FBI may charge George Zimmerman with hate crime

[CatWoman]

SANFORD, Fla. —
WFTV has learned charges against George Zimmerman could be getting more serious.

State prosecutors said Zimmerman, a neighborhood watchman, profiled and stalked 17-year-old Trayvon Martin before killing him, so the FBI is now looking into charging him with a hate crime.

Zimmerman admitted to killing Martin in February during a confrontation. However, he claims the shooting was in self-defense. He's facing a second-degree murder charge, which carries a maximum possible sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. But if Zimmerman is charged and found guilty of a federal hate crime involving murder, he could face the death penalty.

FBI investigators are actively questioning witnesses in the retreat at the Twin Lakes neighborhood, seeking evidence for a possible federal hate crime charge.

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/fbi-seeks-charge-george-zimmerman-hate-crime/nN5pR/

[maddezmom]

1. read about the discovery evidence the defense attorney rec'd

wonder what's on those 67 CD's.

[vaberella]

27. 67 CD's of what? Shit! n/t

[maddezmom]

31. they made no mention of the content

but found it strange.

[vaberella]

34. The defense attorney found the 67 cd's strange?

So they haven't seen this evidence on the prosecution side yet? Technically the evidence should be out for them to review, by now...right?

[maddezmom]

37. states attorney is going to file a motion to keep some out of the public

from what I've read, so who knows what will come out before trial.

[magical thyme]

47. the prosecution just gave them the evidence the other day

I think it was Monday, 20 minutes before close of day or something.

[Gregorian]

2. I hope so. Many people think he did no wrong.

I know educated people who think he did nothing wrong with respect to Florida law.

I wonder what they would think had Trayvon been their son.


By the way, I want the death penalty abolished.

[Control-Z]

3. I think it would be a mistake.

Last edited Tue May 15, 2012, 01:46 PM - Edit history (1)

The masses are angry but I don't believe they would want that kind of vengeance. A sentence like that could force a jury to find him innocent.

[zzaapp]

13. Exactly right

[vaberella]

29. I read that if he's convicted of a hate crime by federal law it means death penalty.

And a federal conviction by Florida law means the death penalty. It doesn't matter what happens in his court case...I believe someone posted that in another thread.

[obamanut2012]

44. Do you have a link to that?

That doesn't sound right.

[vaberella]

56. I might have made worded the statement incorrectly.

He's facing a second-degree murder charge, which carries a maximum possible sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. But if Zimmerman is charged and found guilty of a federal hate crime involving murder, he could face the death penalty.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002690034

[maddezmom]

45. I thought this Fed Hate crime charges would be seperate from the state

but not a legal person, so I could be confused.

[vaberella]

57. Ditto. Check out the post above yours.

I posted the link and the quote I was probably misquoting from.

[Towlie]

49. Amendment V - "nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy..."

Amendment V

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

[LynneSin]

4. He needs to be charged with something - it's bullshit this entire case

You kill an unarmed person outside your home you should be held accountable - end of discussion. That's just common sense.

Perhaps they may find after investigation that there was some self defense - like a woman protecting herself from her abuser. But you investigate and you hold that person accountable if they find no reason why it happened other than - ' he looked suspicious'

[Bake]

5. $10 says Zippy walks scot-free.

I hope to God NOT, but I'm not optimistic.

Bake

[LynneSin]

7. That's a sucker bet I won't take

I survived the OJ Simpson trial - I know that a good lawyer can get him off scotfree as long as they can create a shread of reasonable doubt.

[Bake]

9. And I normally trust juries ... but this is Florida.

A jury full of crackers will find reasonable doubt.



Bake

[HotRodTuna]

10. And by "a jury full of crackers" you mean...

[CatWoman]

11. It seems perfectly clear what he meant

[The Magistrate]

12. He Jest Puttin' On the Ritz, Ma'am....

[Romulox]

21. Probably he means half-Peruvian, half-Jewish. You know, "crackers"!

[RZM]

43. Zimmerman's father is not Jewish. He is apparently a Baptist

Not that it matters of course.

[Romulox]

53. I thought Zimmerman was an alter boy? Shit's complicated!

Agree it doesn't matter.

[vaberella]

58. His mother was probably catholic making him by definition catholic.

Or that is the rules of the Catholic church. So he might have been raised Catholic. But his father could be something else. Not to mention G. Zimmerman could have also changed religions.

[RZM]

64. His mother is Catholic and the parents chose to raise George in Catholicism

So he very well could have been an altar boy.

[RZM]

65. I was talking about his father

The elder Zimmerman was raised Baptist. George was raised Catholic.

[Bake]

28. Let me be clear ... crackers: white Florida redneck good ol' boys.

Get the picture?

