The trial of George Zimmerman

[vernsimpson]

I will not go out of my way to keep up on the trial. From all I have seen and heard, Zimmerman should not be charged with anything. But I fully expect that the "anti-gun" libs will do all they can to make sure he is found guilty. Then they can use this as an example to ban Conceal Carry. The anti-gun nuts are rabid about this case and they will pull out ALL stops to convict Zimmerman. I expect they will try to intimidate the jurors so they will convict no matter what the evidence is. I hope and pray that I am wrong!

 

[Danmc]

yes, but it SHOULDN'T. what a farce that is! If that fool Zimmerman had gotten his gun out sooner, he'd not be facing a trial, cause Martin would have had no choice but to back down. Ditto if he'd known a decent amount of hand to hand fighting. I can't even imagine any untrained punk getting on top of me!

Not all of us are super heros like you. That is why we carry equalizers.

 

[Bob_M]

I will not go out of my way to keep up on the trial. From all I have seen and heard, Zimmerman should not be charged with anything. But I fully expect that the "anti-gun" libs will do all they can to make sure he is found guilty. Then they can use this as an example to ban Conceal Carry. The anti-gun nuts are rabid about this case and they will pull out ALL stops to convict Zimmerman. I expect they will try to intimidate the jurors so they will convict no matter what the evidence is. I hope and pray that I am wrong!

Vern, I'm in complete agreement with you on all the above. I too, hope that we are both wrong about that conviction.

 

[BC1]

I am a neighborhood watch captain. To your point about patrols, when our watch was set up and representatives from our PD came to brief us on the process, they emphasized the need for safety patrols in addition to people observing from their homes. However, they also emphasized 1) that IF it became necessary to follow someone, that we did so at a distance, keeping our surroundings in mind at all times, and 2) that we not initiate contact with the suspicious individual. If following could be done from the safety of a vehicle, then that was the absolute best approach. But following up alleys, between homes, etc., was not encouraged. Above all, following law enforcement instructions was paramount. If LEOs believed they had enough information and advised us to break off surveillance, then that is what we are to do. There HAVE been some instances in which I have been asked by LEOs to maintain surveillance as long as I could do so discreetly and from a safe distance.

Mr. Zimmerman has my sympathies that he finds himself in this situation, but I still maintain that if he had followed the instructions he received from 911, stayed in his vehicle, and broke off surveilling Martin when he was explicitly told that they didn't need him following the young man, Martin would probably still be alive, Zimmerman wouldn't be fighting for his freedom, and Sharpton and Co. wouldn't have this ammunition to use against the rest of us. I believe Zimmerman is an excellent example of what NOT to do.

You mean to say Mr. Z has your sympathies that he put himself in this situation.
.
I always tell people to contact their attorney, tell him you're going to join a watch program. You have no insurance, no training, no experience, no education, no security license, no indemnification by he HOA. You intend to follow people as part of the watch. Tell me what his advises.

 

[BC1]

My thoughts??

1) How would I handle a "Zimmerman"?
What is "a Zimmerman"...Is 'A Zimmerman' some kind of wild beast??

2) What would I say to "An over-zealous neighborhood watch guy"?
Seems to me that you have allready convicted Mr. Zimmerman of being 'Over-Zealous' by the way you are wording things in a pretty biased manner imvho.

3) What would "My reaction be if someone was following me"?
Well, for starters I would not physically attack him and start bashing his brains into the concrete without just cause. It's not illegal for someone to 'follow' you out in public is it??

My thoughts you ask??
My thoughts are this.......

Zimmerman screwed up by getting out of his car (which is still not illegal).

Treyvon really screwed up by 'illegally assaulting' (a law abiding citizen) with unjustified deadly force when he punched said citizen in the face and then began violently smashing the law abiding citizens head/skull/brains into the concrete. The armed (Law Abiding) citizen then clearly feared for his own life (rightly so) and shot his attacker (Treyvon) in self-defense.

Treyvon is now worm food because he played a very stupid game and he won a very stupid prize.

In conclusion, we have one less idiot in this world (Treyvon) and we have the victim of a deadly assault (Zimmerman) unjustly facing hard time in prison and a forever ruined personal life because of political correctness run amock.

Now please tell us 'your thoughts' sir...

If someone punched you in the face, overpowered you and then began smashing your brains into the concrete (and you were armed) wouldn't you shoot your attacker in self-defense? Or would you simply let your attacker continue his violent assault against you?

