DOJ placing hold on all Zimmerman trial evidence, including HIS GUN!

[AllINeedIsCoffee]

bob kealing @bobkealing

Breaking: Sanford police confirm Dept of Justice placing a hold on all evidence from the #Zimmerman trial including his gun.

Department of Justice Statement:

"As the Department first acknowledged last year, we have an open investigation into the death of Trayvon Martin. The Department of Justice's Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division, the United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation continue to evaluate the evidence generated during the federal investigation, as well as the evidence and testimony from the state trial. Experienced federal prosecutors will determine whether the evidence reveals a prosecutable violation of any of the limited federal criminal civil rights statutes within our jurisdiction, and whether federal prosecution is appropriate in accordance with the Department's policy governing successive federal prosecution following a state trial.”

http://www.cfnews13.com/content/news/cfnews13/news/article.html/content/news/articles/cfn/2013/7/18/justice_deptartment_.html

[msanthrope]

1. Good. nt

[Mr. David]

2. I would be delighted to see it accidentally destroyed or rendered useless.

Zimmerman still can't have his gun.

I'm sure every single FFL dealer is willing to give him a gun (eye rolls)

[NV Whino]

3. A minor victory, but I would be happy if he never got back his gun.

[spin]

9. He can always buy a new one. (n/t)

[TheLion]

35. Don't weep for Zimmerman's gun

Someone will buy him a new one.

[spin]

37. Welcome to DU. (n/t)

[calimary]

58. Welcome to DU, TheLion!

Glad you're here!

I think you're spot-on. And it's unfortunate too. This monster is the LAST person on the face of the earth who should be entitled to have a gun, concealed or otherwise. He's a menace. Now, sadly, unleashed and excused and absolved and validated, and walking free.

[No Vested Interest]

123. It's highly likely that he already has at least another one

and his wife as well.

[spin]

127. That is quite possible. (n/t)

[rhett o rick]

18. It's only symbolic but I agree. nm

[hack89]

4. They have to go through the motions

I doubt they will press charges.

[premium]

5. I can say, with confidence,

that the DoJ will realize that they don't have a case and nothing is going to come of this and, eventually, Zimmerman will get his gun back, if he wants it.
If it were me, I wouldn't want it back, I'd just tell the FBI to destroy it.

[geek tragedy]

7. If it were you, Trayvon Martin would still be alive.

Zimmy ain't playing with a full deck.

[premium]

11. I can't disagree with you there,

if it were me, I never would have even thought twice about Trayvon walking down the street minding his own business.

[Rex]

153. +1

[John2]

131. I think that

you have been very consistant though in your comments about the laws in this country protects the rights of George Zimmerman and not Trayvon Martin.

That one little gun is irrelevant if you read the articles about his arsenal of weapons, kept by him and his wife. Apparantly this guy has access to a lot more income than people think. He also had more than one passport.

Regardless of a nullification by a predominately all white jury and a crooked judicial system in Florida,Zimmerman still is a murderer. He is not this good old American do gooder, that B37 and his supporters are trying to portray.

If the DOJ really would do their job, they should investigate every allegation made against George Zimmerman, even rape. And if they are true, He want be able to rape or kill anybodyelse. That physcopath needs an arsenal. Trayvon was probably right about him being crazy and creepy. Maybe a more competent Prosecutor would paint the real picture instead of using kid gloves.

[premium]

132. Hell, a more competent prosecutor and we wouldn't be having

this conversation, Zimmerman would have been convicted and frog marched off to prison, or, if GZ had followed the instructions of the dispatcher that night, a young man would still be alive and, once again, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

[John2]

136. I don't see it

the way you or his supporters do. We will have this conversation again as long as rightwing gun nuts think they can get away with murdering black people.

[premium]

140. You keep accusing me of being a supporter,

link to one post where I've supported what Zimmerman did, just one.
You seem to think that because I know the law, that I'm supporting Zimmerman, well, you couldn't be farther from the truth, I've said all along that he was guilty of Manslaughter but, because of the poor case the prosecution put on, they didn't prove it beyond a reasonable doubt to the jury, and guess what?
I was right.

[Rex]

154. Don't mix actual legal pros with Zimmerman supporters.

The pros told us that Zimmerman would walk, because of a weak prosecution and we all scoffed...and they turned out to be completely right.

The Zim worshipers don't make any sense after a few posts, the legal pros are just strictly talking about the law and what a horrible trial and verdict this was. It does NOT make them supporters!

[premium]

155. Thank you,

and I apologize for my comment in another thread.