And before anybody screams, hell, I am a white male--some would say good ol' boy --- but I am most definitely NOT a redneck.

Bake

[HotRodTuna]

40. Thanks for the clarification

Because when I hear "crackers", I think "white people", which is pretty racist. Now whether Floridians are too stupid to judge a case properly, well, that's another question.

[rppper]

46. The proper term is "Florida crackers"

The origins of the word come from two places that I'm aware of....one comes from the sound a whip makes....crack....but used in the noun sense....IE the person cracking the whip is a "cracker"....it is a slave era word btw....

The other is an old prison guard reference....

It is slang, at least in central
Florida lingo, for white boy....

Hope that helps....

[obamanut2012]

51. The origin is almost definitely from "craic"

Which morphed into meaning a braggart. There is a school of historians who believe it may be from "corncracking." It has nothing to do with a whip or a prison guard. It's usage as "braggart" predates the US Revolutionary War by quite a bit (Shakespeare).

It can be used as a pejorative, but it is far more often used as a term of pride, by folks in Florida and Georgia. much as many of my good ole boy and good ole girl neighbors self-identify as "rednecks."

[Lasher]

61. Your historical reference has basis in fact.

But it serves to obfuscate more than to inform. It is abundantly clear that Bake did not intend the term as a complement.

[rppper]

66. Sure...bake hit it right on the head....

I'm in the same boat as him....I don't own up to The redneck southerner moniker....it's something, A stereotype, I've been trying to change for many years...

[slackmaster]

42. I'm glad you aren't afraid to call a spade a spade instead of a manual geomorpholological instrument

Or a Combat Emplacement Excavator.

[Lasher]

48. What if some of these evil crackers escape from Florida?

Would they still be crackers, or would they be something else then? And what about good ol' girls? Can they be crackers too, or is it only the Florida good ol' boys who can qualify?

[Bake]

50. Again, let me be clear. The South is full of crackers.

And I'm a Southerner, so I can say that. I believe the term originated as "Georgia crackers," so it's not just Florida, although Florida is full of them. Good ol' girls can be crackers too. I don't particularly like the term. I prefer "idiot rednecks."

Don't give me any sh*t about it either. I grew up in west Tennessee, and I heard more than my share of "I'm surprised youse guys wear shoes." I am not, and never have been, an idiot redneck. But I've sure as hell seen plenty of them.

Bake

[Lasher]

60. No need to keep digging your hole deeper, you were perfectly clear the first time.

Bigotry has many forms.

[Bake]

62. Uh, I'm a Southern WHITE man. What part of that don't you get?

It's not bigotry when it's my "own kind." A cracker is a cracker is a cracker.

I'm not digging a hole. You're just not listening. And if you're not from the South, you've got no business judging me.

Bake

[obamanut2012]

52. Only in Florida and Georgia

For real.

[slackmaster]

55. They turn into honkies, hillbillies, white trash, hicks, or peckerwoods

Depending on where they go.

[pasto76]

18. hell yes. If you are going to use lethal force, there should never be any questions. Period

[Generic Other]

26. I keep remembering this case

Yoshihiro Hattori (服部 剛丈 Hattori Yoshihiro?, November 22, 1975 – October 17, 1992) was a Japanese exchange student residing in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States at the time of his death. Hattori was on his way to a Halloween party and he went to the wrong house by accident. The property owner, Rodney Peairs, shot and killed Hattori, thinking he was trespassing with criminal intent. The controversial homicide, and Peairs's subsequent acquittal in the state court of Louisiana, received worldwide attention.

[Art_from_Ark]

67. Peairs lost the subsequent civil suit

but the amount he was ordered to pay to Hattori's family was considered to be an "insult" by the family.

[Cali_Democrat]

6. This will make the Zimmerman defenders VERY angry

Steam will be coming out of their ears...

...and I'll be loving it.

[Baitball Blogger]

8. I believe the FBI may have evidence that shows that Zimmerman was two

different people. The one that will cause him trouble, is the track record that shows how he really feels when it comes to minorities.

[OnlinePoker]

16. Is he a self-hating minority?

He is Hispanic, after all.

[Baitball Blogger]

17. I've said it many times.

He's bi-cultured. And Hispanics/Latinos are susceptible to prejudices, just like anybody else.

[vaberella]

32. Exactly and it doesn't help his dad is White.

One issue that many people seem to ignore when it comes to bi-culture/racial minorities is why they aren't able to pass or enjoy a level of privilege. Based on even statements by Zimmerman defenders on this site where they don't believe he "looked White." So obviously he can't be racist. They don't seem to get that is exactly the problem for many of them. But Dad is White and because I don't look it I get treated like any other *N* or *Sp*. This is the self-hating part comes in. I knew a few people like that and I have family like that.

