Jun 13 2012
Evidence Against Zimmerman “Strong”
While the news media is distracted by the news George Zimmerman’s wife has been arrested for perjury (a crime co-committed with her husband ‘saint’ George), the bigger news to come out was the description by the judge regarding the case against George Zimmerman:
The judge writes that his considered several factors, most of which weighed against Zimmerman.
Among them, “this is a serious charge for which life may be imposed; the evidence against him is strong; he has been charged with one prior crime, for which he went through a pre-trial diversion program, and has had an injunction lodged against him” for domestic violence.
This is pretty damning, coming from the judge who will oversea this man’s trial. As I have suspected (and Saint George’s groupies have dutifully ignored) it looks even more clear now that George Zimmerman’s off-the-cuff alibi and subsequent statements are at odds with the crime scene evidence and witness testimony. The only relevant aspect of this is the ease with which Zimmermans tried to snooker the legal system.
Even worse, Zimmerman apparently also has a history of violent actions. His saintly frock is slipping badly.
To lie about this means they would lie about just about anything. It is just one more in a long line of disclosures that show George Zimmerman is not worthy of anyone’s support. He is not (and better never be) the poster child for 2nd amendment rights, concealed weapon permits or stand your ground laws. This is the kind of vigilante nonsense that risks all those worthy views. Never, ever let the exception drive the rule. That’s how liberals gain control over law abiding citizens, by claiming the need to avoid giving criminals opportunities.
Of course, the fallacy in all this is that to completely avoid opportunities for any crime requires all citizens to be treated as potential criminals. You’d think by now we would be able to understand this PR trick. But here we are again, defending the indefensible.
So AJ: Anyone who disagrees with you is now a groupie? Anyone who believes there is a reasonable chance that Zimmerman will walk is defending the indefensible? Anyone who thinks there is a legitimate arguement to be made regarding self-defense and wants to wait and see all the evidence is guilty of elevating GZ to Sainthood.
I don’t know you personally, but I imagine that you are a little old for playground taunts. I promise you one thing: If Zimmerman eventually is aquitted I will not get on your blog and say (use your best third grade voice ): “Neener, neener, neener! I was right you were wrong! Your mama wears army boots! Haha haha haha!
Layman,
Yep, I do not have a lot of respect for the GZ supporters and their fantasy driven excuses. I know WHY people believe GZ is the poster child for the 2nd Amendment, but he is not…
He is a reckless vigilante that could forever impugn the right to bear arms and protect yourself and family.
Hello AJ — love your writing and your blog, and I look forward to your new posts that pop up on my RSS reader, and wish you posted more frequently… to me the GZ deal boils down to what happened at the end, and if he hadn’t done something, we’d likely be reading about TM’s trial for murdering GZ. It appears from what’s come out that
he was being beaten, potentially to death, and defended himself. The “stand your ground” law deals with retreat, when that is an option (and that last part – the option to retreat – is the key in “stand your ground”). Did GZ have an option to retreat when he acted in self defense – not leading up to the shooting (when he did have the option to retreat), but when he pulled the trigger? It doesn’t appear so, as TM was on top of him and beating him. Of course, not all the evidence is out, and i’m not taking issue with what you’re saying about his credibility and how he should have acted before hand. I’m just not sure that he had a legal obligation to stay in his car and wait for the police, and even if he did, did GZ have any other choice at the point he pulled the trigger?
Do you live in Florida or something? If not, why so much interest in that goat-rope?
Before I am ready to condemn Zimmerman i want someone to publish a recent picture of that “pore little innocent boy” he killed. This lynching of Zimmerman is compounded by the media reprinting over and over that kindergarden picture of an angelic looking little boy. The “victim” was over 6 feet tall for goodness sakes. The autopsy revealed that other than the bullet hole, there were no marks on him except damaged knuckles from beating up on Zimmerman. Whereas, the back of Zimmerman’s head reveals enough damage to back up his claim that Trayvon was trying to bash his brains out on the sidewalk. It doesn’t matter who confronted whom first. The fact remains that the evidence does not indicate Zimmnerman struck the first blow. Zimmerman was doing his job if, and when, he followed a suspicious character. Just being followed, or under surveilance, does not give a person the right to attack another person with deadly intentions as the evidence show Treyvon did. The state’s going after Zimmerman’s wife and the money donated for Zimmerman’s defense is the last straw. Zimmerman is being legally lynched by the system. If he were black, the justice department would be all over Florida officials with court orders and civil rights violation lawsuits.
“George Zimmerman is not worthy of anyone’s support.”