I don't think TM would have been able to do that to me, so the idea of using lethal force is moot. I do think Z was overzealous. And while there is no law against being overzealous it can have consequences. I think if he could do it over again Z would rethink the whole neighborhood watch thing too. And if guests to my home complained about being followed, the HOA would have me to deal with. His watchman days would be over.
.
Is he guilty? I have no idea. No one here has any idea what happened that night.

 

[ezkl2230]

I assume you listened to the 911 call correct?

He did listen to the operator. He didn't leave his vehicle until he told the operator that trayvon ran out of sight. The operator asked if Zimmerman could still see him, to which Zimmerman then got out of his car and said again no he ran out of sight. THEN the operator asked if Zimmerman got out of his vehicle. When Zimmerman said yes, it was suggested that Zimmerman not need to do that and police will be there shortly. Zimmerman said OKAY and as far as I'm concerned, he started back to his vehicle just like he said he did.

I'm not sure why so many people think Zimmerman got out off his vehicle after he was suggested not to. That is clearly not the case. I'm also not sure why people think he didn't follow operators suggestion, when he was.

Unless of course, you didn't listen to the call. Then you wouldn't have known that...in which case how can you judge him without the evidence?

I have both listened to the call many times, and I have a time-stamped transcript of the call. And as much as you would like to interpret it this way, at no time did dispatch ever ask Zimmerman to do anything more than OBSERVE AND REPORT. Those two words are absolutely hammered into you during neighborhood watch training. Observe and Report, but do not follow, and NEVER approach. Those are the cardinal rules of neighborhood watch - something Zimmerman should have known if he actually ever went through neighborhood watch training. All dispatch ever asked him to do was inform them of his observations. In fact, when they began to suspect at 2:24 that Zimmerman is actually following Martin, not just observing him, the following exchange takes place:

911 dispatcher:

Are you following him? [2:24]

Zimmerman:

Yeah. [2:25]

911 dispatcher:

OK.

We don’t need you to do that. [2:26]

Zimmerman:

OK. [2:28]

He is explicitly informed that they do not want him to follow Martin.

The only other previous requests Zimmerman received from dispatch are, "Let me know if he does anything, OK?" (approx 1:21), and a few seconds later, "We’ve got him (Zimmerman) on the wire. Just let me know if this guy (Martin) does anything else." At NO TIME during the 4:07 call did dispatch EVER ask him to trail or follow Martin.

 

[Kalamity023]

What's most interesting about this case is the denial from the court to enter TM's character evidence in the whole thing. I'm not condoning GZ's actions, nor am I wishing to convict him. I think the Judge and the prosecution has, however, set him up for conviction due to the exclusion of character evidence. They are not allowing Facebook posts indicating that TM was a recreational drug user, nor the picture that he took with a firearm. They are excluding his suspension from school for fighting from the case. All things that would show that he was not the "good boy" that everyone claims he was.

The younger generation is quick to solve problems physically. They have never learned self control or respect, or the idea that there are other people who demand respect. They throw around the idea of respect demanding it without fully understanding its principles. I can picture the event in my head. TM probably felt disrespected, GZ didn't handle it like a prudent individual. Now TM is dead. Both parties are at fault here, however, do I think GZ is guilty of murder no.

I'll probably catch the highlights in the evenings until I can stand no more.

 

[gejoslin]

My thoughts??

1) How would I handle a "Zimmerman"?
What is "a Zimmerman"...Is 'A Zimmerman' some kind of wild beast??

2) What would I say to "An over-zealous neighborhood watch guy"?
Seems to me that you have allready convicted Mr. Zimmerman of being 'Over-Zealous' by the way you are wording things in a pretty biased manner imvho.

3) What would "My reaction be if someone was following me"?
Well, for starters I would not physically attack him and start bashing his brains into the concrete without just cause. It's not illegal for someone to 'follow' you out in public is it??

My thoughts you ask??
My thoughts are this.......

Zimmerman screwed up by getting out of his car (which is still not illegal).

Treyvon really screwed up by 'illegally assaulting' (a law abiding citizen) with unjustified deadly force when he punched said citizen in the face and then began violently smashing the law abiding citizens head/skull/brains into the concrete. The armed (Law Abiding) citizen then clearly feared for his own life (rightly so) and shot his attacker (Treyvon) in self-defense.

Treyvon is now worm food because he played a very stupid game and he won a very stupid prize.

