washington post - zimmerman will be charged this week

[hal]

Lemon Drop wrote:
This is a no nonsense prosecutor with a tough reputation, she's not going to court with weak evidence. Especially in a case receiving this much publicity and scrutiny.

Why not just expect that she'll follow the law, and charge according to the evidence she has that's good enough for trial?

The public doesn't know what evidence she has, most of the important evidence, such as the autopsy report, has not been made public.

I'm so happy for Trayvon's parents. What courage and grace they have shown under intense pressure and scrutiny and grief. Whatever happens now, conviction or not, they will know that Florida and the US cared enough to do a thorough investigation into their son's death.

INDEED! This needed to happen - I mean that this law must be challenged. I assume that many would have taken their grief and walked away while muttering how unfair life can be. But this family stepped up to fight for weeks before their voice was heard.

An unarmed kid was shot - there HAS TO BE a full investigation. How can ANYONE disagree with that?

[Spock]

billb wrote:
I think they;'ll have a jury pore over the conflicting evidence of self defense and conflict initiation. It might still be a case the prosecution can't win, but trying knowing you're gonna lose will go a long way towards some sort of justice even if it is just a perceived one.

It may end up not going to trial.

I suspect that it will go something like this.

1. An arrest warrant will be issued.

2. Zimmerman will surrender to the police.

3. He will be charged with a relatively minor crime.

4. He will make bail immediately.

5. After more than a year he will cop a plea to an even lesser charge and do no jail time or the state will drop the case. Or ...

5a. He will go to trial and be acquitted.



FYI I live some 40 miles south of Sanford and the above scenario is based on a conversation I had with a local lawyer yesterday.

[OWC Jamie]

Pam wrote:
[quote=billb]
I think they;'ll have a jury pore over the conflicting evidence of self defense and conflict initiation. It might still be a case the prosecution can't win, but trying knowing you're gonna lose will go a long way towards some sort of justice even if it is just a perceived one.

You really want the guy to get off. Why?
You're projecting.
I don't care much for the protect your ground law.

[rjmacs]

Well, no matter the outcome, it's clear that public pressure made a real difference here. What's critical is that the process is transparent and accountable to the people.

I'm with you on the parents, LD - they have been persistent but even-tempered through a devastatingly frustrating and sorrowful time.

[Bill in NC]

I'm betting the charge will be some form of manslaughter.

[rjmacs]

Latest report is that he will be charged with 2nd degree murder and is already in custody.

[rjmacs]

Just watched the press conference. I'm impressed with Angela Corey.

[Lemon Drop]

Me too, and I'm really surprised that she went with 2nd degree. Wowzer, that's a very tough charge and carries a potential life sentence.
She obviously does not believe his self-defense story because second degree requires that she prove in court that he had "a depraved mind" when he shot Trayvon. They must have evidence to show his version was a lie.

She seemed to be doing a CYA for the Sanford police and the other SA, I guess that's what you'd expect. It's up to the feds to determine if they screwed up. After announcing so early that there would be no arrest of Zimmerman, it's tough to see how they did NOT screw up, big time.

[Pam]

No way did SYG mean you could instigate a confrontation and pull a weapon on an unarmed person.

[rjmacs]

Lemon Drop wrote:
Me too, and I'm really surprised that she went with 2nd degree. Wowzer, that's a very tough charge and carries a potential life sentence.
She obviously does not believe his self-defense story because second degree requires that she prove in court that he had "a depraved mind" when he shot Trayvon. They must have evidence to show his version was a lie.

She seemed to be doing a CYA for the Sanford police and the other SA, I guess that's what you'd expect. It's up to the feds to determine if they screwed up. After announcing so early that there would be no arrest of Zimmerman, it's tough to see how they did NOT screw up, big time.

Yeah, it never helps the state's case to position law enforcement as having screwed up earlier re: the investigation. They'll have some explaining to do about that.