Trayvon Martin is dead.

[Avalux]

The killer, the guy with the gun, gets to tell his side of the story, and Trayvon can't refute it.

It breaks my heart.

[NoOneMan]

1. No, he gets to sit there while his "team" creates unlikely red herrings

And exploit racial stereotypes to justify his "purge"

[Little Star]

2. Yep. Can't refute or tell his side of the story....

I just pray Trayvon's family gets the justice they deserve. My heart just breaks for them and for the totally innocent young man, Trayvon.

We shall see but I don't have a good feeling. Seems the state doesn't want a guilty verdict to me. They have done a piss poor job imo.

[russspeakeasy]

7. "piss poor job" is generous.

[yardwork]

15. Looks like local corruption to me.

[Pelican]

47. What evidence would you introduce...

... That they did not?

[joeglow3]

48. Why do we need evidence?

We know what happened and what motivated GZ.

[KurtNYC]

3. Zimmerman believes he is guilty. He is taking the 5th in this trial, effectively.

He is lying about why he got out of the car because Zim has studied criminal law and he came to the belief that if he says he got out of the car to chase down TM then he is guilty. So he says he was looking for a street sign. The recorded call says otherwise but after the shooting, Zim started to say that he was looking for a street sign, in his own neighborhood which has only 3 named streets.

If Zimmerman believes in his own guilt, who am I to argue.

[Avalux]

6. Yep, his 'story' leaks like a sieve and he knows it wasn't self defense.

The obsession over who screamed is maddening. I understand the defense's rationale and they've done a good job with it, but it doesn't make a goddamn difference when Zimmerman actively stalked and killed Martin. I hope the jury sees that.

[Travis_0004]

37. Taking the 5th does not imply guilt.

People are free to take the 5th, and doing so is not an admission of guilt.

If I was questioned by the police, even if I had absolutely nothing to do with it, I would keep my mouth shut until a lawyer showed up, and I would advise everybody to do the same.

If I was on trial for a crime I had nothing to do with, then I would also not testify if my lawyers advised me to do so.

[premium]

4. That's what the DA's office is for,

to tell the victim's side of the story, and more times than not, they do it pretty effectively.

[Avalux]

8. Not this time.

I can't believe how poorly they've handled this case.

[premium]

11. I've pretty much said the same thing you've said and caught

a lot of flak for it, if Zimmerman's acquitted, and, IMO, it's looking more and more likely he will be, the blame will lie squarely on the state for failing to prove a 2nd Murder charge, they should have gone for Manslaughter, which carry's the same sentence as 2nd Murder and much easier to prove.

[John2]

16. I disagree with

you. There is no manslaughter about this case. If the case was fixed from the start, he would get off no matter what charges were bought. That is just trying to give an excuse for the jury, which people are suspicious of anyway.

You continue to say Zimmerman proved he attacked Trayvon in self defense. He hasn't proven any thing. This case is very simple. He pursued Trayvon. That has been proven. It has not been proven Trayvon ever pursue Zimmerman. So you can start showing me why you believe the defense has shown Trayvon pursued Zimmerman? That is the first hurdkle you can't even cross.

[TDale313]

27. Unless I'm very much mistaken,

Manslaughter is a lesser included offense in this case. The jury will be free to decide murder wasn't proven, but manslaughter was. Please correct me if I've misunderstood.

[premium]

39. Your correct,

but the state, IMO, has screwed up the case so badly, I can't really see the jury convicting him.

But, you never know what a jury will do.

[TDale313]

40. It's possible they won't convict him on anything.

But manslaughter seems far more likely than murder 2 to me at this point. I'm leaning towards him being convicted, but won't be surprised if Zimmerman walks.

[Honeycombe8]

34. I think they've done a good job with what there is to work with.

Some of the people who were convinced from the start that GZ was a racist child killer, even before the full story was out, are looking at the evidence, I believe, with rose colored glasses.

TM isn't here to tell his version. That's very true. I hope the jury remembers that, and I have faith they will.

But even without someone to tell a story, their "version" can sometimes be told through the evidence.

