"Zimmerman Has Been Found Not Guilty. Now What?"

[BainsBane]

Mother Jones still holds out the possibility of a civil suit.

For the people who believed that Zimmerman was guilty, this case±—and the Sanford police department’s reaction to it—was far more significant than a local murder. It inspired deep emotions about the value of the lives of young black men, and this verdict will provoke deep feelings of disappointment and frustration for many who pushed for Zimmerman to be charged with murder.

But it’s not over. Now that the verdict is in, here’s what could happen next.

Federal charges: The Department of Justice launched an investigation last March to investigate whether Martin’s shooting amounted to a federal hate crime—that is, if Zimmerman followed and killed Martin because he was black. In July 2012, the FBI released a statement saying that investigators had found no evidence that Zimmerman was motivated by racism. The July statement indicates that federal charges are highly unlikely, but the DOJ has not announced that the case is closed. It’s still being brought up as a post-trial possibility. NAACP president Benjamin Jealous, for instance, said Saturday on MSNBC that "there are still additional legal avenues. He could still be charged with federal civil rights charges."

Civil lawsuit: Martin’s family reached a settlement in April with the homeowners’ association of the subdivision where the killing occurred. The details of the settlement were not made public, but the Orlando Sentinel reported that the family was "said to" have been awarded at least $1 million. The suit did not include Zimmerman, but the family’s attorney Benjamin Crump has said that the family intends to sue their son’s killer at some point in the future. It’s not uncommon for families to seek a form of justice through civil courts, even when a the defendant is acquitted in criminal court. And the standards for judgments are different in such civil cases.

The public’s reaction: In the week leading to the verdict, speculation that people—specifically black people—would riot if Zimmerman were acquitted spread through the mainstream media, after taking off in the conservative press and cable news. What’s more likely, based on how Martin supporters have reacted initially—after the verdict was read, the crowd outside of the courthouse dispersed peacefully—is that protests (of the non-violent variety) against racial profiling will continue.

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/07/verdict-trayvon-martin-george-zimmerman-not-guilty

[Hoyt]

1. People right here were predicting riots, and have been preparing their guns for weeks.

I would love to see Zimmerman sued, but I don't think it will be successful and I doubt DOJ will do anything at this point.

[LostOne4Ever]

2. There is no question that hes responsible

I hope they sue Zimmerman for all he is worth and then some!

[badtoworse]

3. I doubt a civil lawsuit would be successful.

There was a thread on DU a few days ago about this. It appears that Z has immunity under Florida law if he acted in self defense. If I weren't on my smart phone, I'd look for it.

[dairydog91]

4. Florida law immunizes people from civil and criminal liability if they use legally-justifiable force

Statute is 776.032. Also, the statute allows a defendant to force the plaintiff to pay all attorneys fees if the plaintiff tries to bring suit based on an immunized use of force.