrong thing. He needed to be arrested,” she said. “I’m happy because maybe that boy can get some rest.”
George Zimmerman, 28, was jailed in Sanford - the site of the killing Feb. 26 that set off a nationwide debate over racial profiling and self-defense - on charges that could put him in prison for life.
In announcing the arrest, prosecutor Angela Corey would not discuss how she reconciled the conflicting accounts of what happened or explain how she arrived at the charges, saying too much information had been made public already. But she made it clear she was not influenced by the uproar over the past six weeks.
“We do not prosecute by public pressure or by petition. We prosecute based on the facts on any given case as well as the laws of the state of Florida,” Corey said.
Martin’s parents, who were in Washington when the announcement came, expressed relief over the decision to prosecute the killer of their 17-year-old son.
“The question I would really like to ask him is, if he could look into Trayvon’s eyes and see how innocent he was, would he have then pulled the trigger? Or would he have just let him go on home?” said his father, Tracy Martin.
Many legal experts had expected the prosecutor to opt for the lesser charge of manslaughter, which usually carries 15 years behind bars and covers reckless or negligent killings, rather than second-degree murder, which involves a killing that results from a “depraved” disregard for human life.
The most severe homicide charge, first-degree murder, is subject to the death penalty in Florida and requires premeditation - something that all sides agreed was not present in this case.
“I predicted manslaughter, so I’m a little surprised,” said Michael Seigel, a former federal prosecutor who now teaches law at the University of Florida. “But she has more facts that I do.”
Zimmerman’s new attorney, Mark O’Mara, said Zimmerman will plead not guilty and will invoke Florida’s powerful “stand your ground” law, which gives people wide leeway to use deadly force without having to retreat in the face of danger.
The lawyer asked that people not jump to conclusions about his client’s guilt and said he is “hoping that the community will calm down” now that charges have been filed.
“I’m expecting a lot of work and, hopefully, justice in the end,” O’Mara said.
Zimmerman, whose father is white and whose mother Hispanic, turned himself in earlier in the day and will make a court appearance as early as Thursday.
Corey’s decision followed an extraordinary 45-day campaign by Martin’s parents to have Zimmerman arrested despite his claim that he shot in self-defense. They were joined by civil rights activists such as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, as well as many politicians and supporters in Sanford and cities across the nation.
Protesters wore hooded sweatshirts like the one Martin had on. And the debate reached all the way to the White House, where President Barack Obama observed last month: “If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.”
The confrontation took place in a gated community where Martin was staying with his father and his father’s fiancée. Martin was walking back in the rain from a convenience store when Zimmerman spotted him and called 911. He followed Martin despite being told not to by a police dispatcher, and the two got into a struggle.
Zimmerman told police Martin punched him in the nose, knocking him down, and then began banging Zimmerman’s head on the sidewalk. Zimmerman claimed he shot Martin in fear for his life.
A judge could dismiss the charge based on “stand your ground,” legal experts said. But not if prosecutors can show Zimmerman was to blame.
“If you’re the aggressor, you’re not protected by this law,” said Carey Haughwout, public defender in Palm Beach County.
On Tuesday, Zimmerman’s former lawyers portrayed him as erratic and in precarious mental condition. O’Mara, who signed on after Zimmerman’s previous attorneys withdrew, said that Zimmerman seemed to be in a good state of mind but that the pressure had weighed mightily on him.
“He is troubled by everything that has happened. I cannot imagine living in George Zimmerman’s shoes for the past number of weeks. Because he has been at the focus of a lot of anger, and maybe confusion and maybe some hatred, and that has to be difficult,” the attorney said.
O’Mara also said the difficult case is compounded by the heavy media attention, which might make it hard to seat an impartial jury. Corey, similarly, complained: “So much information got released on this case that never should have been released. We have to protect this prosecution and this investigation for Trayvon, for George Zimmerman.”
Corey, the prosecutor in Jacksonville, was appointed to handle the case by Republican Gov. Rick Scott after the local prosecutor disqualified himself. She has tried hundreds of homicide cases and is known for tough tactics aimed at locking up criminals for a long time and making it difficult to negotiate light plea bargains.
The U.S. Justice Department’s civil rights division is conducting its own investigation. But federal authorities typically wait until a state prosecution is complete before deciding how to proceed.
Tensions had risen in recent days in Sanford, a town of 50,000 outside Orlando. Someone shot up an unoccupied police car Tuesday as it sat outside the neighborhood where Martin was killed. But as the hour of the prosecutor’s announcement neared, the Martin family and their lawyer pleaded for calm.
Outside Sanford City Hall, Stacy Davis, a black woman, said she was glad to see Zimmerman under arrest.
“It’s not a black or white thing for me. It’s a right or wrong thing. He needed to be arrested,” she said. “I’m happy because maybe that boy can get some rest.”
