Let's get creative. What would you want out of a civil suit?

[avebury]

I want a ruling for a seven-high figure monetary award to be paid from current and future earnings.

Zimmerman should be required to file copies of any contracts with a monetary payment with the court.

Since the Zimmerman's have proven they can't manage their money (credit problems cost him a chance to be a cop, they lied to the courts regarding the paypal fund raising account, and they seriously misappropriated those funds for personal usage when the funds were supposed to be for his legal defense), the court should appoint an accountant to collect Zimmerman's financial documents and file a financial statement showing receipts and expenditures at least once a quarter.

Ahead of time Trayvon's family should set up a college scholarship in Trayvon's name. Zimmerman should be required to do to the courthouse every week and, in front of a witness, fill out a check for $1 to be paid to the scholarship fund. This would serve 2 purposes:

1. Force Zimmerman to remember Trayvon at least once a week for the rest of his life and
2. Inconvenience Zimmerman by forcing him to actually go to the courthouse (which has the bonus effect of reminding him of both his criminal and civil cases). You force him to go to the court house so that he does not get a boatload of checks and spend on weekend filling them out and throwing them in a box to dole out.

Zimmerman would be forced to get on the stand and I would love to see what a good attorney could get out of him on the stand.

[pipoman]

1. A snowballs chance..

[YarnAddict]

2. You can't get blood out of a turnip

He has nothing, and never will have anything. Others may make $$$ out of this, but he won't.

[avebury]

3. The purpose of the civil trial would be to

guarantee that he remains in the financial gutter.

[YarnAddict]

4. From what I've seen

the financial gutter would be where Georgie would always be, regardless of whether this had ever happened.

The Martins can give it a try, but I doubt most attorneys would even take the case, since there clearly would never be a big enough payoff to make it worth their time and effort. And since the attorneys would have to be paid, it would just end up costing the Martins.

Big difference between Z and OJ, if that OJ had money, Z doesn't.

[former9thward]

18. It doesn't work that way.

Any civil verdict would result in a bankruptcy filing. After the bankruptcy he could make as much money as he wanted and would not have to pay anything.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

5. His family, friends and Faux News have been making money off the death of a dead black kid.

I want to make it so that they can't continue to exploit this child and his family again.

[Blackford]

6. I would like to see Zimmerman forced to pay each parent $100/week for the rest of his life.

He must pay in check each Friday. He cannot ever pay in advance.

He must sit down and write a check to each parent in the amount of $100 every week for the rest of his life.

I want him to be forced to at least think of the crime he committed for a few minutes every week for the rest of his life.

[B2G]

7. Can they even sue him in civil court?

I thought that was now off the table with a not guilty verdict in the state of Florida....

[rucky]

9. Nope. OJ got a big civil judgement against him

after he was acquitted.

[B2G]

10. But that was California

I believe Florida law is different in this regard.

[rucky]

11. It would not surprise me.

[roamer65]

13. From what I'm reading they can start a civil suit.

These types of cases will always have two facets to them in the future. A criminal case and a civil one. Zimmerman will lose the civil case.

[B2G]

14. I don't think so

This is dated last year before the trial, but I believe it applies:


"Even if Florida prosecutors never bring criminal charges against George Zimmerman, can Trayvon Martin's family sue Zimmerman in civil court?

This is the latest question being asked of Trayvon's parents, even though they appear to be focused on finding criminal justice for their son. Nonetheless, it's an important one -- and one this blogger would ordinarily answer with a resounding "yes."

However, Florida law complicates the issue, and may just prevent such a suit.
Normally, individuals are free to bring negligence or wrongful death suits even when an alleged criminal is never convicted. The O.J. Simpson case is a good example. He was acquitted of all criminal charges, but a civil trial ended in a $46 million verdict.

Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law -- the same law that could prevent criminal charges from being filed against Zimmerman -- may prevent a civil lawsuit. Individuals who use deadly force in self-defense are immune from both criminal and civil liability under the law.

This is likely why, on Monday, attorney Ben Crump told the Orlando Sentinel that Trayvon's family has no plans to sue Zimmerman in civil court. At least not yet. If the grand jury indicts Zimmerman and charges are filed, a judge will decide whether the self-defense law applies. If he decides it does, the criminal charges will be dropped and the family won't be able to sue Zimmerman.

It could be months before the issue of self-defense goes before a judge, which means it will likely be months before Trayvon's parents know whether they can sue Zimmerman."

http://blogs.findlaw.com/injured/2012/03/can-trayvons-family-sue-zimmerman-in-civil-court.html

[avebury]

16. I think so

Not guilty does not mean innocent. And Stand Your Ground did not apply nor was he acquitted under self defense.

[B2G]

17. Seems pretty clear to me but I'm not a law expert

"Individuals who use deadly force in self-defense are immune from both criminal and civil liability under the law."

[rucky]

8. As long as we're getting creative...

Trayvon's family sues Zimmerman. They set up a victim's fund, Zimmerman sets up a defense fund that goes into a trust. People can donate to either fund. If Zimmerman wins, he can use his money to compensate his attorney fees, and if he loses, it all goes directly to Trayvon's family.

I'd love to have thousands of Fox News lovers writing checks that end up going to the victim's family.

[markiv]

12. a single incident can legitimately have different criminal and civil verdicts

as long as it's the criminal case that's not guilty

because one is beyond reasonable doubt, and the other is preponderance of the evidence

2 different standards

[markiv]

15. he'll just go bankrupt, and say BUH-BYE

that's what happens in these things

try to change the rules for him, and you'll be changing it for everyone else, too, for better or worse

it would definately become case law