Zimmerman Prosecutor Files Gag Order Against Defense

[FaithLikeARock]

It's adorable when people with no relation to the case itself decide they know best. It doesn't matter how much is publicized - there is some testimony, some evidence, and some decisions only the people in the courtroom will see. Personally, from what I've seen the entire defense is based on Zimmerman's testimony - both sides have "witness" testimony, though from what none of it is very refutable. 90% of the defenses recreation of the events though, is Zimmerman describing it. All of what you've said here, is a part of what HE described. Yet you're trying to pass it off as fact.

Given that you are in no position to do so, I think that's irresponsible.

 

[Panzerkamfwagen]

It's adorable when people with no relation to the case itself decide they know best. It doesn't matter how much is publicized - there is some testimony, some evidence, and some decisions only the people in the courtroom will see. Personally, from what I've seen the entire defense is based on Zimmerman's testimony - both sides have "witness" testimony, though from what none of it is very refutable. 90% of the defenses recreation of the events though, is Zimmerman describing it. All of what you've said here, is a part of what HE described. Yet you're trying to pass it off as fact.

Given that you are in no position to do so, I think that's irresponsible.

Kind of like Jesse Jackson, Benjamin Crump, Barack Obama, and Al Sharpton?

The lead investigator has already said that they don't have evidence, the state has withheld exculpatory evidence from the defense, and now, the state is trying to silence the defense.

And about this motion:
Gentile v. State Bar of Nevada

 

[Uphill Battle]

Kind of like Jesse Jackson, Benjamin Crump, Barack Obama, and Al Sharpton?

The lead investigator has already said that they don't have evidence, the state has withheld exculpatory evidence from the defense, and now, the state is trying to silence the defense.

Given that Trayvon was carrying no weapon, the deadly force for self defence angle is very, very weak.

 

[DrkSdBls]

At nine years old, Martin was strong enough and cool headed enough to drag his dad away from a fire.

When did he turn into a young man that is so scared of a fat, older looking white guy that he can't even think to use the cell phone that he has to call the cops?

Right. Clearly you've never been in Martin's Position.

And according to the lead investigator, the police don't have any evidence that contradicts his account.

That's very convenient for Zimmerman, since we don't have Martin's Version of the Story.

Zimmerman Claims Martin attacked him. But there's there's no evidence of that either. There is only evidence of a Struggle, not of an actual fight and no evidence that Martin attacked Zimmerman.

Of course, There may be Evidence that has not been leaked to the Media, Like the fact that the angle of the bullet shows that Martin was on the ground and Zimmerman was actually standing over him when he shot him.

So, Then I can understand why the Judge would issue a Gag order to conceal that. So how about you leave the actual Police work to the Professionals and leave your Political Commentary out of their business.

 

[DaisyDay]

So then, how come they haven't done the same thing for the prosecutor...or for the media circus that the family has created.

I thought they did. This is just the one being protested.

 

[Panzerkamfwagen]

Right. Clearly you've never been in Martin's Position.

Yes I have. I just wander around until the person decides to stop following me.

That's very convenient for Zimmerman, since we don't have Martin's Version of the Story.

So then why are there any charges at all?

Zimmerman Claims Martin attacked him. But there's there's no evidence of that either. There is only evidence of a Struggle, not of an actual fight and no evidence that Martin attacked Zimmerman.

And the defense has stated in motions that the prosecution withheld exculpatory evidence.

Of course, There may be Evidence that has not been leaked to the Media, Like the fact that the angle of the bullet shows that Martin was on the ground and Zimmerman was actually standing over him when he shot him.

Or the fact that witnesses made drawings that showed martin on top of Zimmerman. Or that "Dee Dee's" testimony that is heavily scripted might even show that Martin went back and attacked Zimmerman.

So, Then I can understand why the Judge would issue a Gag order to conceal that. So how about you leave the actual Police work to the Professionals and leave your Political Commentary out of their business.

The police are public officials. I happen to be a member of the public...so their business is my business.

 

[Gxg (G²)]

The problem is going out of your way to shoot people who have not threatened you at all.

The problem is following someone with a gun in your pocket and forcing a confrontation for no reason other than "they are suspiciously black."

I think the reality of the problem is that many don't realize how what Zimmerman did is something that has happened for a LONG time when it comes to the mindsets others have toward black men and thinking the worst. For it's code-switching when saying a black male looked suspicious because of wearing a hoodie and walking with a bag of skittles/tea (or being assumed to have stolen material rather than buying it) while other groups with hoodies are not considered....be it other minority groups or elderly white women and other groups.

