Zimmerman waives his rights to a speedy trial. No trial within 6 months. http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/george-zimmerman-waives-speedy-trial-180621631.html
I am wondering if his lawyer is expecting some more evidence to surface or waiting until attention has completely died down. It seems to me rather risky as the prosecution might also solidify their case with more time and the all the attention might help Zimmerman's defense with arguing that Zimmerman has been convicted in the media.
REPORT: FBI May Charge George Zimmerman With Hate Crime, Could Face Death Penalty According to WFTV, an affliate of ABC in Orlando, Zimmerman may soon be charged with a hate crime by the FBI: WFTV has learned charges against George Zimmerman could be getting more serious. State prosecutors said Zimmerman, a neighborhood watchman, profiled and stalked 17-year-old Trayvon Martin before killing him, so the FBI is now looking into charging him with a hate crime. [...] FBI investigators are actively questioning witnesses in the retreat at the Twin Lakes neighborhood, seeking evidence for a possible federal hate crime charge. WFTV notes that “if Zimmerman is charged and found guilty of a federal hate crime involving murder, he could face the death penalty.”
I can't see the hate crime charge. Zimmerman may be predisposed to be weary of Martin because of his race, but given the rash of burglaries supposedly commited by young black people, he does have good reason for it. I feel at the very least Zimmerman should be held accountable for instigating a conflict by going after Martin. But this should be non-premeditated murder or manslaughter at best. Certainly nothing that should come close to a death penalty.
Even if so, the question will be was deadly force justified. That is an entirely DIFFERENT question that is held to much higher standards than simple self-defense. Even if it is self defense, Zimmerman may still go to jail. We'll see ...apparently a long time from now.
So I guess the events went something like this. 1. Zimmerman followed Martin like a stalker. 2. Some sort of provocation on Zimmerman's part towards Martin that made Martin hostile 3. Zimmerman gets his ass kicked because he provoked someone despite having no self-defense training/ability 4. Zimmerman decides that the only way to get out of an ass whipping from an unarmed boy is to pull out a gun and kill the boy
No it doesn't. The evidence supports the idea that there was a fight. It in no way points towards who initiated the fight. That evidence points as much toward Martin using self defense as it does toward Zimmerman.
