Yes, I would propose a change in law. Absolutely. I'm someone who is pro-life. When an unarmed person loses their life it's serious enough to warrant a trial. The fact is that Martin was a kid, who was a minor. I'm sorry if that fact bothers you, but it is accurate. It does matter that Martin was unarmed. If a person is unarmed and gets in a physical fight with Zimmerman, Zimmerman could fight back physically without using his weapon. If Zimmerman pulls out a firearm and kills the Martin, then it matters that Martin didn't first pull out a weapon to attack Zimmerman. I'm sorry if that fact isn't convenient for you, but it is the truth. It does matter. It's true that while Zimmerman was following Martin he didn't know if Martin was unarmed or not. That doesn't give him the right to assume Martin is armed and a threat to his life. As someone who is pro life I believe that we should err on the side that allows a person to live.
We do know that Zimmerman had according to records about 35-40lbs on Martin. AND Martin was 4-1/2 inches taller than Zimmerman.
WTF????????????????????????? So now she has to hire an attorney and raise bail money after being beaten and nearly raped? Have you lost your freaking mind??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
1. Yes it is a fact that Martin was a minor but it has no bearing on what happened or why it happened. It is brought up to manipulate sympathy. 2. Are you expecting GZ to be psychic? Is he supposed to say "Excuse me but do you have a weapon of any sort?" 3. What makes you think that GZ assumed anything about Martin's level of threat? By all accounts, GZ pulled a gun after Martin had gotten the drop on him. Pulling that gun out earlier surely and ironically would have ended this sooner and without the tragedy that ultimately ensued.
1. The age of someone especially a minor certainly is relevant in criminal cases, and our laws are set up to reflect that. 2. He doesn't have to ask if Martin had a gun or not. He didn't have to ask Martin anything. He could assume Martin was unarmed and never pulled out his gun unless Martin pulled out a weapon. That isn't what happened. 3. If Zimmerman hadn't assumed Martin was in anyway a criminal none of this would have happened.
You said she has to go trial. That means she would need to get a defense attorney and would be arrested. Unless you envision something akin to traffic court. In which case, why have a trial? Why not let the police and prosecutors determine whether a trail is needed?
At 17 he was old enough to be charged as an adult in certain circumstances. Indeed, he was the same age as Shawn Tyson as I recall.
at this point *Zimmerman* needs a trial to clear his name. FB -- don't delve into the gwayneco's hypotheticals. Nobody has suggested Martin was in the process of committing any crime -- just that GZ was suspicious he might. You don't want to follow where gwayneco's imagination takes him. The ol' cliches: Justice must not only be done, but be seen to be done -- not happening here. and 'Justice delayed is justice is justice denied' -- coming pretty close. It's been 6 1/2 weeks.
FB is the one who wrote that every time an unarmed person is killed then the person raising the self-defense claim must he held over for trial. Yes, the fact pattern is far removed from the Martin case, but he's the one who went there.
But a court of law has to make a ruling as such. Without such a ruling, he will always be viewed, in the eyes of the law, as a minor. If you have sex with a 17yo girl, you are commiting rape. If you have sex with an 18yo girl, you have not commited a crime. Legally, the kid was 17 in the eyes of the law and it makes no difference if GZ thought otherwise. Ignorance is not a defense.
Why do people say there aren't recent pictures of Martin? There are - and they've been posted in this thread: http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=216495&page=155 Zimmerman was much bigger than him. I don't see how you can even dispute that?
So, now in addition having to ask if someone is armed, a person raising a self-defense claim has to ask for an ID to check and see how old the unknown person is?
And, let's get real here. Playing up his minor status in conjunction with the Martin family releasing the years old photo of a cherubic Martin was designed to make Martin look like a sweet young child when he was in fact a tall (though skinny) young man a few months removed from being an adult. It was a clear effort at deception and it worked initially.
Oh, WOW, he looks dangerous. I'm afraid. I'd cross the road if I saw him on the same sidewalk as me at night. I'm sure that posting pictures of some thugged out kid from stormfront and of Trayvon with a *fake* grill is much better right?