Michelle Alexander sought to address the subject in her new book "The New Jim Crow" when it came to going beyond what Trayvon Martin experienced and showing the larger reality of things.

Michelle Alexander: New Frontiers in Race and Criminal Justice - Keynote Address​

I've shared more in-depth elsewhere as it concerns the issues of how much PRISON is a buisness and others in the private sector have invested much into jails and been a huge part of keeping other minorities imprisoned at highly unequal levels and saying nothing on it (as said here in #108 ). Legal scholar Michelle Alexander takes a breathtaking leap beyond the Martin case, to American justice writ large. American prisons, she says, are jammed with black men cut off from the rights of full citizenship. Their mass incarceration, she says, is now the heart of a racial caste system in America...and right now, her book "The New Jim Crow" is doing A LOT in exposing how things are.​

For other sources:​

• After the Killing - In These Times
• Michelle Alexander « Progressive Scholar​
• Race, Politics And The Trayvon Martin Case : NPR​
• Michelle Alexander « Standing On The Side Of Love​
• Videos - Million Hoodies March for Trayvon Martin -NYC​
• On the Other Side of the Myth: Michelle Alexander and Tim Wise Reflect on Murder of Trayvon Martin​
  
  
  

 

[Gxg (G²)]

Given that Trayvon was carrying no weapon, the deadly force for self defence angle is very, very weak.

A lot of the things in defense of Zimmerman has been extremely weak when considering the reality of how Trayvon had no weapon and was far weaker than Zimmerman.

Zimmerman's mass is larger than Trayvon's. Zimmerman weighed more. And Zimmerman has a history of violence also, from coworker's testimony and some dismissed charges against him...and as it stands, it's no small issue when ignoring where Zimmerman is the one with a history of physical violence (more here, here and here ).

We Are Not Suspicious - Justice For Trayvon Martin​

What you have present is a case of racism, from a Light-Skinned Hispanic toward a black innocent male....and others trying to excuse it. Sadly, it often is the case that black males are stereotyped in the media as being something to be feared and hated---or automatically suspicious of. Happens all the time when looking at the sports presentations.

It is interesting to consider the ways that what Trayvon experienced is not isolated---and for many, focusing solely on his experience when people get outraged is seen as not being enough to deal with a larger narrative. I'm reminded of Kendrec McDade, who was gunned down by police. The idea has been floating around for awhile that the killing of Trayvon Martin is more tragic than the death of Kendrec McDade....that the differing circumstances in regard to these two boys somehow makes the death of one more significant than the other. However, Kendrec being killed by police officers rather than by the hand of a private citizen does not make his life less valuable nor his death less tragic....and that others get tripped out by Trayvon killed by another citizen while not seeming to be as disturbed by the ways police have been a part of the problem says something.

On a side note, although others may not like the president, one of the greatest things I'm thankful for during this administration has been the reality that having a black president has forced people to start becoming more aware of the ways that racial injustices have been occurring and stereotypes are STILL alive and well---with it never being the case that racism/institutional discrimination never died as much as it simply went undercover and was redesigned to be less noticeable.

Glad the president took notice on the issue:

President Obama on Trayvon Martin​

Tim Wise on Trayvon Martin President Obama and Race in America​

• Mourning Trayvon Martin and the Legacy of White Silence
• Ask the White Guy: Why Is Trayvon a White-on-Black Crime ...</DIV>
• Trayvon Martin, Looking at the Scene of Violence | veeritions
• Liberation Theology, The Black Church, & Trayvon Martin - CNN
• The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration? Michelle Alexander and
• Race, Theology, and the Politics of Abjection: An Interview with J ...
• VLOG: Trayvon Martin Is Not Just a Black Thing Its a People Thing
• Trayvon Martin and the Myth of the 'Criminalblackman' | Urban Faith
• The Liturgy Of Trayvon Martin: Skittles, Iced Tea And A Hoodie | The
• Trayvon Martin, White Denial and the Unacceptable Burden - Tim Wise
• “Don’t Get Caught Up in No Throne”: The Pharisee Complex in Black America
• Q & A: John Piper on Racism, Reconciliation, and Theology after Trayvon Martin' Death

Jessie Washington noted some very powerful points when it comes to what's known as the Black Code, as seen here:

I thought my son would be much older before I had to tell him about the Black Male Code. He's only 12, still sleeping with stuffed animals, still afraid of the dark. But after the Trayvon Martin tragedy, I needed to explain to my child that soon people might be afraid of him.