[Rex]

156. Ya same here, I am getting too into this and it is over in a way.

I will be the FIRST to admit you guys were completely RIGHT and us wishful Martin thinkers were completely WRONG.

You all tried to warn us of a big letdown...but most of us wouldn't listen. We had to learn the hard way that the law is completely blind.

I think I am taking a break from these and the Snowden threads...enough is enough and this will never get us anywhere.

Have a good one!

[Mira]

69. It's so unfortunate that this is my own opinion as well

so many disappointments - so many hopes dashed.
But we can't give up.

[jpak]

6. Poor Zimmy - no stand yer ground for you.

yup

[GlashFordan]

13. Fwiw, zim could have purchased

A gun a day for the last year...

[Spazito]

17. Not legally, he was prohibited from having a gun as part of his bail conditions imposed...

in April of 2012. Not to say that the killer still wouldn't find a way given his paranoia, etc.

[GlashFordan]

25. My bad...

You're right. But he could ave purchased a gun a day for the last 6 days.

In fact he could have stopped by Bass pro shop after the verdict.

The only point I'm making us that people think this one gun has much value to Zim and being aquitted he can have as many as he wants.

[Spazito]

38. Yes, and what does that say about the gun laws...

the ability to purchase 6 guns in 6 days, 10 guns in 10 days, etc. in Florida.

[metalbot]

67. Florida doesn't limit purchases at all

Only 4 states (as of Aug 2012) place any kind of limits on the number of guns one can buy in a period of time.

[Spazito]

71. I know, I limited my comment to Florida lack of limitations because the topic was Zimmerman...

your point is an important one, 46 States with potential Zimmermans buying 6 guns in 6 days, 10 guns in 10 days, etc.

[pipoman]

115. Zimmerman only owned 1 gun..

as do something like 80% of criminal shooters..there may have been a couple of people go to shooting with more than one gun, but not very many...and those who do would be limited by weight..it would be quicker just to swap magazines..no, criminal shooters wouldn't be deterred at all..a limit would effect people buying for (possibly illegal) resale and collectors buying at shows and auctions..

[Skittles]

99. no doubt that gun humping paranoid coward is already armed

he who was so willing to be a vigilante now has to worry for the rest of his days about.....vigilantes

[Spazito]

44. Could you provide a link for that, one that has credibility preferably...

it would make for interesting reading, to say the least.

[pintobean]

46. I'll look. I read it about a week ago

and it was an old story then.

[Spazito]

49. Thanks, it would be helpful if you can find it...

as I tend to be cynical without credible links on things like this.

[pintobean]

73. I can't find it

I ran across it while looking for something else. I thought it was on a Florida news site, but if that were the case, it would be easy to find. It must have been bs on some blog. My memory isn't what it use to be. I'll delete that post so no one takes it as fact. I agree with you about credible links and sticking to the facts. It looks like I made a mistake. Sorry.

[Spazito]

79. I did a search as well and found nothing...

at all about Zimmerman having a gun in his rental car before he turned himself in even though I tried various versions in my search. Probably on a Zimmerman supporting blog and deleted at some point.

Thanks for trying.

[pintobean]

87. I don't think it was a Zim support blog

I haven't visited any support blogs for either side - that I know of. I think it was when I was looking for measurements for the crime scene. Maybe it was one of the message boards or blogs where people were playing detective. I ran across a bunch of those.

For the record, I'm not a Zimmerman supporter. At best, he's a stupid asshole. He could have gotten away with murder. I just don't know. I stayed away from the story until the trial, then I watched nearly all of it on the live stream. Given the evidence, the law, and the jury instructions, I don't think the jury had any other choice than the not guilty verdict. I was absolutely dumfounded when the prosecution rested. I pretty much knew the outcome right then.

[Spazito]

89. I know I have, on occasion, while searching for something, inadvertently clicked on a link...

thinking it was 'mainstream' and finding it was anything but. I thought, perhaps, that is what might have happened with you as well.

I, too watched the trial on live stream and came to a different conclusion than you as to the choices the jury had even within the 27 pages of jury instruction, much of it extraneous and unnecessary (imo), it would have necessitated more work on their part assuredly.

We differ on the verdict, we probably differ less on Zimmerman in that I agree he is a stupid asshole, I would add a stupid, dangerous, racist asshole who committed the crime of manslaughter, at the very least, and got away with it.

Edited to add clarity to my perspective.

[matthews]

80. I think his shifty assed lawyer would get him one.

Or that despicable brother of his.

Neither is worth the natural resources or the space they consume.

[Spazito]

81. I don't think his lawyers would, as slimy as I think they are...

his brother, his friend Taaffee, the guy who testified that George is his best friend, well, a whole kettle of fish there for sure.