In conclusion, we have one less idiot in this world (Treyvon) and we have the victim of a deadly assault (Zimmerman) unjustly facing hard time in prison and a forever ruined personal life because of political correctness run amok.

Now please tell us 'your thoughts' sir...

If someone punched you in the face, overpowered you and then began smashing your brains into the concrete (and you were armed) wouldn't you shoot your attacker in self-defense? Or would you simply let your attacker continue his violent assault against you?

This is Disparity of Force and lethal force is justified to stop the deadly threat to life. imo YMMV

 

[BC1]

What's most interesting about this case is the denial from the court to enter TM's character evidence in the whole thing. I'm not condoning GZ's actions, nor am I wishing to convict him. I think the Judge and the prosecution has, however, set him up for conviction due to the exclusion of character evidence. They are not allowing Facebook posts indicating that TM was a recreational drug user, nor the picture that he took with a firearm. They are excluding his suspension from school for fighting from the case. All things that would show that he was not the "good boy" that everyone claims he was.

The younger generation is quick to solve problems physically. They have never learned self control or respect, or the idea that there are other people who demand respect. They throw around the idea of respect demanding it without fully understanding its principles. I can picture the event in my head. TM probably felt disrespected, GZ didn't handle it like a prudent individual. Now TM is dead. Both parties are at fault here, however, do I think GZ is guilty of murder no.

I'll probably catch the highlights in the evenings until I can stand no more.

I don't think the character evidence has any bearing on the case. It is the job of the judge to ensure a fair trial for all parties. Recreational drug use will get into the trial as TM had MaryJane in his blood stream and the autopsy findings are admitted. But as a juror that wouldn't sway me. If anything, pot makes one mellower. I can't make a connection between recreational pot use and violence. The photo also has no bearing. There is nothing illegal about him having a photo taken with a firearm. It doesn't mean he's good or bad. I do think the fighting should be allowed-in as it goes to TM's general behavior when he feels provoked

 

[Kramer1113]

When Posting the transcript, Posting it all lets us see that Mr. Zimmerman stopped following Mr. Martin.

Dispatcher: Sanford Police Department. ...
Zimmerman: Hey we've had some break-ins in my neighborhood, and there's a
real suspicious guy, uh, [near] Retreat View Circle, um, the best address I can
give you is 111 Retreat View Circle. This guy looks like he's up to no good, or
he's on drugs or something. It's raining and he's just walking around, looking
about.
Dispatcher: OK, and this guy is he white, black, or Hispanic?
Zimmerman: He looks black.
Dispatcher: Did you see what he was wearing?
Zimmerman: Yeah. A dark hoodie, like a grey hoodie, and either jeans or
sweatpants and white tennis shoes. He's [unintelligible], he was just staring...
Dispatcher: OK, he's just walking around the area...
Zimmerman: ...looking at all the houses.
Dispatcher: OK...
Zimmerman: Now he's just staring at me.
Dispatcher: OK—you said it's 1111 Retreat View? Or 111?
Zimmerman: That's the clubhouse...
Dispatcher: That's the clubhouse, do you know what the—he's near the
clubhouse right now?
Zimmerman: Yeah, now he's coming towards me.
Dispatcher: OK.
Zimmerman: He's got his hand in his waistband. And he's a black male.
Z
Dispatcher: How old would you say he looks?
Zimmerman: He's got button on his shirt, late teens.
Dispatcher: Late teens ok.
Zimmerman: Somethings wrong with him. Yup, he's coming to check me out, he's got
something in his hands, I don't know what his deal is.
Dispatcher: Just let me know if he does anything ok
Zimmerman: How long until you get an officer over here?
Dispatcher: Yeah we've got someone on the way, just let me know if this guy does
anything else.
Zimmerman: Okay. These assholes they always get away. When you come to the
clubhouse you come straight in and make a left. Actually you would go past the
clubhouse.
Dispatcher: So it's on the lefthand side from the clubhouse?
Zimmerman: No you go in straight through the entrance and then you make a left...uh
you go straight in, don't turn, and make a left. **** he's running.
Dispatcher: He's running? Which way is he running?
Zimmerman: Down towards the other entrance to the neighborhood.
Dispatcher: Which entrance is that that he's heading towards?
Zimmerman: The back entrance...******* [unintelligible]
Dispatcher: Are you following him?
Zimmerman: Yeah
Dispatcher: Ok, we don't need you to do that.
Zimmerman: Ok
Dispatcher: Alright sir what is your name?
Zimmerman: George...He ran.
Dispatcher: Alright George what's your last name?
Zimmerman: Zimmerman
Dispatcher: And George what's the phone number you're calling from?
Zimmerman: [redacted by
Mother Jones
]
Dispatcher: Alright George we do have them on the way, do you want to meet with the
officer when they get out there?
Zimmerman: Alright, where you going to meet with them at?
Zimmerman: If they come in through the gate, tell them to go straight past the
club house, and uh, straight past the club house and make a left, and then they
go past the mailboxes, that’s my truck...[unintelligible]
Dispatcher: What address are you parked in front of?
Zimmerman: I don’t know, it’s a cut through so I don’t know the address.
Dispatcher: Okay do you live in the area?
Zimmerman: Yeah, I...[unintelligible]
Dispatcher: What’s your apartment number?
Zimmerman: It’s a home it’s 1950, oh crap I don’t want to give it all out, I don’t
know where this kid is.
Dispatcher: Okay do you want to just meet with them right near the mailboxes
then?
Zimmerman: Yeah that’s fine.
Dispatcher: Alright George, I’ll let them know to meet you around there okay?
Zimmerman: Actually could you have them call me and I’ll tell them where I’m at?
Dispatcher: Okay, yeah that’s no problem.
Zimmerman: Should I give you my number or you got it?
Dispatcher: Yeah I got it [redacted by
Mother Jones
]
Zimmerman: Yeah you got it.
Dispatcher: Okay no problem, I’ll let them know to call you when you’re in the
area.
Zimmerman: Thanks.
Dispatcher: You’re welcome.