We were in the car on the way to school when a story about Martin came on the radio. "The guy who killed him should get arrested. The dead guy was unarmed!" my son said after hearing that neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman had claimed self-defense in the shooting in Sanford, Fla.

We listened to the rest of the story, describing how Zimmerman had spotted Martin, who was 17, walking home from the store on a rainy night, the hood of his sweatshirt pulled over his head. When it was over, I turned off the radio and told my son about the rules he needs to follow to avoid becoming another Trayvon Martin — a black male who Zimmerman assumed was "suspicious" and "up to no good."

As I explained it, the Code goes like this:
Always pay close attention to your surroundings, son, especially if you are in an affluent neighborhood where black folks are few. Understand that even though you are not a criminal, some people might assume you are, especially if you are wearing certain clothes.
Never argue with police, but protect your dignity and take pride in humility. When confronted by someone with a badge or a gun, do not flee, fight, or put your hands anywhere other than up.
Please don't assume, son, that all white people view you as a threat. America is better than that. Suspicion and bitterness can imprison you. But as a black male, you must go above and beyond to show strangers what type of person you really are.



I was far from alone in laying out these instructions. Across the country this week, parents were talking to their children, especially their black sons, about the Code. It's a talk the black community has passed down for generations, an evolving oral tradition from the days when an errant remark could easily cost black people their job, their freedom, or sometimes their life.

After Trayvon Martin was killed, Al Dotson Jr., a lawyer in Miami and chairman of the 100 Black Men of America organization, told his 14-year-old son that he should always be aware of his surroundings, and of the fact that people might view him differently "because he's blessed to be an African-American."

"It requires a sixth sense that not everyone needs to have," Dotson said.

Dotson, 51, remembers receiving his own instructions as a youth, and hearing those instructions evolve over time.

His grandparents told Dotson that when dealing with authority figures, make it clear you are no threat at all — an attitude verging on submissive. Later, Dotson's parents told him to respond with respect and not be combative.

Today, Dotson tells his children that they should always be respectful, but should not tolerate being disrespected — which would have been recklessly bold in his grandparents' era.

Bill Stephney, a media executive who lives in a New Jersey suburb that is mostly white and Asian, has two sons, ages 18 and 13. The Martin killing was an opportunity for him to repeat a longtime lesson: Black men can get singled out, "so please conduct yourself accordingly."

Like Dotson, Stephney mentioned an ultra-awareness — "a racial Spidey sense, a tingling" — that his sons should heed when stereotyping might place them in danger.

One night in the early 1980s, while a student at Adelphi University on Long Island, Stephney and about a dozen other hip-hop aficionados went to White Castle after their late-night DJ gig. They were gathered in the parking lot, eating and talking, when a squadron of police cars swooped in and a helicopter rumbled overhead.

Yet Dotson still has fears about the safety of his children, "about them understanding who they are and where they are, and how to respond to the environment they are in."

This is how the legendary rap group Public Enemy was born. Their logo: A young black man in the crosshairs of a gun sight.
"Fast forward 25 years later," Stephney said. "We've come a long way to get nowhere."

But what about that long road traveled, which took a black man all the way to the White House? I can hear some of my white friends now: What evidence is there that Trayvon Martin caught George Zimmerman's attention — and his bullet — because of his race? Lynching is a relic of the past, so why are you teaching your son to be so paranoid?

There is a difference between paranoia and protection. Much evidence shows that black males face unique risks: Psychological studies indicate they are often perceived as threatening; here in Philadelphia, police stop-and-frisk tactics overwhelmingly target African-Americans, according to a lawsuit settled by the city; research suggests that people are more likely to believe a poorly seen object is a gun if it's held by a black person.

Yes, it was way back in 1955 when 14-year-old Emmitt Till was murdered in Mississippi for flirting with a white woman. But it was last Wednesday when a white Mississippi teenager pleaded guilty to murder for seeking out a black victim, coming across a man named James Craig Anderson, and running him over with his pickup truck.

Faced with this information, I'm doing what any responsible parent would do: Teaching my son how to protect himself.

Still, it requires a delicate balance. Steve Bumbaugh, a foundation director in Los Angeles, encourages his 8- and 5-year-old sons to talk to police officers, "and to otherwise develop a good relationship with the people and institutions that have the potential to give them trouble. I think this is the best defense."

"I don't want them to actually think that they are viewed suspiciously or treated differently," Bumbaugh said. "I think that realization breeds resentment and anger. And that can contribute to dangerous situations."

His sons are large for their age, however.
"I'm probably naive to think that they won't realize they're viewed differently when they're 6-4 and 200 pounds," Bumbaugh said, "but I'm going to try anyway."