[matthews]

96. I do.

Mark O’Mara says George Zimmerman needs his gun now more than before


George Zimmerman’s lawyer Mark O’Mara has appeared on “The View” on ABC News speaking about the high profile case and saying Zimmerman needs his gun now more than ever.

The Irish American lawyer from Queens told ABC News, “'Yes. [There's] even more reason now, isn't there? There are a lot of people out there who actually hate him, though they shouldn't."

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Mark-OMara-says-George-Zimmerman-needs-his-gun-now-more-than-before-VIDEOS-215649481.html

[Spazito]

97. Mark O'Mara wouldn't risk his license to practice, Zimmerman is merely...

an avenue to $$$ in O'Mara's mind although, come to think of it, he first said he didn't know about Zimmerman's second passport and shortly after said he had had Zimmerman's second passport in his safe and simply he forgot to hand it over, obscene lie imo, so you might be right after all.

"Zimmerman was issued a second passport on March 26, 2004, and that one is valid until 2014, she said.

The prosecutor asked the court that Zimmerman be ordered to surrender the second passport to authorities.

But Lester appeared to accept the explanation from Zimmerman's lawyer that his client had given him the second passport, and the lawyer simply forgot to hand it over to authorities until Friday."

http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/01/justice/florida-teen-shooting

[matthews]

106. Exactly. nt

[Voice for Peace]

101. maybe they shouldn't but they can't help themselves, Mark.

[iemitsu]

147. Perhaps O'Mara is right since Zimmerman

didn't need a gun at all before the event that left Trayvon Martin dead.
If Zimmerman spends the rest of his life looking over his shoulder and fearing that some stranger is going to kill him, it is alright with me. Especially since there are probably not many, who would ruin their own lives to commit such a crime.

[matthews]

149. Oh, I'm sure he's got another one by now. He probably wants

the one used at trial for a souvenir .

[iemitsu]

150. Sounds like a good bet to me.

George has probably already indulged in the fantasy about the day he will tell his grandchildren, the horrific story of when he was attacked by a vicious young black man, and how without his trusty revolver he would have been beaten to death.

[John2]

141. It does not

his wife, friends or family from supplying him with guns. There are ways to get around the laws, as we see.

[No Vested Interest]

124. What would keep his wife from being the owner of a gun? nt

[Spazito]

143. The discussion wasn't about his wife...

the one who lied under oath about hiding money and a passport and is facing a perjury trial, we were discussing Zimmerman, the one who stalked, confronted and shot an unarmed black teenager.

[No Vested Interest]

146. A gun would be in the household and available to him if

his wife had a permit.
He would have access.

[Spazito]

148. The issue wasn't about access, it was about Zimmerman being about to purchase a gun...

while awaiting trial and, due to his bail conditions, he could not purchase one legally.

[calimary]

59. Welcome to DU, GlashFordan!

Good to have you with us! This too is unfortunately correct. Or anybody he knows could buy it for him. Acquiring a gun seems to be one of the easiest things in the world to do.

[GlashFordan]

62. Certainly too easy

But national legislation is too tough to enact, so activists need to focus state by state to change laws.

[Mnemosyne]

8. At least he won't have it for a while. nt

[ananda]

10. At least it's a start.

Whether the DoJ will go anywhere with it is another matter.

[GlashFordan]

12. Zim's attorney said

Zim will never touch that gun again.

Might be ebayed someday?? Can you imagine how much some nutjob would pay for it?

[AtheistCrusader]

22. Ebay doesn't allow firearms.

[GlashFordan]

26. Gunbroker.com then? Nt

[SunSeeker]

60. Not per what I read. O'Mara said Zimmerman needs his gun "even more" now.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/15/george-zimmerman-gun-back_n_3598228.html

[GlashFordan]

63. What I heard was a live interview a day or two ago nt

[SunSeeker]

66. Where? Link? nt

[GlashFordan]

68. Im on my phone so its hard

But it was an excerpt from hannity show interview, i saw the video clip on a facebook post. Shouldn't be hard to find. I think the interview was monday 7/15

[SunSeeker]

74. Fuck that. You can watch Hannity. Not me.

If it's not that hard to find, you can get it and say what minute point in the video it is. On DU, the person making the claim is the one who's supposed to come up with the link. I note the interview you reference is about the same time as the Huffpo article; seems odd that O'Mara would say two different things on the same day...

[GlashFordan]

77. Sorry to make you so unhappy.

I dont watch hannity or fox. But I do watch videos on facebook. When I get home I will google it and add the link

[calimary]

61. Uh-huh. I don't believe him.

He's probably gonna have it bronzed.

