An amazing video detailing the murder of Trayvon Martin

[Tommy_Carcetti]

34. The only past data I included was to set up the respective roles the indivduals played that night

I.e. armed neighborhood watchman versus unarmed pedestrian. Which is what it boils down to in the end.

Had I really wished to include past data on Zimmerman, I would have included the fact that he was arrested in 2005 for assaulting a police officer, that he had a restraining order taken out on him by a former girlfriend, and that he was accused of bullying a co-worker based on his ethnicity.

But that's all inadmissible character evidence and outside what is to be considered at court. That Zimmerman had instances of past violent or threatening behavior cannot be used against him as evidence of a later crime unless it is shown as a) evidence of a greater scheme by the defendant, or b) evidence of a specific, strict pattern of behavior. Neither of those exceptions apply.


That goes both ways, as Trayvon's past drug use and school history is equally irrelevant and inadmissible.