I think it would have been very tough to prove because the standard is so high. If you had to prove Zimmerman was innocent by the same standard, one could not do that either. But the state has to prove that he is guilty.

The main witness said Trayvon was on top. The first cop to interview Zimmerman said he was believable. The voice on the tape was not clear who was calling for help.

I am trying to be objective, and just these three things would be more than enough to provide justification that Zimmerman acted reasonably.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

A Neighborhood Watch commander probably would.

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I was not and never really thought about it. I would have done what the dispatcher said. My guess is no one thinks of such things in advance and so no one is away of it.

I damn well know that I would listen to a cop.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

To add to the "facts" list, 8 burglaries, 9 thefts and 1 shooting in the previous year in that neighborhood. Also, "dozens of reports" of break-ins.

Zimmerman also called in many suspicious people, up to 7-8, in the previous year. The area was pretty plagued with crime. Many of the people in the neighborhood reported that it had become "scary" to live there, hence why they created the neighborhood watch and appointed GZ.

During one of his calls to the cops to report someone, he stayed in his car and by the time the cops got there, the person was gone.


I say all of that just to suggest that I understand why he would go after someone who he says was "wondering around" and "looking at houses." I probably wouldn't do that myself, but I don't think it was totally crazy for GZ to go after him. I get that part.


That said, of course, if he doesn't go after him, a kid's life is saved.


Now, when did GZ go from simply following him, to engaging him... that matters to me. Of course, we'll never know that, which is one reason why this case was never going to go against GZ. Just a lack of evidence.

The facts leading up to the confrontation are the most troubling aspect. Clearly Zimmerman went way beyond what most people would ever do. He seemed to be looking for a fight. A grown, armed man going after an unarmed kid. Very bad. I have tried to put myself in both guys' shoes. If my neighborhood was so afflicted by crime that I needed an extensive neighborhood watch, maybe I would have acted that way. But like most whites, I would probably just move.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

You captured my thoughts exactly. Well done. The whole thing is sad.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

And apparently no crime was committed in that instance by the "suspicious" person either. If one had been, Zimmerman, his brother and/or the attorneys certainly would have noted that in furthering the attempt to justify his later, lethal behavior.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

RR, given the circumstances in this particular neighborhood, what would you have done generally: move away, hire private security, neighborhood watch, ignore it, large dog, alarm system? I said earlier, I would just move away. I am not wasting my own time patrolling a neighborhood.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

None of the neighborhood activity justifies the lethal behavior, and I don't think that was ever a part of their defense. It just paints the picture of why he would follow a suspicious person.

I'd instruct my neighborhood watch captain to watch for actual crime.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

He didn't know Martin lived there. My guess is he thought he was trespassing, which is against the law.

Just being a devil's advocate here- if he was your watch captain, you'd want him to wait until someone broke into your home before calling the cops or 911?

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Hawaii (fuck) You

Are you just making this up?
Yes. That way he would be arrested and charged with a crime and therefore no longer be a threat.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

No, in his story to the police, he said he called the non-emergency line because he didn't recognize him from the neighborhood.

Just call the police. Give a description of the suspicious person and let the police do their job. I'm sure he isn't supposed to play hero. Now if he were to see some woman being assaulted and he wanted to step in and help I would have no issue with that.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

So he called because he was trespassing? I thought it was because he thought he may be looking for houses to rob. That's why I asked if you are making this up. I don't even think Zimmerman mentioned trespassing.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

In his unsworn accounting, he now called the non-emergency line?!? But the watch commander yet still felt suspicious of this outsider? This story has more changes tailor made to fit any discussion.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Like he called the police and was told not to chase him by the police as you reported earlier.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

Well, you are just discrediting his story. He may be telling the truth (and he may not). When he was on the phone with the dispatcher, he says Martin came and circled his car "checking him out." He said Martin left, and then the dispatcher said not to follow him. GZ said "ok," and then says he went to find a street sign to give the cops a place to meet him. He did, and the call ended. Then he says on his way back to the car, Martin attacked him.

Again, his story. He could be telling the truth, and he could be lying.

Florida law enabled this act to take place. Florida prosecutors probably goofed by trying to get 2nd murder, but who knows for sure. They may have been told to do it knowing the chances of success were limited. There were no eye witnesses, so from my arm chair it was seemed impossible to find a guilty verdict. I find it somewhat frustrating to argue the points in this case as I don't believe a just outcome could ever be reached. Casting aspersions on the judicial system based on this verdict seems a bit overreaching. It won't change anything. What should change is how Florida chooses to write its laws in the future. A change would be admitting they screwed up the first time, and is the only good thing that could come out of the whole mess.

I grew up on an older block where pretty much everyone owned their home and the little old ladies would look at the window around the clock (that's what it seemed like) and they would call the police every time they saw anyone they didn't think belonged. You never saw them confronting anyone but they knew everyone and knew how to dial 911.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

I legit said "my guess" so I don't know what exactly he thought he was doing. Maybe he thought he WOULD rob a house, since he said Martin was looking at a house that was real close to a house that was recently robbed. I think he just thought he was suspicious, which is why he called a non-emergency line.

Cool story bro. You just solved Englewood

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Right, and according to Zimmerman, that's what he did. And on his way back to his car, Martin attacked him.

The fact this guy was allowed to carry a gun in any capacity is the real crime. If you wanna be a cop, be a cop. Otherwise, be your good samaritan self by calling a cop and let them handle it. I still cannot believe Florida enacted a law that let's little men play big men's games.

Agree

You don't have to guess though. Zimmerman said his motivation. Trespassing wasn't it.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Well Bernsie beat me to it. I am just parroting him.....

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Hawaii (fuck) You

That's fair. No one knows exactly what happened except Zimmerman. At some point you can hear him chasing Trayvon. Then he stops and tells the dispatcher he ran away. Less than 3 mins later someone called to report the fight. Either Trayvon is superman and Zimmerman walks like a snail to his car or there was more to the story than what Zimmerman shared. I'm sure he wouldn't want to hurt himself and being the son of a judge has to help.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

Have you been to Florida? Brick said something about it not being the Wild West, but historically, there was that same frontier spirit in much of the state, which had to be tamed just as much as the West did. It's no wonder there's an indelible culture of weirdness there.

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