Trayvon Martin’s Parents Meet With Federal Authorities In Miami

[big_dog]

Source: Miami Herald

The parents of Trayvon Martin and their lawyer met with Justice Department prosecutors and FBI agents at the U.S. attorney’s office in Miami Wednesday to discuss the status of a criminal civil-rights investigation into the fatal shooting of their teen-age son last year.
The federal investigation, which was opened while George Zimmerman faced prosecution for the death of the 17-year-old, gained renewed interest last month after Zimmerman was acquitted in state court of Martin’s killing in a Sanford gated community.
Prosecutors with the Justice Department’s criminal civil-rights section and FBI agents from Central Florida met with the late teen’s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, and their attorney, Benjamin Crump, to bring the family up to speed, according to sources familiar with the meeting.
The meeting was held in Miami to accommodate the parents. Trayvon had lived with his mother in Miami Gardens before his death, which occurred while he was visiting his father in Sanford.
A spokeswoman for the Miami U.S. attorney’s office confirmed the meeting took place there Wednesday, but she could not say who was present. A spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Tampa referred a reporter’s call to the Justice Department, which declined to comment because of the “ongoing” investigation.



Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/08/01/3536816/trayvon-martins-parents-meet-with.html

[libodem]

1. Hate crime when it happened

Hate crime now. Absolutely committed with spite, malice and hatred. Absolutely!!!

[Bjorn Against]

2. I think their real target is not George Zimmerman, but the Sanford Police

As much as I wish they could charge Zimmerman with Civil Rights violations the burden of proof is very high so even I have to admit that unless they have evidence the rest of us have not heard yet there is little chance of them being able to prosecute on hate crime charges. I wish they could because I think Zimmerman did violate Trayvon's civil rights, but the law makes it difficult to prosecute.

The Justice Department knows the law better than I do and they don't need me to tell them what the law says, they would not be pursuing this if they were not at least considering taking action. I don't think their action will be against Zimmerman however, I think their action will be against the Sanford Police Department. They may go after the State of Florida as well, I think the officials who mishandled the case have a lot more to fear from this investigation than George Zimmerman does.

[Voice for Peace]

5. I think you are right that it's much wider than Zimmerman

and would be hard to prove a hate crime
against him based on race.

But the entire case start to finish was
a glaring example of many urgent wrongs.

I am hopeful the DOJ makes the opportunity
to send a powerful message, to law enforcement
and citizens alike, about the true meaning of
self-defense.

[B Stieg]

8. Nope.

[Voice for Peace]

13. If he had been a black businessman-looking "respectable" fellow

carrying a briefcase, maybe, a nice umbrella.
Talking on the phone in the rain, less likely
in my opinion Zimmerman would have become
aroused.

There was clearly race-related profiling.
But how can you prove a hate crime on
that account?

It isn't black people he hates, only
teenage black people in hoodies.

[David Krout]

15. Will the charges against Sanford pd be easy or hard to prove?

What would be the charge?

[Cha]

3. Good.. I hope Justice4Trayvon comes

from it.

mahalo big dog

[JoeyT]

4. I hope they're focusing on the PD in particular.

Putting the fear of god into complicit PDs that bigots know will cover for their crimes won't hurt Zimmerman, but it will hurt the potential for future Zimmermans, both in prevention from knowing they won't get away with it and in justice in them not getting away with it.

[Voice for Peace]

6. +++

[sheshe2]

9. Justice.

[freshwest]

10. No wonder Z is in Texas, near the border, just in case. Can go live with family in Latin America.

Bizarre that he was found speeding and pulled over and there was no mention of his grifter wife in the car. Maybe she's busy with shipping the alleged $30K in monthly donations to live large there. I wouldn't put anything past this gang of criminals. Z is a scumbag, always has been. Birds of a feather...

[csziggy]

17. Isn't Mrs. Z still out on bail for her perjury charges?

I read that her trial (for lying about their net worth so Z could get out on bail) is coming up soon.

Ah - Aug 21, 2013 is her date for now. She is out on bond:

04/17/2013 MNFD (1)PERJURY IN OFFICIAL PROCEEDINGS 837.02 F-3: DEFENDANT CONTINUED ON BOND
http://www.seminoleclerk.org/CriminalDocket/case_detail.jsp?CaseNo=592012CF001792A

[freshwest]

18. Same venue as created this mess won't punish the Mrs. She could have been jailed last year.

He left the state illegally on bail last year, it might scare the Mrs. but I think she's just as saavy with the bucks as he was. They're on top of the world now. Or rather the garbage dump, that is.

[csziggy]

19. Her case is much clearer than his was

She definitely lied to the court while under oath. Her conversations with Z recorded by the jailhouse telephone system laid out their plans to transfer money in amounts under what would have triggered official attention. Since Z was in jail, he cannot be charged with the actual offense - any information he got about the amount of money in their PayPal account would have been hearsay but Mrs. Z certainly knew that the amount of money they had collected should have been reported to the court. Since she went to efforts to NOT trigger federal attention she obviously knew what she was doing was not legitimate.

But she'll probably get a slap on the wrist and be allowed to range at will along with her husband. They deserve each other. I just neither gets a chance to hurt another innocent person.

[freshwest]

21. Agree with all.

[tofuandbeer]

11. I wonder if Zimmerman is hiding from all of this.

Being that he was found driving in Texas, makes me think someone out that way offered him a compound or safe spot to hide out.

[uppityperson]

12. It wasn't just Zimmy shooting him but also very much the way it was handled, or not handled, after

[MADem]

14. GOOD. I hope they get some justice. nt

[UglyGreed]

16. Let's hope

this will cut short Zimmerman's victory tour.....

[Major Hogwash]

20. We're not done by a long shot.

They better not take their sweet ass time getting around to filing these charges either.