[premium]

64. If it were me, not that I'd ever be stupid enough to do what he did,

I would tell the FBI that I didn't want it back and to destroy it.
I sure wouldn't want back a gun that has the blood, (not literally) of an innocent victim on it.

[calimary]

82. I hear you. But you're not him. He doesn't think he did anything wrong.

He's never apologized. Or expressed ANY regrets of the remotest kind. He's never offered a thought or word about the victim or his family. When this monster has opened his yap, he's pawned it off as "God's will." HAH! What kind of "God" is that? In his view, he was totally justified and did nothing wrong. He probably still is convinced that Trayvon was a nogoodnik and thanks to him personally, there's one less of them in the world.

He's the most despicably hideous individual on human legs.

[premium]

84. Here's what a slimeball he really is

he said that if he had to do it again, he would still do the same thing.

[GlashFordan]

65. Or mounted in a case? Nt

[Skittles]

100. LOL

we all know Zimmy's lawyer tells the truth

[pipoman]

116. I once did some work for

a very wealthy 60 year old who never worked a single day of his life. He hung out with 3 other 'privileged' men. They would get into expensive hobbies to stay active. They began collecting guns. They had hundreds of guns. One of the men decided he wanted a "murder gun". Instead of looking for and ponying up for a notorious gun involved in a shooting, he asked around bars. He finally bought one from a guy who could prove the gun was used in a murder. Two years later the guy had a break in and was shot dead. The only thing missing was the murder gun.

[IdaBriggs]

128. Woah. That is an interesting story.

Modern day monkey's paw?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

118. I can picture some white supremacist plunking down a million easy.

[lpbk2713]

14. He's not going back in the community packing.

Good move DoJ.

[premium]

19. He can go out and buy a new one and his CHL is now valid again.

I would strongly advise against it, but that's just me.

[uppityperson]

16. Advocating suicide is not cool. Even for assholes.

[premium]

20. Some of the comments I've seen here today

make me sad.

[hack89]

24. Gun violence is very bad .... except when it is not. nt

[Cha]

27. Really? that's awful.

[HappyMe]

31. What the hell?

I have no respect for Zippy, but that isn't cool.

[alcibiades_mystery]

21. It is so easy for things to get lost in the federal bureaucracy...

Ooopsie daisy.

[premium]

30. Only problem is that the govt. would then have

to re-imburse him at fair market value for the firearm.

[kestrel91316]

23. I'm surprised the prosecutor's office hasn't destroyed it already.

I mean they don't need it anymore so why should they keep such silly stuff? He's not guilty, right?

[premium]

28. Because he was found not guilty,

the police have to give him back his property.
The Feds. have put a hold on the returning of his property, but, eventually, he'll get it back when the feds realize they don't a case against him.

[kestrel91316]

43. Other than the gun, the evidence isn't his property.

If there is any chance of a civil case, they STILL need to hang onto evidence.

I'm just surprised that the RWers who run the prosecutor's office haven't already given him his gun back and burned the rest of the evidence in order to scuttle future legal actions.

[premium]

48. I imagine the DoJ immediately told them to

hold onto the evidence until they're investigation was complete.
Anytime I booked any property into evidence, if the defendant was found not guilty, they got their property returned.

[Lurks Often]

29. Political theater

and at some point in the future, when no one is watching, the DOJ will quietly announce that they are unable to build a case or some such reason.

The cynical part of me says they will announce it when everybody is angry about some other story in the news or even worse, announce it to distract us from another story we SHOULD be angry about.

[PoliticAverse]

32. On a Friday afternoon... n/t

[Cali_Democrat]

36. Friday afternoon?

[jmowreader]

47. That's when all the unpopular news comes out

[premium]

33. And, once again,

put the Martin family through more anguish, which, IMO, is just as bad as the verdict was, getting their hopes up only to dash them.

[MADem]

151. Trayvon's family is "in this" for the long haul. They aren't going away. They've made this their

cause, their purpose.

It will take a lot more than another trial to "anguish" them any more than they've already been. They want the conversation to continue.

It will, tomorrow, for starters, with demonstrations across the country.

[premium]

152. Well, the only trial might be a civil lawsuit,

but as far as a Fed. civil rights violation trial, very, very unlikely that's going to happen.

http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-07-15/politics/40590120_1_george-zimmerman-trayvon-martin-zimmerman-s

“The Department of Justice couldn’t bring this case unless they believe they could prove to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt that George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin because of his race,” said Rachel Harmon, a law professor at the University of Virginia and a former prosecutor in the Justice Department’s civil rights division.

