We Are A Nation of Laws And The Jury Has Spoken

President Obama has made the following statement concerning the "NOT GUILTY" verdict in the murder trial of George Zimmerman:

The death of Trayvon Martin was a tragedy.  Not just for his family, or for any one community, but for America.  I know this case has elicited strong passions.  And in the wake of the verdict, I know those passions may be running even higher.  But we are a nation of laws, and a jury has spoken.  I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son.  And as we do, we should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to widen the circle of compassion and understanding in our own communities.  We should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence that claims too many lives across this country on a daily basis.  We should ask ourselves, as individuals and as a society, how we can prevent future tragedies like this.  As citizens, that’s a job for all of us.  That’s the way to honor Trayvon Martin.

I am so glad that Obama is concerned about gun violence and preventing tragedies that he addressed the 1.5 murders a day that occur in Chicago. It is estimated that about 80% of the homicides in Chicago are gang related.

It broke my heart when Obama talked about the tragic death of Jonylah Watkins who was only six-months old.  She died when Koman Willis tried to shoot her father Jonathan Watkins.  Don't wait for Al Sharpton, et all to tell you that the alleged motive for this shooting was that Willis believed that Watkins had stolen a video game system and drugs from him.

Surely you remember the protest marches with people chanting "No justice. No peace."  You don't?  Well maybe you remember how there was a bounty put out on Willis.  You're right, that didn't happen either.  Surely you remember when the President said, "If I had another daughter, she would look just like Jonylah Watkins." I didn't hear that either.  

I also NEVER heard Obama express concern about the violence that occurs on a daily basis in his adopted hometown of Chicago using the public platform that is afforded a President.

Last night, defense attorney Mark O'Mara was asked if George Zimmerman had been black and Trayvon had been white how would the case have been different.  I was kind of surprised when he articulated what many people suspect.

Mr. O'Mara said, "I think that things would have been different if George Zimmerman was black for this reason.  He never would have been charged with a crime."

O'Mara also acknowledged the racial elements of the case and blamed the media and civil rights group attention on this case for twisting the course of justice.

Now today, the President of the United States speaks out about this case asking people to honor the decision of the court.  This may be laudable until one realizes that the Attorney General Eric Holder continue this circus by bringing forth civil rights charges against Zimmerman.

I for one would NOT be surprised in the least since we already know that the Department of Justice under the direction of Eric Holder joined the NAACP, Al Sharpton, and others in creating pressure to prosecute Zimerman despite the fact that the investigating officers did not feel they had the evidence to go forward in the case.

We have also been assured by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) that this isn't over and he has asked the Justice Department to prosecute George Zimmerman.

This despite the fact that the Justice Department has already conducted an exhaustive investigation to determine whether Zimmerman killed Martin out of racial animus  Yes I said NO EVIDENCE.

But don't worry, Obama has assured us that we are a nation of laws, and a jury has spoken.

The Verdict Is In - Zimmerman Is Found Not Guilty

Like millions of others I awaited the verdict in the George Zimmerman case with the realization that regardless of the outcome there are no winners.  On that rainy night on February 26, 2012 two lives collided and resulted not just in the death of an unarmed teenager but also unleashed a media storm that morphed a neighborhood watch volunteer into a fearsome creature.

In the media, social and otherwise, some questioned why there was a trial when it was "obvious" that George was guilty.  Still others wondered the need for a trial for different reasons.  Those people saw this case as a textbook case of self-defense.

All day I listened as HLN replayed the "highlights" of the case and I wondered again and again just how we got here.  Of course I knew the answer.  Former Sheriff Bill Lee had admitted that he felt pressure from cit officials to arrest Zimmerman to placate the public rather than as a matter of justice.

Lee insisted that based on the evidence at hand, arresting Zimmerman would have been a violation of his Fourth Amendment rights.  Protests and petitions for arrest only managed to prevent the department a chance to complete their investigation.  Lee still takes issue with the media portraying his department as apathetic or lackadaisical in this case.

Ultimately Lee was given a vote of no confidence and asked to step down due to these same outside pressures.