TM isn't here to deny he hit GZ first. But the physical conditions of the two tell a story. Maybe not the whole story. But there's evidence to indicate that GZ did not beat up TM, or even hit him hard.

Still....I think it comes down to....was it legal for GZ to respond to a physical assault by a tall skinny dude with a gunshot through the heart? Did GZ really fear for his life?

Even if TM were here, he would just say that there was no reason for GZ to fear for his life, just as GZ being here says there was reason for GZ to fear for his life. They would say their respective stories.

The prosecutor is painting a picture and speaking for Trayvon. We also have his gf's testimony.

[Just Saying]

28. The problem is in this case

There's very little evidence and witnesses to the altercation only saw a little bit in the dark and none saw how it started. The prosecution doesn't know what really happened and Trayvon isn't around to tell his side. I think Zimmerman has boulder sized holes in his version, but how do they prove it? Frankly, the law is too heavily weighed on the side of the defendant claiming self-defense.

IMO, We'll never know what really happened.

[malaise]

5. Watching this trial is the first time I've missed my dad in ages

I can here his voice. Zimmerman murdered that boy in cold blood. he hunted him and executed him.
Good for Trayvon if he fought for his life. He had no chance against this pathological racist, liar and wanna be cop.

[Avalux]

10. Was your dad an attorney?

I just hope the jury has enough common sense to see through the bullshit.

[malaise]

12. My dad was a judge

He's been dead for 30 years

[Avalux]

13. ...

Your dad was a very wise man, and the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

[malaise]

14. He was pretty smart

[HardTimes99]

9. I can't watch or comment on this, as I just get so fucking upset at the monumental

waste. Any teacher of young people full of promise knows of what I write.

I rely on the reporting here for keeping up with what is going on in the trial.

[Peacetrain]

17. The thing that is bothering me most right now.. is how they can dig

into Trayvons short history.. but the prosecutions cannot tell the jury that Zimmerman had a violent history including attacking a policeman and domestic abuse.. I do not understand that.. the defense had a gazillion witnesses yesterday testifying to his character as a friend.. but the violence that has been a part of his history also can't be brought up.. I just don't understand it

[Avalux]

18. I don't understand that either.

A toxicology report from the victim is admissible, yet none was performed on Zimmerman and can't discuss his past at all. He sits there, won't take the stand, knows he's guilty...it's as if he's untouchable.

[Honeycombe8]

36. That's because GZ told 911/cops that reason he thought TM was suspicious...

was because that even though it was pouring rain, the guy was walking slowly, not like people normally do when it's raining, and also the guy looked like he was on drugs or something.

So....the judge is letting the toxicology report in that TM had a tiny amount of THC in his system (meaning he had been high earlier).

It's not attacking his character. It's because the accusations against GZ include he called 911 for no good reason. So GZ gets to counter that accusation with evidence of one of the reasons he gave at the time.

I can see her ruling either way, though. It was just a tiny amount, so he probablly wasn't acting druggie, really (except maybe the walking slowly part).

There hasn't been anything else negative about TM's past that's come in, that I know of. The defense is trying to get TM's statements about his fighting experience in. The reason for that is because the prosecutor made a deal out of the mixed martial arts stance thing...GZ having had prior mma training or something. So.....tit for tat, defense says. Defense gets to show that TM had fighting experience, and it also shows that TM wasn't passive so that it's not unlikely he'd sucker punch GZ.

It's all legal stuff. Entered to show specific things. The judge won't allow things in that are just character assassination, for either side.

[TorchTheWitch]

44. pouring rain?

It was drizzling.

Everything that Zimmerman said about what he thought was suspicious amounts to a kid in a hoodie walking normally in drizzling rain. He had no reason to determine he was looking in windows by his just looking about him especially with a strange dude in a car that was following him. He had no reason to determine he must be "on drugs or something" and admitted himself to the police when he was asked why he said that that he didn't know why he said it. What he told the police about why he though he was suspicious looking amounted to walking in drizzling rain. That's it.