“It’s not enough to show that Zimmerman followed Trayvon Martin because of his race,” Harmon added. “They would have to show that he attacked Martin for that reason. . . . Proving that motive is why it’s hard to bring hate crime charges in general and why it is likely to be hard to bring them in this case.”

The Feds would have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the shooting was a racially motivated hate crime, so far, there's no compelling evidence of it.

[MADem]

157. The fact that they're holding the evidence suggests that they are looking at all the angles.

It's premature to "presume" we know what they're going to do.

I believe Trayvon Martin's civil rights were violated, by an asshole named Zimmerman, and that violation led to his death.

Just because it is "hard to bring hate crime charges" doesn't mean it is impossible.

[live love laugh]

45. Exactly. Move along...nothing to see here. nt

[Cha]

56. If they have a case they will go forward.

[Lurks Often]

92. I think you're dreaming, but you're entitled to think that way n/t

[Cha]

109. As you're entitled to think any way you want.

[Voice for Peace]

102. With many lawyers and legal groups involved, most of whom probably saw miscarriage of justice...

they'll work hard to find something, I think.

If it were just Holder, I'd be less optimistic,
but if there is anything to be done, I think it
will be pursued.

There is so much at stake, too much.

[Cha]

110. And, I am more optimistic because Holder is

the AG, Voice for Peace.

Just watching United States Attorney General Eric Holder during his press conference on Tuesday remembering what it was like for him as a young black man in America whose father had to give him ‘the talk’ about how he should behave if ever he was stopped by the police was, I’m quite sure, a revelation to a large segment of the nation. And not the darker segment, because we already know. And as I watched him describe how he felt certain that his father didn’t think his son’s generation would likely have to give that same wise but fearful advice, and then how he wove that into the tragic verdict excusing George Zimmerman for murdering an unarmed black teenager, I couldn’t help but think about the fact that only a black man could offer that perspective on the verdict. No matter how sympathetic many of our white fellow citizens may be, only a black man can talk with authority about what this really means for young black men.

But more importantly, this wasn’t coming from some anonymous black man interviewed on the street. This opinion was coming from the nation’s top lawyer, the man who is in charge of the United States Justice Department. And this man talked about one night not all that long ago when he was stopped by the police in Georgetown as he was running to get to a movie – simply because he was running while black at night in Georgetown. He was a federal prosecutor at the time.

http://www.politicususa.com/2013/07/18/hear-that-george-zimmerman-justice-catching.html

[Voice for Peace]

112. yes, and I didn't mean

to imply anything bad about Holder, just that
he has to assign priorities in his job and I'm
sure has many.

So I am very glad there are so many others
behind this effort.

[JohnnyBoots]

76. Just like the

Duke Lacrosse case. I totally agree with you.

[bvar22]

34. The DoJ needs to place a "HOLD" on ZImmerman,

and indict him on a Federal Charge of Depriving Trayvon Martin of his protected Civil Right to Walk While Black,
tack on a Hate Crime,
and demand maximum sentencing.

Zimmerman:

*went hunting

*chose a target

*picked up a GUN

*pursued his target

*Shot and Killed his target


This can NOT be allowed to stand,
and the Florida legislature and Zimbo Wannabes NEED to be sent a message
that even IF Florida is willing to overlook MURDER,
the Federal Government is not.

[premium]

42. The Martin family lawyer disagrees.

"It's not about racial profiling," said lawyer Daryl Parks about the murder trial of George Zimmerman. "We never claimed this was about race."

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2013/07/02/quotcrackingquot_the_racial_code_in_zimmerman_trial_310842.html

Then there's this.

(Reuters) - FBI interviews with dozens of friends, coworkers and neighbors of George Zimmerman found no evidence that the accused murderer of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin was a racist, according to new documents released on Thursday.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/12/us-usa-florida-shooting-idUSBRE86B1AD20120712

And then there's this.

Civil rights case vs. Zimmerman won't be simple

The department says it’s reviewing evidence to determine whether criminal civil rights charges are warranted, but legal experts see major barriers to a federal prosecution — including the burden of proving that Zimmerman, the former neighborhood watch leader, was motivated by racial animosity — and say Justice officials would likely be saddled with some of the same challenges that complicated the unsuccessful state case.


‘‘The Justice Department would face significant challenges in bringing a federal civil rights case against Mr. Zimmerman,’’ said Alan Vinegrad, the former U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of New York. ‘‘There are several factual and legal hurdles that federal prosecutors would have to overcome: They'd have to show not only that the attack was unjustified, but that Mr. Zimmerman attacked Mr. Martin because of his race and because he was using a public facility, the street.’


