Pappy Zim: If police had presented case facts when I was a judge, there'd be no arrest warrant

[Amerigo Vespucci]

"No one knew that I was a retired magistrate judge. I didn't mention it to the police, I didn't mention it to the State Attorney's office. Somehow the press picked up on it. But I've never mentioned it to anyone," Zimmerman said.

Zimmerman says he asked the police department to release information saying Trayvon Martin verbally threatened his son's life. We asked how he thinks the Sanford Police Department has handled the case.

"I believe if they look back maybe they would have done things differently. I believe Chief Lee did an outstanding job. I don't know. I'm sure they would have done some things differently," he said.

Robert Zimmerman says if the police had presented the facts in the case to him back when he was a sitting judge, he says he would not have issued an arrest warrant.

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/news/state/dad-no-racial-slur-on-911-recording-03292012

[joeybee12]

1. Hmmm...he refers to himself as a judge...

Lots of posts here saying he's a magistrate, and not a judge...sounds like a magistrate does have some duties one normallya ttributes to a judge.

Anyway, the guys a POS...the scumbag didn't fall far from the tree.

[hlthe2b]

6. Prior to 2008, VA Magistrates could not even handle traffic tickets; duties were upgraded in '08

to include:

"Magistrates make the first call on probable cause for arrest, whether a defendant should be freed or sent to jail after he is arrested, and whether someone should be detained because of mental health issues. They also decide whether to issue search warrants or emergency protective orders".
http://valawyersweekly.com/2008/04/07/magistrate-system-is-upgraded-pay-is-not/

The elder Zimmerman was a magistrate from 2000 to 2006, so he would not have likely had even the level of responsibilities detailed in the link above.

Virginia Courts have been quick to clarify that magistrates are NOT judges. A college degree has only been recently required; most are not lawyers.
Here is what the Virginia courts system has verified re: the elder Zimmerman.

(This was given to an ABC affiliate in reference to whether or not Robert ZImmerman was a judge: (http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/crime/zimmerman-dad-worked-as-magistrate)

“Robert J. Zimmerman served as a full-time magistrate from 2000-2006. Please be advised that in Virginia magistrates are judicial officers, but they are not considered "judges" and do not possess trial jurisdiction. More detailed information on the role of the magistrate in Virginia is available on Virginia's Judicial System Website .”
http://www.courts.state.va.us/courtadmin/aoc/djs/programs/mag/home.html

[Cali_Democrat]

2. When is this race-baiting coward gonna show his face?

[DJ13]

3. How about if the facts were identical, but the perp was black and the victim was white?

[Cali_Democrat]

4. Or if the facts were identical, but Trayvon was the Neighborhood watch stalker

that follows Zimmerman after he buys candy from the story and guns him down.

[izquierdista]

5. What do you mean, "when"?

Seems his reputation succeeds him, as there STILL isn't an arrest warrant.

[grasswire]

7. is this from the same recording?

Or is he still flapping his lips to FOX affiliate today?

[Amerigo Vespucci]

11. Same interview, but...

...the story at the link in my O.P. refers to it as "a wide-ranging interview with FOX 35's Valerie Boey," so I am assuming they have just chopped it up into multiple, smaller sound bites.

[malaise]

8. He was never a judge

Both he and the son have inferiority complexes and think they are way more important in the scheme of things.

[WI_DEM]

9. Why doesn't he shut his GD mouth. He is only taking his son's word that

Trayvon threatened to kill George. It now appears clear that George was never beaten. What was Trayvon threatening George with? his box of Skittles?

[Gold Metal Flake]

10. Keep talking, Bobby.

[Ecumenist]

12. No kiddin' and that's why you're not overseeing this case, moron.