I am 6-4 and more than 200 pounds, son. You probably will be too. Depending on how we dress, act and speak, people might make negative assumptions about us. That doesn't mean they must be racist; it means they must be human.

Let me tell you a story, son, about a time when I forgot about the Black Male Code.

One morning I left our car at the shop for repairs. I was walking home through our quiet suburban neighborhood, in a cold drizzle, wearing an all-black sweatsuit with the hood pulled over my head.

From two blocks away, I saw your mother pull out of our driveway and roll towards me. When she stopped next to me and rolled down the window, her brown face was full of laughter.

"When I saw you from up the street," your mother told me, "I said to myself, what is that guy doing in our neighborhood?"
___

​

 

[Panzerkamfwagen]

I think the reality of the problem is that many don't realize how what Zimmerman did is something that has happened for a LONG time when it comes to the mindsets others have toward black men and thinking the worst. For it's code-switching when saying a black male looked suspicious because of wearing a hoodie and walking with a bag of skittles/tea (or being assumed to have stolen material rather than buying it) while other groups with hoodies are not considered....be it other minority groups or elderly white women and other groups.

People like the KKK member and noted anti-black racist Jesse Jackson:

There is nothing more painful to me &#8230; than to walk down the street and hear footsteps and start thinking about robbery, then look around and see somebody white and feel relieved.

From what I understand and have heard from Zimmerman's statements what that what he recalls seeing was that Martin was walking around (on a rainy day) looking in houses, and that one of the houses had been recently broken into. What's unusual about that?

 

[razeontherock]

I'd hope that this situation would be apolitical.

HA - in yer dreeeeems!

 

[razeontherock]

Right. Because, I have all the Right to Stalk you in the middle of the night, Chase you through the Neighborhood and pull a gun on you and if you try to defend yourself, I have all the right to Shoot you and call it Self-defense.

Oh please. You have evidence Z pulled the gun out before any violence escalated? Didn't think so. (Besides that would make Trayvon like THE stupidest person ever to live)

 

[razeontherock]

But Even if that was true, that doesn't excuse the fact Zimmerman still Stalked and Threatened Martin through intimidation.

Stalking is a legal term. Threatening is a legal term. Z didn't commit either crime. (Unless you're withholding evidence no one else knows about? Where were you on the night in question?

Martin had every Right to confront Zimmerman and, if he felt his life was in danger by this strange man chasing him through the back alleys of a neighborhood he had every right to be in, then yes Martin had every right to defend himself from a perceived threat.

And under your morbid scenario you concocted here, that grants him every right to get shot. Dead.

Guess what? Decent people would've found a way for the 2 of them to get Martin to his ... abode / visitation, with Z seeing him enter lawfully. It's called "co-operation." I know that's a foreign concept here on the society pages, but you should try it sometime!

Zimmerman was the Aggressor under any rule of Law and deserves to spend the next 30 to 50 years in Jail.

The Judge has brought down his gavel - next case!?

 

[razeontherock]

The problem is going out of your way to shoot people who have not threatened you at all.

Assumption / accusation #1 (Hmm, could've sworn the Bible said something about this)

The problem is following someone with a gun in your pocket and forcing a confrontation for no reason other than "they are suspiciously black."

Assumption / accusation #2. With no more basis than your previous assumption. You're not supposed to bear false witness, you know. You also have the duty to excuse rather than accuse; the latter being in league with satan himself.

Seems kinda serious to me ...

 

[MachZer0]

Given that Trayvon was carrying no weapon, the deadly force for self defence angle is very, very weak.

The law doesn't require a weapon in order for deadly force to be used in self defense

 

[MachZer0]

Right. Clearly you've never been in Martin's Position.

I for one, have never been in Martin's position which was astride Zimmerman pounding his head into the ground telling him that he was going to die.

That's very convenient for Zimmerman, since we don't have Martin's Version of the Story.

Zimmerman Claims Martin attacked him. But there's there's no evidence of that either. There is only evidence of a Struggle, not of an actual fight and no evidence that Martin attacked Zimmerman.

The gashes to Zimmerman's head and his other injuries are indeed evidence of a fight

Of course, There may be Evidence that has not been leaked to the Media, Like the fact that the angle of the bullet shows that Martin was on the ground and Zimmerman was actually standing over him when he shot him.

The autopsy did not indicate that at all

So, Then I can understand why the Judge would issue a Gag order to conceal that. So how about you leave the actual Police work to the Professionals and leave your Political Commentary out of their business.

