The State of Florida vs George Zimmerman: The Trial

After these lengthy arguments by both sides, Nelson rejected the motion for an acquitted verdict in a two sentence statement from the bench, which was disappointing but totally in keeping with her track record in this trial–nearly perfect reflexive support of the State prosecutors and disfavor of the defense.

What WAS surprising is when she immediately insisted–demanded, really–that the defense immediately call their first witness. This is notable because of the hour–5PM on a Friday afternoon in a long, long trial. For those not familiar with state courts, if you ever need to test fire a cannon without risk of human injury, any courthouse in the country at 5PM on a Friday is a pretty safe testing ground. Gladys Zimmerman, George Zimmerman’s Mother

The first defense witness was a bit of a surprise, but the kind I’ve come to expect from O’Mara and West–George Zimmerman’s mother, Gladys Zimmerman. She was here on a similar mission to that of Sabryna Fulton–to testify that the voice screaming for help on the Jenna Lauer 911 recording was her son. This she did. On cross Bernie de la Rionda took the tack of suggesting that one couldn’t really be expected to accurately match a person’s normal voice to that of them screaming–a deeply ironic approach considering that only before he had expected just that of Sabryna Fulton, and indeed had argued for such a matching through many days and experts of a Frye hearing. Asked if she had ever before heard her son scream like on the tape, Mrs. Zimmerman could only be honest–no, not exactly like that.

O’Mara came back strong, however. Is that scream of anguish, fear, and terror without question your son’s voice?” “Yes,” she answered.

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Jorge Meza, Orange County Courthouse Deputy, Uncle of George Zimmerman

The second defense witness was George Zimmerman’s uncle, Jorge Meza, an Orange County Courthouse deputy with 36 years experience in uniform (Orange County abuts Seminole County). He appeared this day not as a law enforcement officer, however, but simply as George’s uncle. He testified that he had been at home working on his computer while his wife separately watched the news on television when he heard the scream come from the TV.

Instantly, he said, he knew it was George. “All I heard on the TV was the scream, it was my nephew screaming for his life, without question. It WAS George screaming.” He explained the sound was so familiar to him because George had long played with his own sons, and he was familiar with their laughs and screams together. “I felt the screams in my heart,” he testified firmly but emotionally. It is notable that this is the first member of either family who has claimed to have identified the voice absent a suggestive environment.

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Officer Meza was the last witness of the day, and so the last two witness the jury will mull over the weekend will be Zimmerman’s mother and uncle having identified George Zimmerman as the screamer on the 911 call. Final Thought for the Week: Get Ready for a Brutal Defense

One aside before I fully wrap this up. To me, the biggest take home message of the day was not the scream identification of either the Martin or Zimmerman family, but rather the mid-trial motions and response by the State. Mantei’s web of half-truths and claims utterly unsupported by any evidence whatever showed the State was as hungry for George Zimmerman’s hide as they must have been when first handed the political prosecution of their careers. They would see George Zimmerman do life in prison, whether warranted by the evidence or not, or they would die in the effort. Given the almost complete lack of direct evidence, and the need to wildly interpret the available circumstantial evidence–and particularly following the utter debacle that was the Dr. Bao testimony–one could only imagine that their fervor would have diminished. Not so.

O’Mara’s response was that of a sheepdog to a wolf. If the State wanted Zimmerman’s hide, they’d have to fight for it, hard, and at high cost. Any thought that there might be a relatively brief defense was cast aside. I expect that not only will there be a vigorous defense, it will be a 10 gauge double-barreled coach-gun defense, to the head.

One cannot but draw the natural parallel–just as Trayvon Martin sought to punish George Zimmerman and discovered at the cost of his life that Zimmerman was not the easy target he’d perceived him to be, now it is the turn of Zimmerman’s defense team to similarly disabuse the State prosecutors. Their lives, of course, are secure. I would not, however, want my professional reputation to be at the wrong end of the defense’s considerable talent and righteous attention. Have a Great Weekend! Keep Eyes Open for Analysis Moving Forward

OK, that’s it for today. This weekend I’ll write up a lengthier post about both side’s oral arguments in their mid-trial motions today, and what it suggests for their respective strategies moving forward. If time permits, I’ll also try to put some additional detail into the remarkable detail of Dr. Shiping Bao today–the most remarkable piece of courtroom testimony I’ve ever seen by someone who is presumably a professional at such appearances.

George’s father and uncle are from the US Army. The uncle a retired Sgt Major and the father a retired officer, probably a Lt Colonel, or might have retired as a full colonel. George comes from a fine family. His father went on to be a magistrate in Virginia. George’s has always wanted to be in law enforcement and do whatever he can to help out his fellow man. He does not strike me as a liberal Obamagabe supporter. Most career military men are pretty conservative and raise their children as such.

She lobbied for paid vacation time, and was give 8 months paid vacation time courtesy of donated sick leave by other workers.

She [Trayvon's Mom] lied on the stand today - she knows that was not Trayvon's voice on the 911 call. Moreover, she had not told the truth about what trouble she knew her son was involved in prior to his death (drugs, vandalism, suspension from school, fighting, possession of stolen property and burglary implements on school grounds).

She is an evil woman.

Most career military men are pretty conservative and raise their children as such.