I think this case has been confusing to many who watched as prosecution witnesses were called to the stand only to shred the case for the prosecution.  Even the lead investigator stated under oath that he did not think Zimmerman was guilty.

Still Judge Debora Nelson refused three times to dismiss the case against Zimmerman insisting that there was "substantial evidence and circumstantial evidence to merit that the case be sent before the jury.

On Friday the jury was given the case to deliberate and they did so for three and a half hours before retiring for the evening.  Only one question had been sent to the court and that was actually a request for an itemized list of evidence exhibits.  Some media commentators saw this as a positive sign for the prosecution.

The jury came back today and worked straight through lunch,

When asked how I thought the case would be decided an vacillated.  I looked upon the question that the jury sent to the court today as saying that the charge of Second Degree was off the table and that the jury was considering a verdict of manslaughter either as a compromise verdict.  I was not convinced yet that the jury would find George Zimmerman not guilty.

I told my husband, "If the jury plans to find Zimmerman not guilty they will make that decision tonight before they leave.  If the jury plans to vote for manslaughter, I believed that they would sleep on the decision before coming forward with the verdict the next day."

Finally the jury came back with the verdict and my husband and I said a prayer for the families of Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman.  We prayed that each family could eventually find peace and healing.

After sixteen and a half hours of deliberation the jury came back with a verdict of "NOT GUILTY".

After  the verdict was read, George Zimmerman hugged his family.

“(George Zimmerman) A man who believes in the system… A man whose dad was a judge, who maybe wanted to be a cop or a prosecutor and then gets a system… Two systems went against George Zimmerman that he CAN’T understand. You guys, the media, he was like a patient on an operating table where mad scientists were committing experiments on him and he had no anesthesia. He didn’t know why he was turned into this monster, but quite honestly you guys had a lot to do with it, you just did, because you took a story that was fed to you and you ran with it and you ran right over him and that was HORRID to him.

Then, he comes into a system that he trusts… Let’s not forget SIX voluntary statements, voluntary surrender, and he believes in a system that he really wanted to be a part of, right? And then he gets prosecutors that charge him with a crime that they could never ever prove. It’s not like they… they didn’t lose evidence along the way, right? So, I don’t think anyone would argue with me in this room, that they had evidence of 2nd degree murder. This “in your heart” kind of stuff, that’s not what we’re supposed to do and it’s not what they’re supposed to do. SO, those 2 systems failed him!”

The Waiting Game - The Jury In the Zimmerman Case Deliberate

The prosecution often appealed to emotion and asked the jurors to listen to their “heart” when deliberating

The prosecution used their final comments in an attempt to appeal to the emotions of the jurors.  He asked jurors to listen to their "heart" when deliberating.

This case should be decided based on the facts and the evidence, not emotion. Not simply because a seventeen year old was unarmed and not simply because a twenty-eight year old was armed. The jury needs to look the the circumstances, look at the facts and evidence then come to a decision.

Charge Of Child Abuse Against George Zimmerman A Leap Too Far?

In another watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat moment, the prosecution in the George Zimmerman case tried to add a lesser charge of of Aggravated Child Abuse to the jury instructions.

The state argued that since Trayvon was seventeen at the time of the shooting.  In such cases the fact that the perpetrator did not know the victim's age is not considered a defense.

According to Don West, the defense was not notified until 7:30 a.m. this morning.  I'm sure there were many who viewed this as a Hail Mary pass to get a conviction, any conviction, at any cost.  Frankly after learning of this charge I wondered why the state didn't toss in a parking violation or a charge of jay walking.

Thankfully these charges were tossed by the judge.

In yet another WTF moment in the trial sideshow, Bejamin Crump, the lawyer for the Martin family lets us know that 'who" screamed doesn't matter when asked about the state's concession that Trayvon Martin was probably on top of George Zimmerman during the struggle.

Then again this is the SAME Benjamin Crump who said that this case was never about racism despite repeatedly stating publicly that this case was absolutely about racism.

We only need to look as far as the former police chief, Bill Lee who testified Monday in this case to see that the arrest of George Zimmerman was indeed racially motivated.

Lee admitted to CNN's George Howell in an exclusive interview that he was pressured by city officials to arrest Zimmerman to placate the public rather than a matter of justice.

