George Zimmerman Gun: Weapon Used To Kill Trayvon Martin Will Be Returned

[OhioChick]

07/13/2013 11:46 pm EDT

George Zimmerman is a free man after a jury found him not guilty on all charges. He's also free to get back the gun he used to kill Trayvon Martin.

As Judd Legum, editor-in-chief of Think Progress noted on Twitter:

"Under Florida law, Zimmerman will get back this gun which he used to kill Trayvon Martin"




Indeed, after the verdict was announced, Judge Debra Nelson said all evidence in the case will be released and Zimmerman's ankle monitor would be removed.

More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/13/george-zimmerman-gun_n_3593185.html

[onehandle]

1. People with guns have more rights than normal people.

You heard me.

[Old Union Guy]

2. It was evidence in a criminal trail and the trial is over. n/t

[Pelican]

3. Why shouldn't he?

[geek tragedy]

5. Because one dead black child is enough?

Obviously we disagree on that point.

[Pelican]

7. Yeah...

... or I believe in following the law.

He was found not guilty and has no further business with the court. He should have his property returned.

[geek tragedy]

8. I hope he moves into your neighborhood.

Zimmerman is a textbook 'law abiding gun owner" after all.
Thankfully, he can't take his gun into mine.

[Pelican]

9. Wouldn't bother me...

... but he doesn't strike me as the military type. I think he would have trouble getting through basic.

However, if he could then he would be fine. There is a metric @#$% ton around here.

[geek tragedy]

10. You must not have any dark-skinned visitors then.

Unsurprisingly.

Anyhow, people like Zimmerman and his apologists are one big reason why I moved out of Gunhumpistan.

[Pelican]

12. Sorry chuckles...

It's the Army... We have a ton of "dark-skinned" people who live here and have visitors of all types. Somehow we have managed to hold off the mass murder with M60s for now... I'm sure it's only a matter of time...

[geek tragedy]

13. Yes, because racist psychos like Martin aren't allowed on.

I can see why you're so glib--it'll be someone else's kid he guns down next, and that kid won't be your race/ethnicity, so it's all good.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

4. And the SOB will probably put a notch in the handle.

[Duckhunter935]

6. Trial is over

not guilty verdict. I may disagree with it but it is done and they have no reason not to return his property. Are you saying the state should just keep it for no cause?

[geek tragedy]

11. Because he's a threat to public safety.

For black folks anyway. Not that their well-being matters to the gun nuts, of course.

[geomon666]

14. Maybe he'll mount it on his wall, like a trophy. n/t

[Paladin]

16. There are plenty of photos of Treyvon Martin to mount on his wall.

Zimmerman will keep that pistol close at hand, for further use. Our resident Gun Enthusiasts approve.

[TheKentuckian]

15. How would there be any other outcome?

Not guilty means there are no sanctions from the state, all that can be done is return lawful property.

There is nothing to hold it for, that verdict deletes this whole situation as a consideration and apparently his background didn't prohibit him from owning.

There is no legal mechanism to get you to a different conclusion here or a logical path to one because there is no reason to confiscate property held in evidence once that "not guilty" comes back and to do so is theft by definition be a car or a wallet or computer or a file cabinet or yes, a firearm.

I'm not saying it is insult to injury or that it doesn't suck. I'm saying it is the only logically expected outcome to the point that disappointment or surprise are by definition unreasonable.

[Ruby the Liberal]

18. It is a MURDER weapon.

Or are we to take the "not guilty" as in a murder never happened?

[TheKentuckian]

19. No, as far as the state is and can be concerned it was a weapon used in a lawful killing

by reason of self defense. Legally, there is no murder in this case so yes, we must take the "not guilty" as the murder never happened in this situation.

It isn't like there is potentially someone else out there that used the weapon. It is not contested that Zimmerman was the killer but the killing has been deemed under the law as self defense and that will not and can not change. The weapon is no longer evidence.

You and I can believe it was a murder all day, every day but it was not proven in the court room and the accused is "not guilty" so there is no murder under the law no matter how bogus or unfair it seems.

[Ruby the Liberal]

17. I hope he gets his bullets back too!

Perhaps load them back up so that he doesn't have to do it - just the way they took it from him.

Maybe they can even give him the test fire and the one they dug out of Trayvon's dead body.

That would be swell.