OCALA, Fla., July 2, 2013 -- /PRNewswire/ -- Florida State's Attorney Angela Corey has been indicted by a citizens' grand jury, convening in Ocala, Florida, over the alleged falsification of the arrest warrant and complaint that lead to George Zimmerman being charged with the second degree murder of African-American teenager Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida.

The indictment of Corey, which was handed down last week (see www.citizensgrandjury.com), charges Corey with intentionally withholding photographic evidence of the injuries to George Zimmerman's head in the warrant she allegedly rushed to issue under oath, in an effort to boost her reelection prospects. At the outset of this case, black activists such as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, who whipped up wrath against Zimmerman, demanded that he be charged with murder, after local police had thus far declined to arrest him pending investigation.

Following Corey's criminal complaint charging Zimmerman, legal experts such as Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz condemned her for falsely signing an arrest affidavit under oath, which intentionally omitted exculpatory evidence consisting of the photographs showing the injuries Zimmerman sustained, and rushing to charge him with second degree murder under political pressure. Dershowitz called her actions unethical and themselves crimes (http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/drop-george-zimmerman-murder-charge-article-1.1080161).

Larry Klayman, a former U.S. Justice Department prosecutor, a Florida lawyer since 1977, and now the "citizens' prosecutor" who presided over the Ocala grand jury said this: "The Supreme Court has confirmed that the grand jury belongs to the American people, not the three branches of government. (504 U.S. 36, 48 (1992) (quoting United States v. R. Enterprises, Inc., 498 U.S. 292, 297 (1991)). By indicting Florida State Attorney Angela Corey, the people are exercising their God given rights, recognized by our Founding Fathers, to mete out justice when the political and legal establishment subverts the rule of law. Hopefully, this indictment will serve as a warning to the political and legal establishment that they are not above the law. Ironically, Corey will now be tried and likely convicted for her alleged crimes – which resulted in Zimmerman being charged under false pretenses, now coming home to roost during Zimmerman's on-going trial. Corruption cannot be tolerated, particularly by law enforcement officers who are elected by the people to serve their ends, not the law enforcement officer's political ends."

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/07/02/5539380/zimmerman-prosecutor-angela-corey.html#storylink=cpy

One aside before I fully wrap this up. To me, the biggest take home message of the day was not the scream identification of either the Martin or Zimmerman family, but rather the mid-trial motions and response by the State. Mantei’s web of half-truths and claims utterly unsupported by any evidence whatever showed the State was as hungry for George Zimmerman’s hide as they must have been when first handed the political prosecution of their careers. They would see George Zimmerman do life in prison, whether warranted by the evidence or not, or they would die in the effort. Given the almost complete lack of direct evidence, and the need to wildly interpret the available circumstantial evidence–and particularly following the utter debacle that was the Dr. Bao testimony–one could only imagine that their fervor would have diminished. Not so.

O’Mara’s response was that of a sheepdog to a wolf. If the State wanted Zimmerman’s hide, they’d have to fight for it, hard, and at high cost.

By indicting Florida State Attorney Angela Corey, the people are exercising their God given rights, recognized by our Founding Fathers, to mete out justice when the political and legal establishment subverts the rule of law. Hopefully, this indictment will serve as a warning to the political and legal establishment that they are not above the law.

Quote:

...Martin being intoxicated would exonerate Zimmerman...

But Martin wasn't "intoxicated"--that's not what the ME said on the stand.

He said the concentration he had measured in Martin's blood may or may not have had an effect. If it did have an effect, that would plausibly explain why Zimmerman thought "he's on drugs or something." Remember, this story is not for Zimmerman's story to prove; it's for Florida's to refute. And

if the THC dosage had an effect --- as the autopsist said it may have --- then Florida has not refuted the story.

Based on that interpretation, all you need to do to murder someone
in Florida is make sure there are no witnesses and then claim self defense.

"I swear, your honor, he had a pointed stick!"

And also, I might add, the "suspicious character" was only "suspicious" in Zimmerman's biased mind. He had in fact done NOTHING that could be considered a crime, nor had he any such intent. It was entirely Zimmerman's fault.

Under David's scenario, the macho wannabe-cop, packing a gun, which is primarily, depite David, an offensive weapon, with animus toward "the assholes who always get away", on the prod, who violated the terms of the neighborhood watch, CHASED Trayvon, ignoring the advice not to, and confronted him. That is PREDATOR=prey interaction--when the predator sees his prey fleeing, the chase-and-pounce reflex is initiated. Trayvon, on the other hand, frightened by this creepy, agressive character, ran awy.

Then, assocrding to David, Zimmerman, the agressor, turns into a scaredy rabbit, and Trayvon, the scared kid avoiding confrontation, turns into a homicidal maniac, all within two minutes.

That, David, just doesn't compute.

We know Zimmerman lkied about his knowledge of Stand Your Ground and Florida law. It seems pretty cleared he crafted his story deliberately to make himself appear the innocent victim, and it seems pretty clear the physical evidence doesn't bear him out

He killed an innocent kid, not a "suspicious character", and even if he's found not guilty, in a gross miscarriage of justice, he's managed to screw himself so thoroughly no police department in the country w2ould touch him with a ten-foot pole. And the country is the safer for that. Zimmerman should never be trusted with a badge.

I mean, how stupid does a libtard have to be to believe that the person on top
in a MMA-style beatdown is the one yelling for help.....

Much has been made of Zimmy 's desires to become a police officer.