 

[BC1]

When Posting the transcript, Posting it all lets us see that Mr. Zimmerman stopped following Mr. Martin.

Dispatcher: Sanford Police Department. ...
Zimmerman: Hey we've had some break-ins in my neighborhood, and there's a
real suspicious guy, uh, [near] Retreat View Circle, um, the best address I can
give you is 111 Retreat View Circle. This guy looks like he's up to no good, or
he's on drugs or something. It's raining and he's just walking around, looking
about.
Dispatcher: OK, and this guy is he white, black, or Hispanic?
Zimmerman: He looks black.
Dispatcher: Did you see what he was wearing?
Zimmerman: Yeah. A dark hoodie, like a grey hoodie, and either jeans or
sweatpants and white tennis shoes. He's [unintelligible], he was just staring...
Dispatcher: OK, he's just walking around the area...
Zimmerman: ...looking at all the houses.
Dispatcher: OK...
Zimmerman: Now he's just staring at me.
Dispatcher: OK—you said it's 1111 Retreat View? Or 111?
Zimmerman: That's the clubhouse...
Dispatcher: That's the clubhouse, do you know what the—he's near the
clubhouse right now?
Zimmerman: Yeah, now he's coming towards me.
Dispatcher: OK.
Zimmerman: He's got his hand in his waistband. And he's a black male.
Z
Dispatcher: How old would you say he looks?
Zimmerman: He's got button on his shirt, late teens.
Dispatcher: Late teens ok.
Zimmerman: Somethings wrong with him. Yup, he's coming to check me out, he's got
something in his hands, I don't know what his deal is.
Dispatcher: Just let me know if he does anything ok
Zimmerman: How long until you get an officer over here?
Dispatcher: Yeah we've got someone on the way, just let me know if this guy does
anything else.
Zimmerman: Okay. These assholes they always get away. When you come to the
clubhouse you come straight in and make a left. Actually you would go past the
clubhouse.
Dispatcher: So it's on the lefthand side from the clubhouse?
Zimmerman: No you go in straight through the entrance and then you make a left...uh
you go straight in, don't turn, and make a left. **** he's running.
Dispatcher: He's running? Which way is he running?
Zimmerman: Down towards the other entrance to the neighborhood.
Dispatcher: Which entrance is that that he's heading towards?
Zimmerman: The back entrance...******* [unintelligible]
Dispatcher: Are you following him?
Zimmerman: Yeah
Dispatcher: Ok, we don't need you to do that.
Zimmerman: Ok
Dispatcher: Alright sir what is your name?
Zimmerman: George...He ran.
Dispatcher: Alright George what's your last name?
Zimmerman: Zimmerman
Dispatcher: And George what's the phone number you're calling from?
Zimmerman: [redacted by
Mother Jones
]
Dispatcher: Alright George we do have them on the way, do you want to meet with the
officer when they get out there?
Zimmerman: Alright, where you going to meet with them at?
Zimmerman: If they come in through the gate, tell them to go straight past the
club house, and uh, straight past the club house and make a left, and then they
go past the mailboxes, that’s my truck...[unintelligible]
Dispatcher: What address are you parked in front of?
Zimmerman: I don’t know, it’s a cut through so I don’t know the address.
Dispatcher: Okay do you live in the area?
Zimmerman: Yeah, I...[unintelligible]
Dispatcher: What’s your apartment number?
Zimmerman: It’s a home it’s 1950, oh crap I don’t want to give it all out, I don’t
know where this kid is.
Dispatcher: Okay do you want to just meet with them right near the mailboxes
then?
Zimmerman: Yeah that’s fine.
Dispatcher: Alright George, I’ll let them know to meet you around there okay?
Zimmerman: Actually could you have them call me and I’ll tell them where I’m at?
Dispatcher: Okay, yeah that’s no problem.
Zimmerman: Should I give you my number or you got it?
Dispatcher: Yeah I got it [redacted by
Mother Jones
]
Zimmerman: Yeah you got it.
Dispatcher: Okay no problem, I’ll let them know to call you when you’re in the
area.
Zimmerman: Thanks.
Dispatcher: You’re welcome.