The defense is trying to assassinate Martin's character using texts about an organized fight and typical teenage pictures of him trying to look cool with the gangsta look that kids find so popular when none of that can be authenticated because it isn't known whether or not it was Martin himself writing those texts or someone else using his phone. The defense is also whining that though having this info since the beginning of June they haven't had the time to attempt to authenticate them yet they've had PLENTY of time to go on tv to talk about the case and go for ice cream runs with their kids. If they can't be authenticated they shouldn't be let in just as the judge said. ALL of it is nothing but character assassination. They can't even show that Martin had any fighting experience because they can't authenticate whoever sent those text messages about some unknown organized fight was Martin or someone else using his phone. The prosecution COULD authenticate Zimmerman's MMA training and so it was allowed in.

[Honeycombe8]

55. Rainy night. Either drizzling or pouring...I guess it would make a diff. to the jury.

But that's not really the point. It's only about GZ's credibility when he called in the report. Whatever GZ saw, whatever the raininess degree, GZ thought it was suspicious that TM was strolling or walking slowly or whatever, looking around, instead of walking quickly, like most people do, he said to 911.

What the lawyers on both sides are doing is what you'd want YOUR lawyer to do...get in all the evidence that helps your client. The judge will make a legal decision on it, weighing the value of it vs. the damage it might do to the other side - character assassination is not legally allowed. Then the jury is able to disregard that evidence, if it wants.

It's all legal stuff.

The judge has now rules on this evidence. The animated re-enactment is in, the texts are not allowed in. The toxicology report was allowed in earlier.

[TorchTheWitch]

60. so you really think someone walking in drizzling rain at 7pm is suspicious?

You really think the jury would find that suspicious? So what if he wasn't walking quickly or running? People walk normally in drizzling rain all the time completely bare headed. I do. Martin was wearing a hood over his head because of the drizzle. Why is it suspicious that someone with a head covering is walking in drizzling rain? You never walked in drizzling rain before? Did it ever cross your mind that someone would find it suspicious? Damn, people must think that being drizzled on can kill you or something. Makes one wonder why umbrellas, raincoats and various jackets and sweaters not to mention hats are sold and nearly everyone owns at least one.

The point is that Zimmerman says he thought Martin walking with his hood up on his head in drizzling rain at 7 pm was suspicious. But it's infinitely clear that he thought he was suspicious because he was a young black male wearing normal teenage clothing JUST LIKE the kid that was caught robbing houses recently that some other guy that was not Zimmerman caught. Zimmerman clearly profiled Martin as a criminal JUST LIKE the one that had been recently caught - he called him a fucking punk, and complained that such assholes doing criminal things always got away (except he knew full well that one had been caught and was likely the only one since there were no more robberies since).

And because of Zimmerman's belief that Martin was a criminal that needed to be caught NOT because he was walking in drizzling rain but because he resembled in gender, race, age and clothing style a person who had been recently caught doing robberies. And THAT is what made Zimmerman get out of his car and chase Martin down. He convinced himself that this was a criminal that needed to be caught and this time HE wanted to be the neighborhood hero to do it so that he didn't get away. He continually called Martin a suspect and still did even after he killed him. He never once thought he was just a kid walking home in drizzling rain even though that's ALL he saw him do. It never entered his head that his following, chasing and confronting Martin wasn't what he should be doing even though he'd been trained not to follow or confront anyone he thought was suspicious and never once thought that Martin would be suspicious of some older dude he didn't know following him in his car and then chased him down on foot to confront him nor did it ever cross his mind that he'd be afraid of Zimmerman even when he ran away from him. Why? Because Zimmerman utterly convinced himself on no ACTUAL evidence other than a kid walking in drizzling rain that basically resembled a robber who had recently been caught by someone else was a bad guy criminal up to no good.

Zimmerman was acting as a vigilante wannabe cop that didn't have to play by any rules in no position of any authority to follow, chase after and confront someone that Martin had no reason to believe was in any position of authority and every reason to believe was some crazy whackjob out to do him harm. And Zimmerman killed him.