In this case, federal prosecutors pursuing a civil rights case would need to establish, among other things, that Zimmerman was motivated by racial animosity, even though race was barely mentioned at the state trial.


Lauren Resnick, a former federal prosecutor in New York who secured a conviction in the killing of an Orthodox Jew during the 1991 Crown Heights riots in Brooklyn, said the Justice Department could conceivably proceed under a theory that Zimmerman interfered with Martin’s right to walk down a public street based on his race. But even that is difficult since the conflict occurred in a gated community, which may not fit the legal definition of a public facility. Prosecutors would also probably need to prove that trailing Martin on the street constituted interference, she said.


Samuel Bagenstos, a former No. 2 official in the Justice Department’s civil rights division, said: ‘‘This is an administration that hasn’t shied away from bringing hate crimes cases that are solid prosecutions based on the facts and the law, but from what I've seen this would be a very difficult case to prosecute federally because the government would have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that George Zimmerman acted because of Trayvon Martin’s race. If you’re trying to prove racial motivation, you are usually looking for multiple statements related to why he is engaging in this act of violence. I think it’s a difficult case to prove.’’

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/2013/07/15/civil-rights-case-zimmerman-won-simple/u4NNXk5VRdpQMPZIB5R23M/story-1.html

Given all this, I highly doubt that any Federal charges will be forthcoming.

[bvar22]

53. This would have nothing to do with the Martin Family Lawyer.

And I'm sure there are many who would prefer to just avert their eyes and walk away from this unpleasant little incident.

[Sheepshank]

54. Then there's Zimmy's re-released blog on My Space n/t

[premium]

57. We'll see,

but this news has been out there before the State trial and the State didn't use it, so far, just about every legal eagle, prosecutors and defense lawyers, have said that the chances of Fed. charges are next to nothing.

[Sheepshank]

78. From what I understand the state is admitting they didn't pursue race as a factor

...doesn't mean the Feds won't.

So with that in mind, the purpose of the My Space might then not have been useful to the Prosecution, even if it were allowed. Do you know if it was admissable evidence?

[Voice for Peace]

104. I don't know about the my space, can you say more?

?

[Sheepshank]

119. I just googled "Zimmerman MySpace Blog" and got this

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/george-zimmerman-myspace-page-trayvon-martin-shooter-called-180717152.html

There were several hundred other links...including a couple of RW ones that attempt to excuse the blog as being hyper inflated by LW.

[Skittles]

161. .

[Voice for Peace]

103. Does a civil rights case have to be based on race?

Isn't it depriving any person of their civil rights
to shoot them without justifiable cause?

[premium]

105. It has to have an element of hate for a race as a motivating factor

which there is no proof of yet, the FBI did a pretty extensive investigation looking for evidence of Zimmerman being a racist, they concluded that Zimmerman wasn't a racist.
I'm pretty sure that there will be no Federal charges filed as the DoJ would have to completely throw out their own FBI's report, plus throw out the Daryl Parks statement, not even the state believed it was a race hate crime.

[Cha]

39. Well, if "the evidence reveals a prosecutable violation of and

of the limited federal criminal civil rights statutes within our jurisdiction and whether federal prosecution is appropriate in accordance with the Department's policy governing successive federal prosecution following a state trial.”.. then we got something.

I'm glad AG Holder's in charge of this..

Just watching United States Attorney General Eric Holder during his press conference on Tuesday remembering what it was like for him as a young black man in America whose father had to give him ‘the talk’ about how he should behave if ever he was stopped by the police was, I’m quite sure, a revelation to a large segment of the nation. And not the darker segment, because we already know. And as I watched him describe how he felt certain that his father didn’t think his son’s generation would likely have to give that same wise but fearful advice, and then how he wove that into the tragic verdict excusing George Zimmerman for murdering an unarmed black teenager, I couldn’t help but think about the fact that only a black man could offer that perspective on the verdict. No matter how sympathetic many of our white fellow citizens may be, only a black man can talk with authority about what this really means for young black men.

But more importantly, this wasn’t coming from some anonymous black man interviewed on the street. This opinion was coming from the nation’s top lawyer, the man who is in charge of the United States Justice Department. And this man talked about one night not all that long ago when he was stopped by the police in Georgetown as he was running to get to a movie – simply because he was running while black at night in Georgetown. He was a federal prosecutor at the time.

http://www.politicususa.com/2013/07/18/hear-that-george-zimmerman-justice-catching.html

Mahalo AINIC

[mzmolly]

41. I think Nancy Grace (uncensored) may have the key to proof of GZ's motivations?

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/nancy-grace-says-fking-coons-uncensored-while-railing-against-zimmermans-hatred-for-trayvon/

The prosecution cleaned up this case and GZ's words, in order to tamp down media sensationalism, IMHO.

