Shooting death of Trayvon Martin

**Cavemold** · 03-20-2012, 12:47 PM

Zimmerian has made 44 calls to the police, 4 of them have led to criminal acitvity.Zimmerian has called about burglary , kids playing in the street.

**Kasper Cole** · 03-20-2012, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by Umbra

Come on Cave...don't make excuses for this spineless idiot.

Well (much as I hate to say it) Cavemold is right on this one point. Race is often used when describing someone to authorities. The problem is race as a sole description is ineffective.

Giving a description of Black Male wearing a grey sweatshirt, blue jeans, and white sneakers is about as vague as you can get.

**Brandon McKinnis** · 03-20-2012, 12:50 PM

Not sure if this has been posted.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/20...hot/?hpt=hp_t3

**Cavemold** · 03-20-2012, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by Umbra

Come on Cave...don't make excuses for this spineless idiot.

Dont get me wrong he is murdering sob. Im just explaining standard police description . Zimmerian was using these tatics. The girlfriend recorded what happened and that should be enough edvince for a trial.

**Nate Grey** · 03-20-2012, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by Cavemold

Zimmerian has made 44 calls to the police, 4 of them have led to criminal acitvity.Zimmerian has called about burglary , kids playing in the street.

Oh well then, that changes everything. 4 leads to actual criminal activity = 1 free murder.

**Darrell D.** · 03-20-2012, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by Matt Algren

...and still haven't arrested the murderer even though their own evidence (911 calls) pretty goddamn clearly shows that he shot twice, the second of which was obviously not self-defense.

Not to mention the girlfriend of the victim coming forward, and pieced together a chilling last few moments of the teenager's life.
The fact that Zimmerman hasn't been arrested only points out the incompetence or outright racism of the department.

**Nick Soapdish** · 03-20-2012, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by Slam_Bradley

You're right, Ian. Unless Florida is different from everywhere else, self defense is an affirmative defense. That means the defendant has to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that he acted in self defense. The State does not have the burden to show that it wasn't self-defense. Their burden is the same as in any other homicide.

There's absolutely no question there is ample evidence to charge murder in this case.

According to other coverage (and I can't find the link now), police have been very reluctant to make charges when self defense comes up. They just pass it up to the state level and let them deal with it.

**Darrell D.** · 03-20-2012, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by Nick Soapdish

According to other coverage (and I can't find the link now), police have been very reluctant to make charges when self defense comes up. They just pass it up to the state level and let them deal with it.

That's odd, though.
I mean, that's like Old West, 'Well, here's yore gun back, let's go get a drink, Tex' kind of shit.

**Michael P** · 03-20-2012, 12:56 PM

Originally Posted by Nate Grey

Oh well then, that changes everything. 4 leads to actual criminal activity = 1 free murder.

That's why the police let him go. They checked his punch card.

**Slam_Bradley** · 03-20-2012, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by Nick Soapdish

According to other coverage (and I can't find the link now), police have been very reluctant to make charges when self defense comes up. They just pass it up to the state level and let them deal with it.

Which just means they aren't doing their job. Charging issues lie with the prosecutor, not with the police. They should do their investigation the same way no matter what. That investigation then goes to the prosecutor to decide if and how it is charged.

I can make up a chicken-shit self-defense claim on almost any crime of violence. If the police are using that as their standard they're incompetent.

**Kasper Cole** · 03-20-2012, 01:02 PM

One of the saddest parts of all the transcripts from 911 calls is the fact that the words "I'm not going to help" keep popping up.......I understand it, but it's still very sad.

**Cavemold** · 03-20-2012, 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by Nick Soapdish

According to other coverage (and I can't find the link now), police have been very reluctant to make charges when self defense comes up. They just pass it up to the state level and let them deal with it.

The FBI has more resources to make a case , so I see why the police would be scared to make case.

**Spike-X** · 03-20-2012, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by Slam_Bradley

Which just means they aren't doing their job. Charging issues lie with the prosecutor, not with the police. They should do their investigation the same way no matter what. That investigation then goes to the prosecutor to decide if and how it is charged.

I can make up a chicken-shit self-defense claim on almost any crime of violence. If the police are using that as their standard they're incompetent.

Incompetent, or complicit?