How stupid are these George Zimmerman supporters going to look when either...

[Crowman1979]

they found out that the money they gave him for legal funds went toward some illegal activities, or he commits another crime?

[alsame]

1. They already look stupid. nt

[LuvNewcastle]

2. They're really going to hate it when all that money

goes to Trayvon's family.

[darkangel218]

3. +1

[Jenoch]

4. Unfortunately,

Zimmerman's acquittal also includes immunity from civil action to get monetary damages.

[LuvNewcastle]

6. Is that just in Florida? It didn't work for O.J.

[Jenoch]

8. The O.J. case

is not comparable. He claimed he did not kill anyone. Zimmerman was acquitted of killing in self-defense, which includes the immunity I mentioned.

[LuvNewcastle]

10. What if he's convicted on federal charges?

Would there be a basis for a suit in federal court?

[Jenoch]

11. I have read stories

where legal experts have said such a case will be difficult to prove. I read a quote from Holder (from last year, I can't find it now) saying essentially the same thing.

There will likely be a lot of pressure to file a civil rights violation suit against Zimmerman.

[LuvNewcastle]

12. Yes, I'm sure it will be a long shot, if charges are filed at all. n/t

[premium]

13. There won't be any Federal charges,

there is no evidence that this was a hate crime, race related crime, the FBI investigated, interveiwed 47 of his friends, neighbors, co-workers and not one of them said he was a racist.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/12/us-usa-florida-shooting-idUSBRE86B1AD20120712

(Reuters) - FBI interviews with dozens of friends, coworkers and neighbors of George Zimmerman found no evidence that the accused murderer of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin was a racist, according to new documents released on Thursday.

The Martin family, the DA's office, the police have all said that race wasn't involved here.

Here's another article you might want to read.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/2013/07/15/civil-rights-case-zimmerman-won-simple/u4NNXk5VRdpQMPZIB5R23M/story-1.html

Civil rights case vs. Zimmerman won't be simple

The department says it’s reviewing evidence to determine whether criminal civil rights charges are warranted, but legal experts see major barriers to a federal prosecution — including the burden of proving that Zimmerman, the former neighborhood watch leader, was motivated by racial animosity — and say Justice officials would likely be saddled with some of the same challenges that complicated the unsuccessful state case.


‘‘The Justice Department would face significant challenges in bringing a federal civil rights case against Mr. Zimmerman,’’ said Alan Vinegrad, the former U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of New York. ‘‘There are several factual and legal hurdles that federal prosecutors would have to overcome: They'd have to show not only that the attack was unjustified, but that Mr. Zimmerman attacked Mr. Martin because of his race and because he was using a public facility, the street.’


In this case, federal prosecutors pursuing a civil rights case would need to establish, among other things, that Zimmerman was motivated by racial animosity, even though race was barely mentioned at the state trial.


Lauren Resnick, a former federal prosecutor in New York who secured a conviction in the killing of an Orthodox Jew during the 1991 Crown Heights riots in Brooklyn, said the Justice Department could conceivably proceed under a theory that Zimmerman interfered with Martin’s right to walk down a public street based on his race. But even that is difficult since the conflict occurred in a gated community, which may not fit the legal definition of a public facility. Prosecutors would also probably need to prove that trailing Martin on the street constituted interference, she said.


Samuel Bagenstos, a former No. 2 official in the Justice Department’s civil rights division, said: ‘‘This is an administration that hasn’t shied away from bringing hate crimes cases that are solid prosecutions based on the facts and the law, but from what I've seen this would be a very difficult case to prosecute federally because the government would have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that George Zimmerman acted because of Trayvon Martin’s race. If you’re trying to prove racial motivation, you are usually looking for multiple statements related to why he is engaging in this act of violence. I think it’s a difficult case to prove.’’

This whole thing about Federal charges is bullshit and AG Holder knows it, he's doing nothing more than pandering.

[ananda]

21. Why would the Martin family say that race wasn't involved here ...

... when it so clearly was?

I can see why the police and the defense would say that. They're
part of the racist system that turned Trayvon into the aggressor
thug and Zimmerman into the victim.

[premium]

24. Their family lawyer, Daryl Parks, stated on national televison,

with the Martin family there, said that the trial wasn't about racial profiling.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2013/07/02/quotcrackingquot_the_racial_code_in_zimmerman_trial_310842.html

"It's not about racial profiling," said lawyer Daryl Parks about the murder trial of George Zimmerman. "We never claimed this was about race."