Had Martin been female Zimmerman would have been arrested that night, already been found guilty and sitting in jail right now. People can certainly understand the fear of a female from someone doing the same thing Zimmerman did to Martin but can't understand that same fear in a male barely 17 year old kid?

As to the rest, the animation wasn't allowed in. It's only allowed in closing argument and only as a descriptor, not evidence. The toxicology about the THC was allowed in, but the defense isn't using it now. Gee, wonder why. Could it be then the prosecution could bring in those drugs that Zimmerman was on and their side effects? They argued to let the THC evidence in, won that argument, and now they aren't using it.

Yep, this is all legal stuff. Zimmerman gets to make up shit about what happened, Martin is dead so can't give his own version of events, and there's reason to believe that Zimmerman may walk away unscathed by gunning down an unarmed kid just walking home from the store while black. And that's fucking scary especially when Zimmerman has said it was all God's will and he'd do the same thing all over again.

[BornLooser]

19. Trayvon Martin is dead, so is Zimmerman. Dead man walking.

[HipChick]

21. Dead Man Walking..Whether he goes to jail or not

[BornLooser]

22. Thats exactly right.....He's earned it.

[TNNurse]

20. May I question Zimmerman???

1) You called the cops, did they say it was OK to approach this young man?

2) If not, why did you?

3) Did you approach him or did he come and attack you?

4) Did you ask him anything?

5) Why did you think he was a threat?

6) How do you feel about shooting and killing an unarmed child?

7) How do you sleep at night?


I have others but this is just a release for me, otherwise I would scream at the TV every day. Oh wait, I do that anyway.

[BornLooser]

23. As an aside...I loved Molly Ivins.

I lived in Ft.Worth and read her column faithfully in the Star Telegram. I miss her, and Gov. Anne.

[libodem]

26. Me too

It is as if Texas went from Angelic to Demonic.

Serious as a heart attack.

Those women are Sainted compared to who lives there now.

[Avalux]

29. The Angels are going to make a comeback.

Mark my words. Young Texas women are mad as hell and sick to death of Republican rule. A movement is underway.

[Just Saying]

31. +1

Strong Texas women who were never afraid to call them like they saw them!

[olddots]

24. this isn't like any TV trial before it .

I can't watch it either because justice is not being served ,racism and money are being served.

[libodem]

25. .

[TDale313]

30. ...

[libodem]

46. I know

That is the saddest part of all. He deserves justice. So does his family.

[Boom Sound 416]

32. If Trayvon Martin survived

What would his story be?

would his story be any different than the witnesses?

would the witnesses tell a different account?

[reusrename]

42. It's pretty clear he was being followed by Zimmerman who never identified himself.

It is pretty obvious what happened here. Zimmerman was armed and dangerous and he behave exactly that way. He fulfilled his favorite fantasy that night.

[riverwalker]

33. they need to make the jury know Trayvon

that he had a 3.5 GPA, he wanted to become a pilot, he loved aviation, he wanted to fly, he saved his Dad from a house fire when he was 9. He was a good and beautiful person.
I'm afraid he is so one dimensional to the jury.

[Azathoth]

35. He also participated in street fights, posted inappropriate things online, smoked pot

was suspended from school, and was once caught with what was pretty obviously stolen jewelery in his backpack (including wedding rings and diamond earrings) that he claimed he was "holding" for a friend.

The door swings both ways on character evidence.

[riverwalker]

38. lol

if the penalty for "posting inappropriate things online" by teenagers is DEATH, then the human race will soon become extinct.

[Scootaloo]

54. Azathoth left out the "while black" part of all those 'crimes'

Remember, the more melanin you have, the higher the bar is for you to be considered a decent or even normal person - even on DU.

[reusrename]

43. Smoked pot! Oh no, I guess he never could have become president.

Too bad so many people don't understand what the word character even means.

[hfojvt]

41. Jalisa Reed is also dead. Ranisha Jones is also dead.

their killers are not even on trial. Jamie Foxx is not wearing a t-shirt with their picture on it. Nobody is holding rallies demanding "justice for Jalisa" or "justice for Ranisha" outside of a few local events.

