Not even manslaughter?

[Galraedia]

I knew they would never get Zimmerman for 2nd degree murder, but they couldn't at least find him guilty of manslaughter? Wtf? While I doubt there was any premeditation, Zimmerman's reckless actions of trying to play rent-a-cop obviously caused Trayvon Martin's death. He shouldn't have pursued the kid. He doesn't have a badge or uniform and for all we know he might have looked like a child-molester to the victim.

[robinlynne]

1. from what I saw just now on tv, the rposecution did not ask for manslaughter at the beignning, and w

was not able to at the end. The local news says the choice of 2nd degree murder instead of amnslaiughter is why he was not convicted, or hints at that.

[Igel]

2. The prosecution asked for 2nd degree murder.

However, the judge said that if there wasn't sufficient evidence for that a lesser, included charge was manslaughter, and they were free to consider it.

The jury asked the judge for clarification on the manslaughter charge. What, exactly, I don't know. So they considered it. It's not uncommon to go along trying to prove the more difficult, greater charge, and then include lesser charges. Everything to show manslaughter would have automatically been presented in the 2nd degree murder trial.

Self defense, it seems, sets the hurdle to jump awfully high.