[cr8tvlde]

35. Having Lived in LA county for decades

and taught school there, many Hispanic kids were prejudiced against 1st generation/Mexican immigrants...very much so and made fun of the accent that often their own parents often had. It's sadly a way of of "us and them" to those who have already acculturated or felt (and transposed) the shame their family had earlier experienced. I was also shocked that there were deep prejudices against black folk, even though we had few...as most were closer to the downtown LA ghetto area.

Not that this means anything other than just being a minority does not automatically equate with not having human prejudices, especially against other minorities. I knew white teachers in my school who taught and had respect for their students and parents...about 75% Mexican...but sharply racist views. Go figure. There's no accounting for what goes on in the home.

In the case of Zimmerman from what I've read, his home and ancestry like many, likely had mixed messages about race, gay, women, etc. and he seems/appears to be a bit mentally challenged. My opinion is that is why many of his "antics" were tolerated by the police, especially given the stature of his father and possible personal relationship with the local police. "There goes George again." Kind of like the town drunk.

And he may not be racist and his comments may have been interpreted to apply to a white or hispanic person. We don't have the facts yet. But he was surely privileged/entitled, and Mr. Martin was not.

[bongbong]

14. The dream of the NRA

Anything to distract from the SYG, AKA legalized murder, law.

[hack89]

15. Is there any evidence that he intends to use a SYG defense? nt

[vaberella]

33. None. It seems even his defense attorney doesn't want to use it. n/t

[bongbong]

36. Huh?

Your reply to my post has nothing to do with the content of my post!

Hilarious gun-defenders!

[hack89]

39. "Anything to distract from the SYG, AKA legalized murder, law."

How can it be a distraction if he doesn't use the SYG defense?

[ajk2821]

19. If only the statute of limitations was longer on hate crimes,

Then the FBI could charge Mitt with one too.

[beac]

20. WHY does the media persist in calling him "a neighborhood watchman"??

He was nothing of the kind. He was a self-appointed vigilante with NO affiliation with an organized watch group.

[abelenkpe]

24. +1000 nt

[patrice]

22. Whatever else I/anyone thinks about Z, that "self defense" claim just DOES NOT HOLD UP!

[libodem]

23. It WAS a hate crime

No doubt in my military mind.

[solarman350]

25. So, Does This Mean that zimmerman will soon take that "cook's assistant" job in Paraguay?

--there at the bush CRIME family ranch/compound?

....just asking.....

[Solomon]

30. Be cause he said " fucking coons" and then went after

the guy.

[Oilwellian]

54. I think you're correct

I took the 911 call into Sony Vegas and played that particular section in slow motion. I have no doubt he said "coon" and not "punk" as the Florida officials are stating. I have been procrastinating about making a short video on this, and Cat's OP has provided me a spark to get off me arse and do it.

My thought was to find other words Zimmerman said in the 911 call that start with a "P" and play them in slow motion, and then compare that to the hard "C" you hear when he said "fucking coons." It's so very obvious he said it when you slow it down. I can also get screenshots of his voice signature and show you the difference between his "P" and hard "C" sounds.

OK, it's time to get busy. I'll post my video on DU when finished.

[vaberella]

59. It irritated me to no end when the Prosecution stated that "punks" was said.

I am waiting on the FBI to stand by that claim or debunk it.

[Matariki]

63. I thought it was being claimed that he said 'goon'

and one of Zimmerman's friends told the media that he used that as a 'term of endearment' or some such BS. Love when the story changes, it's so telling.

[Oilwellian]

69. The affidavit states "punk"

You can see it in paragraph seven here.

The prosecuting attorney is wrong about this. There is a huge difference between the sound of a hard "c" and a "p" especially when you see their audio signatures. The hard "c" shows a much larger signature. When you look at the signature of the word in question, you clearly see it starting with a hard sound and ending with a softer one suggesting "coon" is indeed the word he used. If it were "punk" as the state is alleging, the voice signature would be the exact opposite. Starting with a softer "p" and ending with the hard "k." I'm sure the voice experts the Feds are consulting, have software far superior to mine, and they will find the same thing. Perhaps that's why they're considering a hate crime occurred. The voice signature is very strong evidence to back it up.

I've almost completed my video and hope to post it by this weekend. I just haven't had the chance to finish it, but have all of Zimmerman's "C" and "P" words pulled from his call to the Sanford police, and have it ready to put together. I think you'll find the visual of the voice signature to be quite stunning.

[Zax2me]

68. He never said that.

google it.

[DLevine]

41. I hope so. K&R. n/t