There were 14,612 murders in 2011 and 14,722 in 2010 and 15,399 in 2009. How many of the 160,829 victims over the last decade can you even name? Yet they are just as dead as Trayvon. And many were just as young as Trayvon. Jalisa and Ranisha were both younger than Trayvon. And just as black as Trayvon.

Why does Trayvon matter so much more than all those other victims? Why is his death the only one that is breaking your heart?

Lana Bailey is dead too. She was just 18 months old. She will never get to tell her side of the story either while her killer gets to tell his side. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57584150-504083/kansas-farm-killings-update-body-of-lana-leigh-bailey-18-month-old-child-believed-to-have-been-found-police-say/

[Avalux]

45. "Why is his death the only one that is breaking your heart?"

Did I say that in my post? No.

Every death, every needless act of violence against an innocent person, named and unnamed, breaks my heart. It's not that Trayvon matters more; the public is focused on his case, which is symbolic of those who are unknown.

[hfojvt]

59. the media is focused on this case

Why?

Is the public being played by the media?


Are you, as part of the public, being played by the media.

And you do not need to say that none of the other 160,000 deaths are breaking your heart. The fact that you do NOT post about them, about your heartbreak about all the OTHER deaths. Only create the 1,000th post about Trayvon (who clearly has the face that launched a thousand posts).

Maybe the public should reject the three minutes of hate that this case seems to represent.

[handmade34]

51. BS

I would hazard a guess that the sorrow felt towards Trayvon here is intense because he represents so many that die needlessly...

I have said many times that this trial is more that Zimmerman and Trayvon... it is about so much that is wrong with our society today

[hfojvt]

57. if you are only hazarding a guess

then why are you sure my questions are BS?

I would say that the sorrow felt towards Trayvon is intense because our very own Rush Limbaughs have worked to make it so, and because we constantly write posts and read posts that are INTENDED to not only express that intensity, but to increase it.

What IS wrong with our society today?

[noiretextatique]

53. another despicable post from you

Not at all surprised. As if you give a damn about any of those people...you are just using them to spew your bitterness.

[hfojvt]

56. despicable is what despicable does

You see my post as despicable because you pre-judge ME as despicable me. You know I don't care about other victims, because, why would I, am I not despicable? Therefore obviously, I don't care about anybody except despicable me and despicable me 2.

It is a good thing that Martin Luther King never had to read my posts or he might have made some exceptions when he said "The non-violent resister not only refuses to shoot his opponent, he refuses to hate him too".

But it is not like I care about the teachings of Reverend Doctor King.

Just quoting him to spew my bitterness.

[duffyduff]

49. An AP Headline Says Zimmerman Was in Worse Shape Than Trayvon Martin

according to an expert.

I don't know how you can be in "worse shape" than somebody you KILLED:


http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_NEIGHBORHOOD_WATCH?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[libodem]

50. Or be working out 3X per week

In MMA. And the claim that he was the one screaming his last scream is revolting. That makes me as furious about his ridiculous claims as any lie he has told. He is nothing more that a big bully and a liar.

Wonder if he brags in private. He bragged to Hannity. He was proud and wouldn't do anything differently. He isn't sorry. He thinks it was justified, by whatever means it takes to justify it.


Zero character. Zero credibility. Zero intelligence.

[Politicalboi]

52. IF GZ walks it's because

The police didn't follow through the night of the murder. I haven't been watching the trial, but it seems to me since the police let him go the first time, they didn't look at it as murder. So the investigation from the beginning was flawed. What evidence did they overlook? Did they handle the scene as a murder or self defense? If TM put his hands over GZ mouth, why isn't there any smeared blood on his face?

[akbacchus_BC]

58. It also breaks my heart too. Most times the victim never

gets justice. The parents, my heart breaks for them. That child was on his way to visit his dad and Zimmerman stalked him. Guess who does not get any time for murdering a child?

Heartbreak for Trayvon's family, however, if Zimmerman has an iota of conscience, he too screwed up. How can a person live with himself or herself, knowing you killed an innocent child?