I'm sorry, but how can we seriously believe someone just randomly goes up and attacks strangers?

[Tommy_Carcetti]

Unless Trayvon was some sort of lunatic, that theory makes no sense. An unarmed kid, with no known history of serious violence or mental illness, sees George Zimmerman, goes up to him, and starts wailing on him, out of the blue? And then, and only then, does Zimmerman have to "stand his ground"?

And let's not forget that Zimmerman was armed all throughout this time. The mere brandishing of a weapon would almost certainly stopped any unarmed individual from whatever action they doing at the time. So let's say the gun didn't appear until after the fight started. Why did Zimmerman feel the need to pull the trigger? Why didn't he see if it merely would cause Trayvon to stop fighting (which I think it almost certainly would have, regardless of who threw the first punch)?

Zimmerman's theory makes no sense. Right now I don't know whether it is murder or manslaughter, but either way, Zimmerman's theory makes no sense.

[hack89]

1. What about if Zimmerman starts an argument that get out of control?

and at some point Martin feels threatened and assaults Zimmerman? He has the right to do that but it cannot automatically be assumed his fear was reasonable - if it was not reasonable then Martin is the one breaking the law because nothing Zimmerman has done up to that point was illegal. And if Martin had no legal claim to self defense then if Zimmerman feels his life is in danger then he does have the right to self defense.

I have no idea what really happened and I feel that Zimmerman should be in jail but the above argument is what his defense lawyers will argue. Without Martin's side of the story it may be hard for the jury to get over the "beyond a reasonable doubt" bar.

As for the gun, most likely Zimmerman was scared and panicked. Having your head pounded into the pavement (if it is true) is not conducive to rational thought.

[kestrel91316]

3. ......another serial GZ apologist........

[hack89]

4. "I feel that Zimmerman should be in jail" - miss that did you?

I think Zimmerman committed a crime. But talking about what the laws actually say and what possibly will transpire in court is not supporting Zimmerman.

This trial is not a slam dunk - the law is not as clear as people think it is. That is my only point.

[hack89]

6. Just injecting some legal reality here.

Zimmerman should go.to.prison. But there is a good chance he will not.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

5. Zimmerman's initial story was that Trayvon ambushed him out of the bushes.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/19/us/trayvon-martins-friend-tells-what-she-heard-on-phone.html?ref=us

(snip)

Mr. Zimmerman has told the police that he saw a suspicious teenager roaming around the Retreat and followed him on foot before losing sight of him. As Mr. Zimmerman was walking back to his vehicle, he told investigators, Mr. Martin emerged and punched him in the nose before jumping on top of him and attacking him. Mr. Zimmerman said that he then shot Mr. Martin to save his own life.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Interestingly enough, he appears to have multiple stories.

But if we were to go by Zimmerman's first story, the first thing he ever told investigators, the incident was not an argument that deteriorated into a fist fight. We would have to believe that after being chased by a stranger and instead of going another 150 feet to safety of his dad's fiance's house, Trayvon Martin instead decided to loop back, hang out in the bushes and ambush a strange man who had chased him out of the blue.

Bullshit. I call bullshit.

[Lawlbringer]

2. Usually not walking around alone, no.

Especially not on the phone. Even if Trayvon said something as he passed Zimmerman to kinda make a goof while he was on the phone with his GF (as I did a few times myself while I was a teenager) he couldn't have possibly said anything that would have cost him his LIFE.

[Life Long Dem]

7. A beating with a broken nose could have brought anger and revenge to Zimmerman.

That's why I think it's important about the distance of the shot. If Trayvon was clear of Zimmerman and were not in a fight when he shot him, it brings more thought into why Zimmerman didn't just wave the gun at him. But if Zimmerman was pissed off, then he wasn't just wanting to chase him off, he was after killing him.