He said this the same day that Rachael Jeantal testified. Why? I don't know, but now, after the verdict, they seemed to have changed their tune.
IMO, and almost every lawyer, prosecution and defense, the chances of Federal charges are practically nil and that AG Holder is being dishonest by giving hope to the Martin family, which, IMO, would be victimizing them again, this family has suffered a tragic, unnecessary loss of their son, a justice system that has, in their opinion, let them down, and now will suffer more disappoint.

How much more does this family have to suffer?

And the FBI did an extensive investigation to determine if this was a hate crime with racial overtones, they concluded after 47 interviews that there was no evidence of Zimmerman being a racist, for the DoJ to file Federal Hate crime charges, they would have to totally discount their own FBI's investigation.
That's a very high hurdle and would create a lot of dissension within the DoJ.

[nomorenomore08]

25. Perhaps he simply meant that the racial aspect was secondary to, you know, the fact that they lost

their teenage son...

[premium]

28. But that's not what he said,

he was very clear that they didn't believe it was racially motivated and wasn't about race.
The FBI came to the same conclusion, not one person interviewed said that Zimmerman was a racist.

[hack89]

9. It is Florida law. nt

[RebelOne]

32. O.J.'s supposed crime was committed in Los Angeles, CA. n/t

[bluestate10]

5. The more jurors from that trail open their mouths, the more likely Zimmerman will lose

everything to Martin's parents in a Civil Trail. Juries for Civil Trials don't have to be chosen from the same location as a crime, like those for criminal cases. The Martins can sue Zimmerman and have the trial in the greater Miami region, where Martin lived.

[LuvNewcastle]

7. Let's hope they keep talking.

We already know at least one was biased.

[Jenoch]

14. Sigh...

Once again, Zimmerman is immune from a civil action to recover damages.

[meow2u3]

18. I don't think he's immune from a Federal civil rights suit

That may be the Martins recourse to get justice.

[Jenoch]

19. I was not responding to a post about

a federal civil rights lawsuit. From what I have read, such a lawsuit is a longshot.

[okieinpain]

20. the guy on cnn said that, but he made it sound

Like it was limited immunity. If it was me i would go for it, everyone should kick in a buck to pay the martin's legal fees.

[Jenoch]

22. Your post is the first time I've heard that it is limited immunity.

[ceonupe]

26. If u lose a case aginst him

U have to pay all his legal and lawyer fees

Lots of risk

[Mr. David]

27. Your premise is incorrect.

Zimmerman is not yet immune from civil action.

If there is a civil suit, there WILL be a hearing to determine if the act was done in self-defense. If it was determined it was not self-defense, then Mr. Zimmerman has lost his immunity and is liable for the murder of Mr. Martin.

I hope the judge takes away his immunity, forever. Let it be what it may happen.

[premium]

29. From what I understand, and I could be wrong,

in FL, if your declared not guilty by reason of self defense, then it's usually pretty much automatic that a judgement of civil immunity is granted in a civil suit.
We'll find out.

[Mr. David]

30. Never said reason by self-defense.

And the SYG instructions in the jury instructions? Fuck that. That was their get-away plan.

[Jenoch]

31. It's not my premise.

Who "Never said reason by self-defense." (Complete sentences will help people understand the meaning of your posts.)

[JVS]

16. How can jurors' comments expose defendants to civil litigation?

[Mariana]

15. They won't feel stupid.

If Georgie gets busted for some other crime, they'll find a way to rationalize it, you can be sure of that. They'll claim it's because he has PTSD, and it was because of the stress of the trial, and that it would never have happened if he hadn't been persecuted the way he was for his righteous act of self defense. Or else they'll claim it (the hypothetical crime committed by Z) never happened at all, and he was set up. Racist RWers, as a rule, don't admit they were wrong and change their minds. They will find a way to make themselves believe that Georgie did no wrong.

[ananda]

23. The system was rigged to free Zimmerman and keep him immune.

It's a widespread system and includes public officials and the media,
along with a good number of gun nuts and rightwing elites.

[noamnety]

33. They are already defending the perjury/money laundering

They don't lying to the court for self-gain is relevant to his credibility at all. He was just trying to "keep from going broke" and you can't fault him for that. That doesn't mean he's not trustworthy.

The lengths they go to, to justify his actions, are stunning. Seriously, I was told in another forum that Trayvon wearing a grill in an old photo is a "fact" of the case because it speaks to his character, whereas conspiring to commit perjury isn't relevant at all and it's racist (against white people) to bring it up. Unbelievable.

[Zoeisright]

34. They ARE stupid.

That won't change. But most of them are incapable of logical reasoning or empathy.

[NoGOPZone]

35. Do you think Zimmerman supporters care about looking stupid?

Have you read some of what they've posted here?