Damn! Where did the confrontation occur? Was it at GZ's car?

 

[Kramer1113]

IMHO, this is the true story to the very best of Mr. Zimmerman's recollection. I Believe him.

He almost made it to his Truck.

 

[Kramer1113]

 

[r1derbike]

I lost hope of Zim getting a fair trial when president Obama, after learning of Treyvon's death, said Treyvon could have been a son of his. Where was his concern for George, who looked pretty beaten-up? This, before any irrrefutable facts/trial/case. I don't know who is right, or wrong here, but I do know presidential bigotry when it raises its ugly head.

 

[Firefighterchen]

I have both listened to the call many times, and I have a time-stamped transcript of the call. And as much as you would like to interpret it this way, at no time did dispatch ever ask Zimmerman to do anything more than OBSERVE AND REPORT. Those two words are absolutely hammered into you during neighborhood watch training. Observe and Report, but do not follow, and NEVER approach. Those are the cardinal rules of neighborhood watch - something Zimmerman should have known if he actually ever went through neighborhood watch training. All dispatch ever asked him to do was inform them of his observations. In fact, when they began to suspect at 2:24 that Zimmerman is actually following Martin, not just observing him, the following exchange takes place:



He is explicitly informed that they do not want him to follow Martin.

The only other previous requests Zimmerman received from dispatch are, "Let me know if he does anything, OK?" (approx 1:21), and a few seconds later, "We’ve got him (Zimmerman) on the wire. Just let me know if this guy (Martin) does anything else." At NO TIME during the 4:07 call did dispatch EVER ask him to trail or follow Martin.

Mr. ....but I still maintain that if he had followed the instructions he received from 911, stayed in his vehicle, and broke off surveilling Martin when he was explicitly told that they didn't need him following the young man ...

Dispatcher: He's running? Which way is he running?
Zimmerman: Down towards the other entrance to the neighborhood.
Dispatcher: Which entrance is that that he's heading towards?
Zimmerman: The back entrance...******* [unintelligible]
Dispatcher: Are you following him?
Zimmerman: Yeah
Dispatcher: Ok, we don't need you to do that. <<< this is the explicit orders you are talking about right? Well after the questions about Martin's location, and after Zimmerman was out of his vehicle.
Zimmerman: Ok
Dispatcher: Alright sir what is your name?
Zimmerman: George...He ran.

At no time PRIOR to him getting out of his vehicle was he told NOT to. I'm not talking about neighborhoods watch protocols. I'm talking about those who feel he disobeyed a dispatcher. He didn't. The "explicitly informed" Zimmerman followed orders.

Are you blaming him for not follow those explicit orders before they were even given?

 

[ezkl2230]

Dispatcher: He's running? Which way is he running?
Zimmerman: Down towards the other entrance to the neighborhood.
Dispatcher: Which entrance is that that he's heading towards?
Zimmerman: The back entrance...******* [unintelligible]
Dispatcher: Are you following him?
Zimmerman: Yeah
Dispatcher: Ok, we don't need you to do that. <<< this is the explicit orders you are talking about right? Well after the questions about Martin's location, and after Zimmerman was out of his vehicle.
Zimmerman: Ok
Dispatcher: Alright sir what is your name?
Zimmerman: George...He ran.

