They celebrated the Zimmerman verdict until I told them this...

[cynatnite]

I wasn't surprised by the verdict at all, but I'm still disappointed. However, I saw someone celebrating the verdict by saying how great that the system worked. Well, I couldn't let it go. Here is my response...


Well, it's supposed to work, but this is a prime example of how our legal system has been abused and manipulated.

Everything that George Zimmerman did that night indicated he was not in fear for his life.

His racist tendencies came out during the 911 call which gave him a reason to follow rather than do as the authorities instructed. He was told not to follow Trayvon Martin and he did just that. Also, he did not identify himself to Trayvon as neighborhood watch. If anything, Trayvon Martin saw a strange adult male stalking him and his mindset said to get him first.

The lead investigator noted more than one inconsistency in Zimmerman's account during the investigation and felt that a manslaughter charge was appropriate. It took intense public pressure for Zimmerman to be brought to trial.

Now, I do know we could debate this entire thing to our hearts' content and probably not get anywhere. That's okay.

When there is a high profile case like this, the last thing anyone is interested in is the truth. It's about twisting and manipulating the truth. The lawyers involved in these high profile cases (no matter which side it is) are about winning at all costs...even if it means the wrong people either being convicted or set free. The proof is in the wrongly incarcerated and the wrongly freed across this country.

Our system was supposed to be about searching for the truth and holding those accountable for their crimes.

Instead, it's been turned into a reality show and those with the most to gain from putting it on are about seeing that they are the ones who win.

In this case Trayvon Martin, his family and the truth are the victims.

IMO, there is no such thing as "you are innocent until proven guilty" anymore. It's now "get a good lawyer, put on a good show, and do a happy dance to the tv cameras". That's our system now.

*******

I truly believe that's what our system has become.

[L0oniX]

1. When you let war and bankster criminals live free the law looses its value.

[riqster]

5. ^^^^This^^^^

Not to mention when Bush and the Supremes stole our government and got away with it.

[Cirque du So-What]

2. Why anyone would cheer over a travesty of this magnitude is beyond me

When one of these assholes finds him/herself in the dock, facing a well-heeled legal opposition, how will they feel then? It can happen to anyone - either as a plaintiff or as a defendant - and in this country, money talks. T'was ever thus; it didn't just spring out of nothingness.

[galileoreloaded]

6. Don't be the father at a custody hearing.

Because that's exactly how it goes. Makes you play a much longer term game.

[niyad]

3. "razzle dazzle them" from "chicago"

[southernyankeebelle]

4. The truth in this case was the first to disappear. It was like Zimmerman had a right to stand

his ground but Martin didn't. Zimmerman was suppose to be the adult but he acted foolishly wanting to be a big bad cop. All it turned out was that he was Pee Wee Herman weakling wanting to be a cop. They made Martin look like superman. This case is tragic. I hope Trayvon's family sue Zimmerman for any money he makes off this deal.

[pasto76]

7. you all need to drop the "dispatch told him not to" and "neighborhood watch" bullshit

like so many points on so many issues, as soon as you bring up these NON-points, your entire argument loses credibility.

NOBODY has to do anything a dispatcher tells them to. People do just the opposite most of the time. Dispatchers are NOT law enforcement, nor can they give you a lawful order.

"neighborhood watch"? So fucking what. "Hi Im the neighborhood watch". Big fucking deal. NOT law enforcement. Thats why its called watch. thats all they can do.

So give that bullshit up cause it doesnt matter.

Zimmerman thought he was unofficial law enforcement. big bad ass with a gun. Then he got his ass kicked. Then he killed this kid. The big roots of this problem are the racism still so prevalent in this country and the fucking lunatic gun culture we have.

bring up the dispatcher and neighborhood watch thing - the real points are lost. keep the focus on the real problems.

I used to work for the county and would run 150 incidents a year. The subjects of these incidents almost NEVER lactually followed our instructions over the phone. Most people give perceived authority to dispatchers, because they are 'part of the police' but so are the secretaries and administrative personnel. They have no authority over civilians.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

8. Ever watch "Judge Judy"? That is how people feel these cases should be run.

[lark]

9. The judicial system in this country is totally broken.

From the hacks at the Supreme Court allowing voter suppression, to stand your ground laws, to too big to jail, there is no justice for the working class in this country anymore. The country we love died in 2000 when the felonious five on the SCOTUS put the man they wanted in office, despite the fact that he lost the vote. I thought we had a chance when BO was elected president, but no, he's just another corporatist, allowed to make a few changes as long as the economic elite aren't inconvenienced in the slightest.

Another sad day for our country. I'm alternating between mentally screaming and mourning for the child that was shot and all the other children that will be shot due to depraved stand your ground laws.

[asjr]

10. I'm still wondering if the 6 women on the jury

were in the same courtroom as everyone else. They did not have a single black on the jury and to me that is discrimination.

[metalbot]

11. Our system is NOT supposed to be about searching for the truth

It never has been, and never will be. That's not the point of the judicial system.

Our criminal justice system is about the state proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the crime that they are accused of. It isn't about "truth" or "justice" or "fairness".

This isn't a bad thing, it's a GOOD thing. If the system were about "searching for the truth", then we could throw out the 5th Amendment. After all, if we want "the truth", then shouldn't we ask the defendants whatever questions we need in order to get "the truth"? If we want to hold people accountable, why allow them to remain silent?

Our criminal justice system is built this way in order to allow people the presumption of innocence. Once you start with a presumption of innocence, you can't go "search for the truth", you at that point need to "prove guilt". The only way to "search for the truth" would be to start with the presumption that "We don't know if they are innocent or not, let's find out". I'm not sure that's a path that we want to go down.