Island Dweller writes a nice letter about the Zimmerman trial on the back of a prescription for Clomipramine.

Your omniscience:

Esteemed Associate and I were discussing the Martin case last evening. I encapsulate our conversation for you.

One has to wonder why this entire Martin/Zimmerman affair ever had to happen, as it was a display of bad judgment all around. It might have been wiser for Mr. Z. to remain in his vehicle and try to keep an eye on things, instead of climbing out. Mr. Martin was reportedly en route to a home in the complex that his father shared with his (father’s) girlfriend. Why didn’t Martin just tell Zimmerman he was on his way home, and ask Zimmerman to come with him to the residence to prove it? Both were errors of judgment that had tragic consequences. However, they were lapses in judgment – not illegal acts.

We have the testimony of only one person to describe what followed the verbal confrontation. I don’t know who threw the first punch. I can tell you from practical experience law enforcement officers receive extensive training in handgun retention because they realize every physical altercation they get in is potentially a fight for their weapon, and can quickly devolve into a mortal crisis situation unless ended swiftly. These individuals are trained in retention techniques and yet yearly a considerable number are murdered with their own weapon after it was taken from them in a fight. If this happens to trained personnel, what chance does someone have who has never been trained in weapon retention? Maybe this should be included in NRA training programs.

Something else – the Brady material that was withheld from defense. The photos do cause one to wonder a lot about Martin’s priorities in life. You’ve got to ask questions after you think a bit. Who were the nude underage females? If they’re underage, isn’t that legally child porn? If he was engaging in sex with any of them, we know what that is, technically. No wonder they didn’t want those in front of an all-female jury. Who had the marijuana plants? Who had the jewelry (wonder if the Sanford PD showed those photos to any recent jewelry theft victims)? Most importantly, who had the pistol? How did he, a minor, access it? An analysis of the metadata with the photos might prove very enlightening. Of course, that doesn’t technically matter now the trial is over. It does indeed explain why prosecution withheld them from defense.

Every day, in major cities around this country, young males just like Mr. Martin are murdered. It happens in Chicago, for one, far too frequently. Every one of those deaths is just as much a tragedy as Martin’s death. No mention of this is made in the media or by “community leaders” who seem intent on fostering trouble over this one case, one suspects because the other party involved had less melanin in their skin than the victim. For these individuals, one further suspects, Mr. Martin is serving as a means to an end – to refill the coffers of their causes and get them just a little farther down the road financially.

This was in every sense of the term a show trial. I wonder if anyone has in detail briefed the Florida Attorney General, who seems to be a pretty straight shooter, about Corey’s antics?

ID

Well, a few comments.

You have encapsulated things very well: there are two stories here—equally compelling—one from Trayvon Martin’s point of view, and one from George Zimmerman’s.

The Czar believes he understands this pretty well. Martin was walking home in a direct route to where he was staying, when he takes note of a guy following him in a car. He gets suspicious, and quickly ascertains the guy is indeed following him. He makes some phone calls or texts to let people know he is worried about the guy following him. Eventually, the two meet and probably exchange challenges. Martin, not knowing who this guy is, does what a lot of 17-year-olds might do: he engages this threatening stranger in a fight. If you know males in this age range, it isn’t that unusual; adrenaline takes over, and Martin moves fast and powerfully against this guy. Martin quickly gets the upper hand, and in a split-second, is shot.

Zimmerman is on neighborhood watch. He sees a kid dressed very much as a gangster or wannabe. Aware that there are a series of criminal incidents in the area, Zimmerman follows carefully and grows concerned about this kid. He contacts the police who fail to convince him that they will respond quickly enough. Zimmerman elects to continue following the kid, who keeps looking back at him in a strange manner. As vehicular surveillance is getting difficult, and the police are not arriving, Zimmerman parks and follows this individual on foot. He challenges the kid, who challenges back. Clearly the kid is up to something nefarious, Zimmerman thinks, because he’s threatening Zimmerman back. Suddenly, a fight breaks out and Zimmerman finds himself staggering backward from a stunning shot to the nose. In a flash, Zimmerman is on his back. His head is being pounded into the sidewalk and a series of punches is landing on his face and head. Zimmerman recovers from this initial shock and feels this kid put a hand on the gun inside his jacket. Zimmerman realizes the kid must be able to feel the gun and is in a perfect position to grab it and use it. Zimmerman, certain his life is otherwise over, grabs the gun first, turns, and fires.

What happens next is largely the invention of the media and professional racial hucksters, ranging all the way up from street urchins up to the President himself. And so we have the show trial, as you correctly call it.

As far as the material on the phone, the judge had to consider how much of that was related to the case and how much would be purely prejudicial. Was this a case about Trayvon Martin and underage sex? No—this has nothing to do with the trial. The pictures of him smoking what is obviously marijuana? This has little to do with George Zimmerman’s state of mind. And certainly Zimmerman did not know whether Martin was high at the time. Martin brandishing a pistol? The weapon was not used in the case, and Martin was unarmed during the incident. All these photos, the judge decided, would only serve to condemn the person not on trial: Trayvon Martin. Surprisingly as it may be, the Czar agrees with the judge based on the little he knows of what the phone allegedly contained. Even the creepy ass cracka text would be great for the defense if Trayvon Martin were the accused, as it shows he had reasonable concern that he was being targeted.

And that’s if the photos were withheld from the defense: that is another matter being investigated right now. Speaking of which, will we indeed see Angela Corey investigated? Probably not—even though prominent legal voices are calling for an investigation, she will probably fade into obscurity and wind up in some second-tier law firm somewhere in the near future, largely forgotten.

As a side note, Zimmerman made some major mistakes that resulted in his life being ruined either way, and more importantly an otherwise innocent kid was killed from this misunderstanding.

But you know it could have completely gone the other way: Trayvon Martin could have grabbed the gun, realized this guy on the ground had evil intent to harm him, and shot first. Trayvon Martin would have made some major mistakes that resulted in his life being ruined either way, and more importantly an otherwise innocent man was killed from this misunderstanding. And you know what? A jury would have found Trayvon Martin not guilty was well.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.