At no time PRIOR to him getting out of his vehicle was he told NOT to. I'm not talking about neighborhoods watch protocols. I'm talking about those who feel he disobeyed a dispatcher. He didn't. The "explicitly informed" Zimmerman followed orders.

Are you blaming him for not follow those explicit orders before they were even given?

I have made my point, and I stand by my interpretation. This has EVERYTHING to do with following neighborhood watch protocols for a man who claimed to be a neighborhood watch captain and now faces the very real prospect of spending a significant portion of his life behind bars for violating those protocols. They exist for a reason. If the police want me to follow someone as a neighborhood watch captain, they will ask me to do so - and I have been explicitly asked to do so a couple of times, as long as I was able to follow discreetly and from the safety of my vehicle. But at no time have they ever asked me to continue following someone on foot after they left plain view, which is exactly what Zimmerman did. That doesn't fit your theory of what took place. Too bad.

 

[Firefighterchen]

I have made my point, and I stand by my interpretation. This has EVERYTHING to do with following neighborhood watch protocols for a man who claimed to be a neighborhood watch captain and now faces the very real prospect of spending a significant portion of his life behind bars for violating those protocols. They exist for a reason. If the police want me to follow someone as a neighborhood watch captain, they will ask me to do so - and I have been explicitly asked to do so a couple of times, as long as I was able to follow discreetly and from the safety of my vehicle. But at no time have they ever asked me to continue following someone on foot after they left plain view, which is exactly what Zimmerman did. That doesn't fit your theory of what took place. Too bad.

If your theory is saying he didn't follow neighborhood watch protocols then I was mistaken. I thought you said he didn't follow 911 orders:

"but I still maintain that if he had followed the instructions he received from 911, stayed in his vehicle, and broke off surveilling Martin when he was explicitly told that they didn't need him following the young man

So what you really meant to say was he didn't follow neighborhood watch protocols, not that he didn't follow 911's explicit orders.

Does his HOA have a neighborhood watch program? Do they have the same protocols as yours?

 

[The_Outlaw]

I don't think TM would have been able to do that to me, so the idea of using lethal force is moot. I do think Z was overzealous. And while there is no law against being overzealous it can have consequences. I think if he could do it over again Z would rethink the whole neighborhood watch thing too. And if guests to my home complained about being followed, the HOA would have me to deal with. His watchman days would be over.
.
Is he guilty? I have no idea. No one here has any idea what happened that night.

You are dodging my question.....So I will ask you again.

"If someone punched you in the face, physically overpowered you and then proceeded to bash your skull/brains into the concrete (and you were armed) would you shoot your attacker in self-defense or would you not shoot your attacker as his violent assault against you continued"?

A simple 'yes' or 'no' would suffice.

No spin please.

 

[Sir Diealotz]

I don't think TM would have been able to do that to me, so the idea of using lethal force is moot. I do think Z was overzealous. And while there is no law against being overzealous it can have consequences. I think if he could do it over again Z would rethink the whole neighborhood watch thing too. And if guests to my home complained about being followed, the HOA would have me to deal with. His watchman days would be over.
.
Is he guilty? I have no idea. No one here has any idea what happened that night.

You are dodging my question.....So I will ask you again.

"If someone punched you in the face, physically overpowered you and then proceeded to bash your skull/brains into the concrete (and you were armed) would you shoot your attacker in self-defense or would you not shoot your attacker as his violent assault against you continued"?

A simple 'yes' or 'no' would suffice.

No spin please.

He won't answer yes or no because it will prove your point and reverse his argument

 

[Rabbitcreekok]

One thing that has gotten lost in all the hoopla is that this incident occurred fully one month before we ever heard about its occurrence. Apparently local law enforcement and DA had decided not to pursue an arrest of Zimmerman, otherwise they would have arrested and charged him that night. He was taken in and questioned and released.

Then the Obama minions heard about a black guy being killed by a "white" guy who had a carry permit and they whispered in the ear of the media and it took off from that point. The media was really disappointed to find out that although Zimmerman appears to belong to a "white" guy, he is actually Hispanic. So the media called him a White Hispanic.

Then when the noise level reached the breaking point, the State of Florida stepped in with a prosecutor from the state level and decided to charge Zimmerman.

So it appears that Zimmerman was not going to be charged with anything until the media got involved. That is the way I remember it occurring.