Should Eric Holder pursue federal civil rights charges against Zimmerman?

[Nye Bevan]

Attorney General Eric Holder faces a crucial decision on whether to press federal civil rights charges against George Zimmerman, after the neighborhood watchman was acquitted Saturday in the shooting death of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin.
The NAACP and other leading civil rights groups are pressing for Holder to open a federal case against Zimmerman, after he was found not guilty on second-degree murder and manslaughter charges by a Florida jury.

The public pressure leaves Holder, the nation’s first African-American attorney general, facing a difficult decision on a controversial case that has grabbed the nation’s attention and sparked renewed debate about racial profiling.
In a statement from NAACP President Ben Jealous, the civil rights group said they were “not done demanding justice for Trayvon Martin.”

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/310843-holder-faces-big-decision-on-zimmerman#ixzz2Z1xDxO8E

10 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Yes, Eric Holder should pursue federal civil rights charges against Zimmerman.
	6 (60%)
	No, Eric Holder should not pursue federal civil rights charges against Zimmerman.
	4 (40%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
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[tularetom]

1. Of course he "should", but he won't

He should charge the big banks with fraud but he won't.

He should pursue war crimes charges against Bush era torturers but he won't.

He should re-open the case against Don Sielgelman but he won't.

And he should not try to bust every medical marijuana dispenser in America but he will.

[truebluegreen]

9. +1

[Ruby the Liberal]

2. Link to the NAACP Petition

Be patient - they have been having so much traffic this morning that the site keeps crashing. They were getting 20k signatures an hour earlier.

http://www.naacp.org/DOJ-petition-TWT

[librechik]

3. wait--you think there is some form of real justice here in the US?

thank you for my Morning Moment of Ironic Amusement.

Not that we all shouldn't expect simple non complicated justice here, and I honor all those who strive for it/ I want that too.

I have just realized over the last 10 years that "justice" was the first thing that disappeared after 9/11.

[rug]

4. If he can find a factual basis for alleging Zimmerman violated the civil rights requirement.

[nsd]

5. Zimmerman wasn't a police officer or any kind of government official.

How would federal civil rights laws be applicable?

[DLevine]

6. Hell yes. nt

[SaltyBro]

7. I sure hope so

There is no doubt that GZ violated Trayvon's civil rights by racially profiling him, following him and ultimately killing him.

[LittleBlue]

8. No. He won't file

It would be farcical, certain to be tossed out.

[LuvLoogie]

10. Eric Holder should get a job.

[Anansi1171]

11. From this Black Man - He Should Not File!

It feeds a states-rightist wing-nut narrative and would be a huge and unpopular gift to Rand Paul and the Republicans. We blacks need to self-organize for our common defense and I'm beginning to get the hint that the system will never be their to defend the minority from the majority when that minority is black.

Black Americans need to aggregate our power beyond the government and start acting like 10th of the economy.

I hate to say it, but maybe we do need our own state where our freedom can be guaranteed.

[ananda]

12. I managed to sign the wh petition.

I couldn't open the MoveOn petition for some reason.
I'll try again later.

[Pelican]

13. Nope..

It's the equivalent of a temper tantrum because you didn't get your way...

[milliespeaks]

14. Yes. He most definitely should.

After George Zimmerman notified the authorities of Trayvon looking suspicious, he was told that it wasn't necessary to continue following him. The wannabe POS cop should have let the real police handle the situation and then Trayvon would have still been alive. I have to admit, I might be a bit upset too if some seemingly paranoid freak started following me on my way home from the 7-11 and not knowing what this jerks intentions were. Civil rights issue? I'm not completely convinced. However, this sends a message that it's ok to take the law into your own hands.

[kestrel91316]

15. But he won't. He's an oreo if I ever saw one.