<p>^^^Let’s not forget using a “knock-knock joke” to illustrate defense’s point about an impartial jury.</p>
<p>Yeah, that went over like a lead balloon. You’d think the defense attorney might have run it past a few people around the office first.</p>
<p>Threatening him?..I guess this board is full of eyewitnesses…how many of you are testifying?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Regardless of the truth, I feel like this trial is already over and this man is guilty. Regardless of what really happened that night. I’m not saying he went out to murder the kid or acted in self-defense. I just feel like George Zimmerman has little chance of being found not guilty even if he truly is.</p>
<p>A guy gets out of his car with his gun and follows your kid home. Your kid is walking home from the store on the phone with her boyfriend. </p>
<p>A guy gets out of a car with his gun and follows you home. You are walking home from the store on the phone with your wife.</p>
<p>You turn to tell the stalker with the gun to stop following you, dammit! “What are you doing?” The guy takes out his gun. </p>
<p>Really? This is self defense on what planet?</p>
<p>I get out of my car to follow the guy walking down the street. I have a gun. I’m already in a criminal state of mind.</p>
<p>^ again, you don’t know how it went down…jeez, let the trial play out.</p>
<p>Well, you know what they say: “A knock knock joke shall set you free…”</p>
<p>did anyone see the drama in the courtroom where Martin’s father is accused of cursing a friend of Zimmerman. I found it bizarre that the trial took a detour to address this accusation. anyone else see this?</p>
<p>poetgrl, how’d the last “open and shut” case go in Florida? Anybody remember Casey?</p>
<p>You can find me “on the record” on the Anthony thread as saying I never thought they’d get a conviction on that one.</p>
<p>I don’t even know if they will get a “conviction” on this one. I just don’t agree with a law that allows someone to stalk someone with a gun.</p>
<p>We don’t have to agree on this.</p>
<p>No one knows for sure what happened but I think that most people who have sympathy for GZ would feel differently if it was their 19 year old kid walking home from a store. A young unarmed kid walking home minding his own business and not looking for trouble should never be shot dead.</p>
<p>IMO, there was much more doubt in the Casey Anthony trial than this one.
Just as an outside observer.</p>
<p>thank you ttparent. That was exactly my point.</p>
<p>Your kid is being followed home from the local convenience store by a guy carrying a gun, because this guy gets to “just decide” he/she “looks suspicious.”</p>
<p>NONE of this happens without Zimmerman following a kid carrying skittles. Following him AFTER he was told by 911 to back off. How is this “justifiable.” How does this even become “Self defense?” </p>
<p>I can’t figure it out. But, who knows?</p>
<p>^ I agree…unless he attacked someone who verbally confronted him and didn’t stop. I don’t know what happened, but self defense is a possibility.</p>
<p>none of us were there. however in addition to what several posters have stated clearly about Zimmerman forming an opinion that Martin was up to no good (based on NOTHING) and pursuing him, we also know that Zimmerman has lied. as far as I’m concerned I do not believe Zimmerman’s version of events.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Maybe. I don’t know.</p>
<p>I have a very hard time believing the fact that he was told to go back to his car by the 911 people, and the words he used to 911 on that call, are going to allow for self-defense.</p>
<p>He was clearly very confrontational.</p>
<p>Do you teach your kids to follow people home and confront them, or to go on their way? Why do you teach them this? Would you have followed this kid with your gun after the cops told you not to do so? And if you do so after the cops tell you not to and the kid is shot dead, do you really get to claim self defense?</p>
<p>Seems convoluted to me.</p>
<p>this was a tragic case of self fulfilling prophecy, Zimmerman believed Martin was a criminal and by watching (stalking) him while on the phone with 911, Martin became scared. While we don’t know exactly who confronted who we do know that Zimmerman was following him with the intent to confront him. (why else would he follow him rather than wait for the police). And for him to claim self defense, why then couldn’t Martin also claim self defense, he was scared of this weird scary looking adult following him. He was only 17. My 17 yr old would surely be scared in the same situation.</p>
<p>Even if my mild mannered kid got into a fisticuffs with someone, I think being shot to kill is way overboard. I hardly think that my kid would repeatedly punch someone to death. That is way too asymmetrical force being carried and used injudiciously by someone who is supposed to help uphold the law.</p>
<p>shot him in the heart, in the heart for God’s sake</p>
<p>and instantly the screaming stops</p>
<p>I agree, poetgrl. I wonder if what Zimmerman was counting on was using the “stand your ground” law in his defense. Well, he’s not. Self-defense doesn’t seem very plausible given what we know.</p>
<p>And I agree with you too lindz–I have been thinking all along that Martin would have been able to claim self-defense more reasonably than Zimmerman, had he survived that night.</p>