he wont take the stand .. the question marks beside his credibility remain in the mind of the jury Originally Posted by CJ7#1: His attorney may conclude he doesn't need to take the stand
Most times when the DA overcharges - in high profile cases - the result is an acquittal ! Originally Posted by WhirlawayAs a practical matter, I can't imagine how one would obtain that stat .. but on the face of the statement "overcharging" implies that the indictment (or complaint) alleged facts that the State is unable to prove and didn't prove them .. even circumstantially.
my opinion was based on several comments made by Marcia Clark Originally Posted by CJ7She should know when the defense is winning.
I have given GZ plenty of leeway. No 2nd degree murder.Well, according to CJ (see below) he was on an errand and not on patrol (not that I think it matters) so having a weapon on him makes perfect sense. He does have a legal right to carry as long as he has a CHL. Following TM is not a crime. The criminal part of all this started when TM decided to turn to physical violence. Period. At that point it is purely self defense.
Manslaughter for the Zim man.
Had he followed instruction by not carrying a weapon or not following Martin, then this would not have happened. That is a manslaughter conviction in my book. Originally Posted by WTF
he wasn't on patrol Bud, he was returning home from running an errand, he called the cops then he took the cops place before they could get there... so all the reports you have read are incorrect ... did you read the testimony of the witness under oath, that walked out his back door and standing 15 feet away told the two to break it up, then testify he didn't see anyone getting their head slammed into the concrete ???? Originally Posted by CJ7Again, following TM was not a crime. The witness you love to bring up also stated that he went back inside to call the cops. Just maybe TM started slamming his head into the concrete while the "witness" was inside.
If I was returning home and saw a suspicious person I may decide to follow them as well. Originally Posted by BudmanZimmerman following Martin is a non-issue for several reasons ... #1 it's not against the law and #2 ... if Martin is on foot in an apartment complex and Zimmerman does not follow him to see where Martin is going ..
Good, who had perhaps the best view of the struggle between Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin, said it appeared one person was striking the other while straddling him "MMA-style."Gotcha again fucker
However, Good also said he did not see anyone's head being slammed into the concrete sidewalk, which Zimmerman has said Martin did to him.
Good initially testified that it appeared "there were strikes being thrown, punches being thrown," but during detailed questioning Friday, he said he saw only "downward" arm movements being made.
Zimmerman has claimed that he fatally shot 17-year-old Martin last year in self-defense as the teen was banging his head into the concrete sidewalk behind the townhomes in a gated community.
But under prosecution questioning, Good said he never saw anyone being attacked that way during the fight between Zimmerman and Martin.
"I couldn't see that," Good said moments later while being cross-examined.
how bout that IB? Originally Posted by CJ7
At what time of night did this happen? Originally Posted by CountryGentleman35Just after 7 p.m. EST ...
from a lawyer following the trialHis name is Andrew Branca. http://legalinsurrection.com/2013/06...depraved-mind/
Why charge murder 2 on such little evidence of a “depraved mind”? Perhaps the prosecution believed more damning evidence would be found, or they hoped that the murder charge would lead to a plea bargain or compromise jury verdict on manslaughter. In Florida manslaughter is a lesser included offense to murder 2, and the jury will certainly have the manslaughter instruction to consider in their deliberations. .
Indeed, unless new and revelatory evidence emerges of Zimmerman’s “depraved mind”, I anticipate the prosecution’s narrative to re-center on manslaughter as their most likely “win” in this case. Originally Posted by CJ7