He claims that "It was (relayed) to me that they just wanted an arrest.  They didn't care if it got dismissed later.

Raise Your Voice! And Not Your Hands

The "twitter-verse" is rife with threats of riots looting, and racial violence if George Zimmerman is acquitted.  As a matter of fact, the New Black Panthers have promised to oversee a "rebellion" if Zimmerman is acquitted.

Around noon, dozens of Miami Police officers lined up for riot training.  Police were armed with batons and horses and ran through various formations preparing for the worst.  The fact that this "training" happened at a time when the jury will soon be deliberating the fate of George Zimmerman is purely coincidental we are told.

In Broward County the sheriff’s has released a series of public service announcements to preempt any possible violence.  In one video a group of teens are lined up in front of the camera.  Two teenagers shout out lines such “Raise your voice!  And not your hands.  We need to stand together as one, no cuss, no guns.  Let’s give violence a rest because we can easily end up arrested.”

Sheriff Scott Israel then comes in behind the teenagers and wraps up the video with the line, “I’m Sheriff Scott Israel and law enforcement does have your back.”

Sheriff Israel is quick to reassure citizens that they have no concrete reason to believe that a specific violent incident will happen if Zimmerman walks free.  He does argue that it's better safe than sorry and encourages everyone to keep any protest peaceful.

I Cannot Remember Anything On The Day Of Autopsy

In viewing the testimony of Dr. Shiping Bao I'm having a Sergeant Schultz. moment.  For those not familiar with Hogan's Heroes, I'm referencing the bumbling who would often claim that he "Saw nothing!"

In this case, Dr. Bao could remember nothing much of the time.  He couldn't even remember the conversation he had with the lead prosecutor the day before he testified.

One of the more what the hey moments was when we notice that Dr. Bao actually was actually reading his answers off personal notes during his testimony.  When the defense requested copies Dr. Bao's notes he appeared to be very frustrated and told West that he'd rather not.

Judge Nelson then instructed him that attorneys on both sides were entitled to view his notes.

Here is an example of Dr. Bao's testimony:

 Bao:  "No one knows the autopsy better than me."

Don West: "And you don't remember anything about the autopsy, correct?"

Bao:  "Correct."

In my opinion Dr. Bao was ultimately a disaster of a witness for the state.

Objection Your honor. My Witness Is Detrimental To My Case

Can you un-ring a bell?  Most would say no and that's why it was pretty powerful that court ended with a statement from Detective Chris Serino saying that he found Zimmerman's account of the events leading up to the death of Trayvon Martin credible.

Today, before the jury was lead back into the courtroom, prosecuting attorney Bernie de la Rionda asked the judge to strike Detective's Serino statement arguing that the statement was improper.  De la Rionda's position is that one witness isn't allowed to give an opinion on the credibility of another witness.

Defense attorney Mark O'Mara argued it was proper because Serino was vetting Zimmerman's veracity in his probe.

After hearing arguments, Judge Debra Nelson told jurors to disregard the statement made by Detective Serino.  While technically this can be seen as a plus for the state the jurors have already heard this testimony from Detective Seriono as to his professional opinion as to Zimmerman's veracity.

Dr. Valerie Rao was called by the prosecution to provide her assessment of Zimmerman's injuries based on PHOTOS.  Dr. Rao said that Zimmerman's injuries were insignificant and could have been the result of a single blow.

On cross, Dr. Rao acknowledged she was appointed by state attorney Angela Corey, who is overseeing the prosecution of Zimmerman.  She also conceded that while Zimmerman's injuries were consistent with one punch it was possible that he may have been hit repeatedly.

It's interesting to note here that Dr. Rao has been the subject of recurring complaints from coworkers dating back to 2009.  The complaints include:  touching cadavers with her bare hands, washing her feet in the autopsy sink, and performing autopsies on inmates to create a revenue stream.

Prosecutors asked a judge to allow them to introduce school records indicating that Zimmerman took a class that addressed Florida's self-defense law.  Prosecutors claim that this will prove that he had knowledge of the law, even though he claimed he didn't in an interview with talk show host Sean Hannity.