[Cha]

55. Mahalo, mzmolly!

“I’ll tell you what I think made a difference. When that 9-1-1 tape first came out — and everybody, get ready, this is graphic language — when it first came out that Zimmerman had said ‘fucking coon‘ on the 9-1-1 call, to me, that was open-and-shut that that showed open ill will and hatred. Now they’ve revised it to say he said ‘These punks, they always get away with it.’ I’m wondering if that reinterpretation of what he said made a difference as to a jury finding ill will in Mr. Zimmerman’s heart.”

Good on Nancy Grace!

IOW, the prosecution screwed it up by "cleaning it up", imv.

[mzmolly]

85. Absolutely

agree, Cha.

[Pelican]

129. They should have left it "fuzzy"

... so they could say what they wanted it to be?

[madville]

70. I listened to it over and over

From several sources, I can't make it out. Coins, punks, cold, etc, it's not verifiable.

[mzmolly]

86. It's

coons, IMO. I'm not aware of a "coin" slur, are you? I was also unaware that coon rhymed with punk? Only in Zimmerland...

[madville]

88. iPhone autocorrect, gets me in trouble texting all the time.

It's unintelligible to me, just my opinion. I think he should have gotten convicted of some kind of felony since unfortunately they didn't have the evidence for murder or manslaughter.

When you think of any of those words, coons, punks, cold, it starts to sound like what you want it to the more times you listen to it.

If you played just that word to people blindly without any history or context of where it came from I doubt they would ever come up with coon or coins, I just don't hear it.

If it was clear and easily heard it would be good evidence for a federal hate crime charge, unfortunately they don't have much in that area either.

[mzmolly]

95. I heard it loud

and clear the first time I listened to it. I listened without bias. I have no idea what the feds will do but I would dig a bit on Mr. Z before dismissing anything - personally.

[Voice for Peace]

107. Article at that same site - Zimmerman said African Americans should apologize to him?

oof.

[Cha]

111. For what? Because he called Trayvon Martin a

F****** ****?... Racist Idiot.

[ReRe]

50. Does anyone remember what Judge Wilson said at the end of the trial?

.... i.e., that all evidence would be released? Did she mean "immediately" or after a 30 day waiting period?

[Rex]

51. Why would they do that? I've been told

by the pros that there is NO case here, NONE at all!

[BainsBane]

52. The poor gun

with no home. I didn't even read above but I fear a remark about the need for the orphaned gun to be "rehomed."

[CakeGrrl]

72. Good. Not a moment's peace for him.

[Ruby the Liberal]

93. He's in Costa Rica by now

Ignoring all of the blowback.

[JohnnyBoots]

75. The Irony

Is that he is the one whose civil rights are being violated. Holder and DOJ are over stepping their bounds.

[msanthrope]

90. Kindly name the civil right of GZ that is being violated. nt

[John2]

135. He violated

the civil rights of Trayvon Martin by racial profiling. Trayvon had the right to go to a 711 and back home, without being stalked by a vigilante named George Zimmerman. George Zimmerman acted as a police officer and took the law in his own hands.

I'm not satisfied with the notion white people think they can arm themselves and follow Black people around, because they think it is their right or something under any law. If George Zimmerman followed me or any person think they can, including these rightwing gun nuts under the color of any law, they got another thing coming. If George Zimmerman and his rightwing nuts can carry a gun, then so can I. So can every Black person he thinks that he has the right to profile or follow.

Trayvon Martin needed a gun for nuts like George Zimmerman, who think they can just follow Black people, because they think they are suspicious. I don't accept Detective Serino's notion George Zimmerman followed Trayvon Martin because of his clothing attire, because I even wore a hoodie when it was raining or in cold weather. That is no excuse to profile anybody, because hoods are legal in this counrry, the last I saw. They need to look into this man's entire background, and not just asking his friends or family. They need to question the girl he allegedly molested and the motorist, he stalked.

[msanthrope]

137. Well, yes, but I was hoping that our intrepid GZ defender could name

the right of GZ that was being violated.

[Ruby the Liberal]

94. An investigation of evidence is a civil rights violation?

Dear Lord, you "gun compensators" really need to get out of the house more often.

[arely staircase]

98. Please keep Zimmerman's gun in your prayers.

I will keep the Martin family in mine.

