"Actually, Stand Your Ground Played a Major Role in the Trayvon Martin Case"

[applegrove]

Actually, Stand Your Ground Played a Major Role in the Trayvon Martin Case

By Mark Follman and Lauren Williams

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/07/stand-your-ground-george-zimmerman-trayvon-martin

"SNIP......................................


An armed Zimmerman knew about Stand Your Ground years ago: As witnesses testified during the trial, Zimmerman had for years pursued an interest in a law enforcement career. At a Florida college in 2010, he earned an A in a criminal-justice class taught by an Army prosecutor whose course work included the state's Stand Your Ground law. That same year, Zimmerman applied to participate in a police ride-along, writing that his motivation was "solidifying my chances for a career in law enforcement." (However, Zimmerman's ability to retain certain law enforcement knowledge apparently vanished after he killed Martin; the self-styled neighborhood watchman, who obsessively called 911 to report suspicious activity, told Fox News' Sean Hannity last summer that he'd never heard of Stand Your Ground.)

How Florida authorities let Zimmerman walk: For nearly six weeks after the killing, Zimmerman remained a free man; he was arrested and charged only after a national outcry and after the case was handed over to a special prosecutor. A subsequent New York Times investigation revealed that the Sanford PD's handling of the case was marred by serious lapses—in tandem with letting Zimmerman go the night of the killing based on his claim of self-defense, police investigators failed to secure key evidence. Bill Lee Jr., then Sanford's police chief, told the Times: "We were basing our decisions, which were made in concert with the state attorney's office, on the findings of the investigation at the time, and we were abiding by the Florida law that covers self-defense."

Lee, who was forced to resign in the wake of the killing, went on to tell CNN this month that Stand Your Ground had no bearing on the investigation. But there are reams of evidence that the law has hamstrung Florida authorities for years and kept them from effectively pursuing homicide prosecutions.

The jury instructions—and a reason for their verdict: Just because Zimmerman's defense team didn't bring up Stand Your Ground in the trial (more on that below), that doesn't mean the law was irrelevant to the jury's decision. To the contrary, Judge Debra Nelson made clear in the jury instructions (PDF) that they should consider the law:


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[rainy]

1. Anyone paying attention knew this but a lot of the

ridiculous so called media kept getting the facts wrong. Chris Matthews was one of them. I hope he reads this.

[Hoyt]

2. Even juror B37 said it impacted verdict. In fact, 2005's SYG law changed definition of self-defense

SYG, and gun lover's need to stake out their territory, had everything to do with the bigot and his gun getting away with murdering an unarmed, innocent kid. It has a lot to do with Zman's supporters too.

[applegrove]

4. Do you think the defence announcing they were not going to use the SYG hearing or laws

allowed them to get it in the back door. The Prosecution didn't debate SYG or try and give the jurors perspective on it afterall. Why would they because the defence said they would not bring it up. Then the judge did in her direction to the jurors.

[Hoyt]

6. I think it happened when the gun nuts and republicans got the 2005 law enacted.

Then, it played out in this case to allow another bigot with a gun to walk. Of course, the jurors did not have the guts, or desire, to stand up for an innocent black kid.

Good question, though . Hope we get more answers/insights.

[lordsummerisle]

3. Thom Hartmann

has been hammering this point all week on his talk show.
http://www.thomhartmann.com/

[KoKo]

5. Of course it did..and we ignore ALEC Legislation being rammed through

our States at our Peril. ALEC is what we need to fight against for SYG...and getting rid of Females Right to Choose how they handle their bodies and Fracking and Voting Rights getting Shot down and their Privatize it All Agenda!