Sunday, June 16, 2013

Catching Up on The News

The show trial of George Zimmerman for the 2nd degree murder of Trayvon Martin is opening over in Sanford with jury selection nearly complete.  The judge has pretty much said the jury will be sequestered for the month or so of trial. 

Gun Shy Tourist at the "Around O-Town Orlando Area Crime Report and Firearms Blog" has links to good summary articles on the events of that night, and the investigative work done by bloggers and alternative media, because (as we all know) the mainstream media is in the pockets of the race-baiting industry on this one.  Links to American Thinker and The Last Refuge with really in-depth work, especially at the second one.  The Last Refuge article is a very deep investigation into what appears to be Trayvon's drug of choice (more or less in his own words), "lean", written by Dedicated Dad.
According to the autopsy report, Trayvon was 5'11" tall and weighed 158 pounds, the "ideal healthy weight" at that height being 160 pounds.  He was not the skinny little boy with the Skittles that half of America still believes him to be.  He was at least three inches taller than Zimmerman and only about 20 pounds lighter.
In the self-defense training I've taken, I've come to a view that whatever happens in a self-defense incident will be treated almost as if it's a dance in a courtroom.  Each move and counter-move changes the role of the parties and makes one the aggressor or victim.  When I first heard about this incident - I absolutely haven't paid as much attention to it as many have - I thought "bad shoot".  As time has gone by, though, it appears that the first reports were wrong (as they often are) or were lies like NBC's (once is too often).  It appears the night unfolded as Zimmerman reported it.  IANAL, but as I read it, when Zimmerman was following Martin, Zimmerman was the aggressor.  However, it does appear that when the dispatcher said, "we don't need you to be doing that" (following Martin) he went back to his truck, and then when Martin came after him, Martin became the aggressor.   That's why this isn't a stand your ground case.  When someone that's roughly your equal in size and weight, and probably your superior in fitness and strength, is straddling you, smashing your head on the ground and trying to get your gun, it's straightforward self defense. 


5 comments:

  1. For well-written summaries written in update form, Mike McDaniel has a great series on his blog at:
    http://statelymcdanielmanor.wordpress.com/category/courts-and-cops/the-trayvon-martin-case/

    There is a fellow who like you started out believing it was a bad shoot, and came to very much change his mind as more facts came out:
    http://ackbarsays.wordpress.com/2013/06/07/why-i-support-george-zimmerman/

    Watching the court hearings on youtube have convinced me that:
    It's a railroad job.
    The judge is in the tank for the prosecution.
    The prosecution has stacked the deck and committed criminal perjury, hiding exculpatory evidence.
    George Zimmerman is an innocent man.

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    1. Thanks, DC. I get the same impressions you outlined there.

      IMO, Angela Corey, the state prosecutor is either stupid or corrupt as hell. I've heard many experts, including Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, say the affidavit against Zimmerman was amateurish, at best, and potentially criminal in itself. here

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  2. And I am blaming Gov. Scott for appointing her. He has turned into a big disappointment to me for a number of reasons. Just another politician.
    Terry
    Fla.

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  3. Many people try to claim that Zimmerman did something wrong and therefore lost the right to defend himself. In looking at the facts I see nothing he did that was wrong or illegal but I disagree with the concept regardless. Once Trayvon was sitting on his chest punching him in the nose and banging his head into the sidewalk clearly Zimmerman had the right to defend himself and the only means at his disposal was the gun. If this had been a policeman on his back taking MMA like shots to his head he would have shot Trayvon and the media would have applauded him for doing so.

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