The issue is not whether or not GZ is worthy of support.
The issue is whether or not truth and justice are being served.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Attorney Jeralyn Merrit argues that the judge is now imagining the existence of state’s evidence which was not present at the April 20 bond hearing. Merrit argues that judicial error is occurring, and that GZ deserves bond: http://www.talkleft.com/story/2012/6/13/13212/2614
Bob Owens believes Corey is going to be in hot water over Dowdifying a Shellie Zimmerman quote in court: http://www.bob-owens.com/2012/06/the-fat-lady-shrieks/
Law Professor William Jacobson looks at whether or not Shellie Zimmerman perjured herself. Jacobson doesn’t think she did. In an update, Jacobson also notes the prosecution’s peculiar Dowdifying of Shellie Zimmerman’s quote: http://legalinsurrection.com/2012/06/perjury-charge-against-shellie-zimmerman-raises-more-questions-of-prosecutorial-overreaching/
In the context of bail/bond, I don’t care if GZ/SZ perjured themselves or not. What’s the difference? Perhaps a $1M bond with $100K down instead of $15K down.
The judge at the time looked at the evidence and decided GZ was not a flight risk and should be freed on bond. Now he’s pissed off because he’s personally been dissed by their lies. Since when are a judge’s personal feelings supposed to play a role in their decision making?
So far GZ has not been charged with perjury so the question is the same as before and the answer should be the same as before, albeit with a larger bail/bond.
yeah!!!! we got what we wanted and what we deserve, now we have an openly prejudiced judge to preside over this non biased trial. yeah!!!! He has now influenced every potential juror in the state of Florida. That is what we want, a hanging judge… he’ll show them. I think he should make it clear to the jurors that he plans to sentence GZ to life or longer no matter what the jury says. He has made it clear that he doesn’t plan to tolerate justice in his courtroom. It’s clearly a hang ’em high and hang ’em often judge.
Look let’s face it, when a wild eyed, raving lunatic wanna be sheriff is running around waving a gun and you are stupid enough not to run and hide then you should expect to get shot. But then that guy deserves to face a hanging judge and get what’s coming to him. To hell with law and order, hang those vigilante’s. especially those that are out targeting angelic little boys.
This war on angelic children by gun waving vigilante’s has got to stop. or something.
I just don’t understand anyone wanting justice in this case. Maybe we should just do away with this jury trial business and proceed straight to the hanging. That’d show those vigilantes, by golly.
And my wife mentions another thing…
Suppose now the Judge sets bail at $1.5M or $2M – requiring $150 -$200K in cash. All the money they raised and were counting on for living expenses, lawyer bills, etc. will be gone. If over the next few months they raise even more money will the Judge require another hearing so the Government can lay claim to it’s pound of flesh?
She asks: Is there any reason why they might have felt the need to hide the money in the first place?
But perhaps the Zimmermans should do just as AJ always advocates: Trust the Government. s/o
Come on RT! No one hangs anybody any more.
They should just take Zimmerman out in the alley and put a bullet in the backof his head. Saves the taxpayers a lot of money and sends a message to those wreckless vigilante lovin’ groupies who defend the defenseless!
gcotharn
“The issue is whether or not truth and justice are being served.”
and of course, if this hanging judge gets anywhere near the bench, there will clearly be no justice served in his court room. He has made that clear.
As long a TM is portrayed as an angel recently descended and GZ is portrayed as a gun waving vigilante, it is clear that justice is not the goal. The goal is a hanging, sooner rather than later.
The judge and prosecutor have clearly disqualified themselves as being impartial and are only looking for another notch on their belts.
“Attorney Jeralyn Merrit argues that the judge is now imagining the existence of state’s evidence which was not present at the April 20 bond hearing. ” And if he can’t get it ‘imagined’, he surely is not gonna let that stand in his way. Look, he’s gonna get a conviction here, come hell or high water. He’s not gonna turn this vigilante loose on poor little angelic children. or something..
gcotharn, my true opinion on this case hasn’t changed, but I resorted to a little hyperbole because of this post about this clearly prejudiced judge publicly out attempting to persuade potential jurors. It just don’t get much better than this. or something.
Layman:
“Come on RT! No one hangs anybody any more.”
Ask old Saddam Hussein about that.
Yeah, I know, but, I mean clearly we have a ‘hanging’ judge here, so maybe he’ll put it back in for this one case. Then put a bullet in the back of his head.
and I don’t think we ought to waste time and expense with a trial, I mean we aren’t really looking for justice are we? At least the judge doesn’t seem to think so or he wouldn’t be out telling all potential jurors that he is guilty.