15 comments:
I think there should be more evidence on the case for Zimmerman to be convicted. For “Innocent until proven guilty” or “Beyond reasonable doubt”, I don’t think anyone in the jury could have no doubt what-so-ever Zimmerman did not kill Trayvon. I do believe in justice but what if Zimmerman is innocent? Would you want an innocent man to go to prison?
George Zimmerman didn't have a reasonable cause to pursue Trayvon Martin. This seventeen year old boy should still be alive. Unarmed but with a hood on his head made him dangerous? No matter what race, nationality, or creed anyone is, justice should be handled in an equal manner. George Zimmerman should get a sentence that is what he equally deserves. But if he gets away with murdering a 17 year old boy in cold blood, then there's an issue. Justice should be served so Trayvon, his family, and friends can have closure.
I think that he is guilty because the boy was unarmed and was walking back home from a store and the guy thought he was dangerous just because he had his hood up. And when he called 911 the dispatcher told him do not follow him, and he went ahead and did it any way. There are people all the time that have there hoods on and it doesn't mean that they are armed and dangerous this was an act of violence to a innocent boy. And I feel so sorry for his family.
I think Zimmerman acted out of his own zeal and did not think rationally when he saw Martin. There was definitely some profiling when Zimmerman saw him, otherwise, Zimmerman wouldn't have accosted him. There is no proof that Zimmerman was attacked by the boy and it is highly likely that he made this up to make his case seem more plausible. Zimmerman was even told by the police dispatch to not act and to wait for the police to arrive, but he took action into his own hands and killed an innocent boy.
Even though I believe the American justice system is Unequivocally the most fair and effective system in the world, it's frustrating that it can be so hard to put murdurers away! I mean, of course it would be much worse for a free man to be locked up than it would be for a guilty man to go free, and I'm glad that our justice system makes it so difficult for an innocent man to be found guilty, but hopefully this case doesn't turn out the way the Casey Anthony case did. Unfortunately, however, it's likely that that will happen, as nobody except George Zimmerman seems to have the full story.
This case has been significant to our judicial system because it shows how racial profiling and self-defense conflict. It is also conflicting because families of both Zimmerman and Martin are calling for justice, and a judicial decision had to be made even though there was little evidence. This case has summoned lots of attention in national media and has many questioning our judicial system.
The Martin Case has received an undue amount of attention in the media. Though the death of an innocent seventeen-year-old is a terrible tragedy, but it is nearly impossible for the justice system to operate fairly with the outpouring of opinion from every person in the United States. None of us could know every detail of the case, and should therefore leave it up to our judicial system to dispense justice.
This case has blown out of the water. It is clear for anyone that Zimmerman is guilty as he was following the person who got shot for a long enough time that that person (trevon) would logically turn around at someone following him. This case is not racist i believe, just a mentally unstable person that takes extremes.
How has this become a federal investigation? No state lines were crossed in the commission of a crime. Just another example of Obama's chief thug, Eric Holder, getting involved where he doesn't belong.
Why isn't the Justice Department investigating or prosecuting those sanctuary cities like San Francisco and Boston for aiding illegal immigrants in the breaking of federal laws?
Why isn't the Justice Department prosecuting the Black Panthers for voter intimidation that we witnessed on every news report several months ago?
I believe that George Zimmerman is guilty in the fact that he lied abot injuries that Martin had done to him. So who knows what other lies he has told police since that tragic day.
I believe that Zimmerman is guilty in the murder of Martin. First of all, he lied about the supposed "injuries" that were inflicted upon him. Who knows what else Zimmerman has lied about to the police.
The Martin Case, now going on for multiple weeks, has had no peace. I think Zimmerman does deserve a jail sentence for multiple years because of this crime. We do not know exactly what had happened in the scuffle between the two, but if Zimmerman was told not to follow the boy, then he should have listened to the police. Instead he acted of his own accord and walked out to confront the boy. Zimmerman must be going through a lot right now because almost everyone is against him, due to racial suspicions. I agree with the woman towards the end of the article stating that this a "right and wrong" situation. Shooting the boy might not have been the smartest thing to do, and now Zimmerman will be haunted until his own death approaches.
I'm glad that someone is actually doing something about this case. Profiling is still a major issue in the police force and I would have been upset if nothing was done to prosecute this officer. It seems like police officers can easily feel as if they are above the law, rather than drawing the line at the law. I think this case is a good example of someone not caring and thinking they can get away with racial profiling.
Well honestly i have to say,its all in the crime sceen. Theres only going to be two people that know exactly what happened. And one of them is dead. In order to really set justice,all they can do is look at the fact they gather up and hopefully they dont let a murderer on the loose,or an innocent man defending himself be sent to the death penalty.
I do not think that Zimmerman had the right to shoot Martin. I think that Zimmerman was just profiling Martin. He wouldnt of stopped Martin if he would of been a white man. He should get life in prison.
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