[Nanjing to Seoul]

121. Gundamentalists. . .love guns so much they refuse to accept the other 26 amendments.

[Dalai_1]

83. k&r n/t

[MoonRiver]

91. Hope it means they're going after this freak.

[Pelican]

108. Good luck with that...

1) Any federal prosecutor stupid enough to bring charges deserves what he gets

2) Bet you dollars to pesos that Zimmerman already has another gun. The only one who cared about him getting it back was the internet.

[lonestarnot]

113. I think that if they listened very carefully to the 911 call, they would have another smoking gun

that hasn't been used.

[Pelican]

114. Are you suggesting...

... that no one at the federal or state level of prosecution has listened "very carefully" to the 911 call?

[lonestarnot]

117. I heard the word coon uttered by zimmerman. if they listened carefully, why was nothing made of it?

[Pelican]

120. Think of it this way...

... if it was at all, in any way even remotely possible to show that he uttered the word "coon", doesn't it make sense they would throw that out there and leap joyously on the opportunity to bend to public pressure to prosecute under the racial laws?

The reality is that if it was there, they would have used it.

Listen to it again, take a deep breath and listen to the various versions of the audio analysis. Especially the EQ4 version. You can clearly hear the P and the hard K and the end.

In summary, they did "listen carefully" and there was nothing there other than "punks"

[John2]

133. Just what

you mean by "Deserves what he gets". There is a law against threatening Federal prosecutors. Who is going to carry out these threats?

[Pelican]

134. There should be a law against straining to see racist threats in internet posts...

... where there are obviously none.

Any federal prosecutor who tries to charge this deserves what they get... in court and in the public view.

Spelled out enough for you?

[Oldtimeralso]

122. Zimmerman's gun

I was originally told that the State of Florida gave Zimmerman his gun back.





I wonder if the gave Trayvon's family back the bag of Skittles and can of ice tea!

[JoeyT]

125. Of course not.

Apparently those are far more dangerous weapons than a gun.

[mwrguy]

126. Take everything he owns. Freeze all his assets.

It might be evidence.

[Pelican]

139. Remember that next time...

... someone you agree with is found "not guilty."

Fuck em, I'm sure there's something in there we can prosecute for.

I'm sure you'll be just as eager, right?

The hypocrisy is thick....

[blkmusclmachine]

130. Nothing to see here. Move along.

[mstinamotorcity2]

138. We see what he does

when he is armed.

[Lizzie Poppet]

142. And he may well be armed by the end of the day:

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/gun-shop-offers-free-gun-to-george-zimmerman/-/1637132/21034476/-/n4goenz/-/index.html

Kinda figured something like this was coming.

[mstinamotorcity2]

144. If he gets it

he may very well need it. Funny he now knows the fear his victim felt

[NM_Birder]

145. Holder is using his authority as AG,

to try and calm the outrage the black community feels over the Zimmerman verdict.

There will not be a federal case filed against Zimmerman, there is no evidence to present that has not already been presented. Holding Zimmerman's gun is for show, just like his speech at the NAACP.

I disagree with the verdict, I have thought from the very beginning that Zimmerman killed Martin unjustifiably, and manslaughter should have been a "given". However, the anticipation of a federal hate crime case he is creating with his stump speech style, is going to fan the flames of outrage even hotter when he eventually has to say that no charges will be filed.

When something unjust occurs, I don't see the value in trying to placate an outraged mass of people with sugar coated nonsense that will never come to pass. It's impossible to have faith in authority when all that is said is what the masses WANT to hear, regardless if it's true or not.

A horrible truth is ALWAYS better that sugar coated BS.

[1-Old-Man]

160. Holder is a joke and this is just posturing. Zimmerman was found not guilty.

The Justice Department, joke that it is too, will do nothing.

[dotymed]

159. Yes, Zimmerman, in my eyes, is a murderer. Yet

that is only a small part in this "DOJ Investigation."
There are so many laws broken on a daily basis by "our" government and corporations that result in the deaths of thousands,
that I cannot believe anything else but "they" have found a new distraction to keep Americans from trying to peer behind the curtain of the great and powerful Oz.
Trayvons death was deplorable and his killer should've, IMO, been convicted, yet where are the prosecutions of the people who have destroyed America, slaughtered so many for greed and wiped their ass on our constitution?

This is obviously an attempt on the scale of the MSM's, DWTS or Jerry Springer to shift our focus (and it is working, the DOJ (Holder) is being praised for it's empathy on the tragic loss of ONE of our innocents.

I hope this blows up in Holders face and while he is posturing for the cameras someone has the balls to ask him to explain why he cannot find time in his busy schedule to prosecute some mass murdering corporations.