Hey AJ: Check this out!
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-06-13/news/os-george-zimmerman-records-20120613_1_law-enforcement-high-profile-cases-second-degree-murder
The Judge orders that GZ’s statements to the police be released to the public because they are not confessions. The prosecutors had argued that they were and should remain under seal. The judge writes that Zimmerman: “…does not acknowledge guilt of the essential elements of the crime. The only element conceded by the defendant is that he shot and killed the victim, but he does not concede any other elements of second-degree murder.”
Why is this important? We’ll soon see the mysterious statements that everyone has said must contain the smoking gun justifying the Murder 2 charge. We’ll see.
The more fervent this whole Zimmerman prosecution gets, the greater my sympathies grow for this man and his family. He has been convicted before even going to trial by a story-hungry press and a lot of pseudo legal experts. Martin’s parents, though, continue to maintain a synpathetic posture among the public, while anything to do with Zimmerman is threatened and demonized. This whole issue about his wife being brought in on perjury charges, is similar to a witch-hunt on the part of the judge and others.
I just find myself suffering from symptoms of incredulity on how this entire judicial process is going forward.
Jan,
With all due respect that is silly. The man killed a kid, someone’s son. He lied to police and is wife lied in court. Our entire justice system is predicated on the evaluation of truth in court. She deserves what she got, and she is no different from many others.
How is the fair AND ROUTINE application of the law a witch hunt?
You are clearly working on emotion and not facts – which the justice system must work on.
[…] the other hand, at least one rightie blogger has figured out that their knee-jerk support for George Zimmerman is likely to bite the Right in […]
The justice system is predicated on the assumption of innocence until guilt can be proven. He lied to police in your opinion and his wife lied to the court in your opinion. We don’t know if those opinions are accurate yet.
I’ve never posted on here, though I’ve been reading your blog for a long time. Your entire Zimmerman analysis has baffled me from day one.
You use a lot of projection when you go after those who disagree with your assessment of this case. You are very good at accusing others of doing what, in fact, you are guilty of doing. You summed it up perfectly with “you are clearly working on emotion and not facts”.
I don’t pretend to know the full truth of the events that night, but I find it amusing when a story comes out that refutes your opinion, you are conveniently quiet on the matter. When a story comes out that reflects your opinion, you are quick to write a new blog on the matter.
I sincerely hope that justice is properly served in this case. My personal opinion at the moment is that the prosecutor, media and Judge aren’t necessarily interested in true justice. We shall see.
Lowburgh,
This is not a court of law, it is a blog. And because I detected indications early on Zimmerman’s alibi was bogus and would fall apart (which it has, if you have been watching) is not a crime.
I must remind a lot of readers here that one of the few gifts I have is pretty good powers of observation and seeing where things don’t add up.
When I posted on Able Danger I drove to the matter because of inconsistencies in the story line. All of which panned out.
When I took on the New York Times over the FISA story it all began because I noticed serious but subtle disconnects in the narrative. I was right then as well, as Bush never did bypass FISA as originally claimed.
People may not like the fact the story is unfolding as I suspected, but that is not my problem. I am simply using deductive reasoning to assess the information (I cannot call it evidence) and the rule of law and noting how the trajectory is shifting.
We have seen silly fantasies proposed from people with no first hand knowledge, which are then shattered with updated information. And somehow this is similar to me?
Funny.
Zimmerman is in deep trouble. Yes, we will soon see how much trouble. But as I said early on, IF he created an alibi without any knowledge of the girlfriend being on the phone he more than likely cooked up a complete crock which will doom his chances.
It happens – all. the. time. Zimmerman is no standard bearer for anything but vigilante’s who think justice is simple and does not require a lot of thought. I sometimes think the only thing GZ and his more dedicated followers have in common is the ability to weave fancy rationales that cannot stand the test of time or light of day.
You can hold your opinions here, no problem. But I will continue to hold mine, express them, and yes remind the opposition when they are wrong.
I’m sorry but talking about taking someone out with a bullet in the back of the head, even if it is a “little hyperbole” is sickening to me.
This is your site AJ, and I like reading your blog but on this one we part ways. Innocent until proven guilty is a right we have in this country. Or at least we used to have this right. Zimmerman is being tried in the press and online. We don’t know all the facts and until we do I am not going to say he’s guilty.
Personally, I believe he acted in self defense but we will see when he gets his day in court. (And in the appeals which will inevitably follow.)
[…] And then there was Judge Lester – who recently noted the evidence is ‘strong’. […]