The gag order is because the parents of the dead assailant don't want people to know of Martin's drug and other criminal behavior.

 

[razeontherock]

There is no excuse you can make for Zimmerman stalking him. none.

Which is why Z has been convicted (or even accused) of stalking. Oh wait ...

 

[MachZer0]

A lot of the things in defense of Zimmerman has been extremely weak when considering the reality of how Trayvon had no weapon and was far weaker than Zimmerman.

Exactly how did you reach the conclusion that Martin was "far weaker than Zimmerman?"

 

[razeontherock]

Awhen considering the reality of how Trayvon had no weapon and was far weaker than Zimmerman.

Sorry but this is NOT. EVEN. WRONG!!

Z had NO CHANCE up against Trayvon, in any situation except for struggling for control of a gun, at point blank range. And Trayvon had NO EXCUSE not to simply distance himself from his winded pursuer; he could've run circles around Z. That he chose not to, was his last mistake. Even his gf told him to get out of there!

(Notice that the law doesn't enter into any of this; just basic survival)

 

[Gxg (G²)]

Zimmerman Claims Martin attacked him. But there's there's no evidence of that either. There is only evidence of a Struggle, not of an actual fight and no evidence that Martin attacked Zimmerman.

Of course, There may be Evidence that has not been leaked to the Media, Like the fact that the angle of the bullet shows that Martin was on the ground and Zimmerman was actually standing over him when he shot him.
.

Perspective/perception make a huge difference. Let&#8217;s say you walk up to somebody and slap him in the face and he turns around and decides to try to use deadly force against you. Because you provoked that situation, under the law you don&#8217;t have a right to stand your ground, but under preexisting law, if you get backed into a corner, where you cannot retreat anymore, you still have a right to defend yourself, and use deadly force doing it. That issue &#8211; whether Zimmerman acted in self-defense &#8211; will be heard at a &#8220;stand your ground&#8221; mini-trial. If Nelson rules for Zimmerman at that hearing, charges would be dropped, and Zimmerman would be immune from a civil lawsuit. As with the previous judge, Nelson will be under pressure to rule against &#8220;stand your ground&#8221; immunity and instead send the case to a jury. Some community leaders have raised concerns about social unrest should Zimmerman be deemed not guilty.

But even with that in mind, some realities seem unavoidable if people are really honest on the issue.


Seriously, so much of the outrage surrounding Martin&#8217;s shooting has to do with his age. He was 17, shot on the way home from buying a bag of Skittles and an iced tea from a corner store. The imagery is striking &#8212; this young, skinny kid, far away from home, shot dead by a vigilante while returning from buying candy for his little brother. It tugs the heart strings, and it gets attention from even those &#8220;tired of talking about race.&#8221; A boy died, and there appears to be ample reason to believe that he got shot for, literally, trying to mind his own business.

It&#8217;s the rare case where race is an unavoidable variable, probably the catalyst for everything bad that happened, and there is no polarizing effect. That&#8217;s what happens when kids get shot..and no one wants to be the one to condone a child being stalked like prey. It&#8217;s an easy case to get behind. But if our victim wasn&#8217;t so pristine, are we having this discussion? George Zimmerman tracked Trayvon down because he was unfamiliar...and it seemed to him that he needed to know who this odd black person was. In fact, based on the 911 calls, he needed to know who every unfamiliar black man was.

Others have often noted that when you&#8217;re black and male, you&#8217;ve always got a purpose. No one wants you just hanging around. It&#8217;s called &#8220;loitering,&#8221; in their view...and no matter what, it would behoove a black man to have a good explanation for why he is doing whatever he&#8217;s doing. Because, if you wait long enough, someone is going to ask. If you don&#8217;t answer quickly enough, the cops will probably be called. And, if you don&#8217;t answer quickly enough, you might wish someone had called the cops, cuz they may have been your only hope for walking away unscathed.

For further example, let&#8217;s say that Trayvon&#8217;s body was found with a gun nearby. This happened in a town another went to school in many years ago, where Irvin Landrum, Jr., the victim of a police shooting, was found with a gun nearby. Cops claimed the young man drew down on them. The gun was once registered to a deceased former cop. The district attorney found no evidence the gun was planted, though. For a moment, forget whether or not the gun was planted. The real question is whether simply having the gun made it OK for cops to shoot this man. By that token, any cop riding in Sanford would have open season on George Zimmerman. He had a gun, after all. But we all know simply having a gun doesn&#8217;t mean you deserve to get shot. They wouldn&#8217;t license them if that were the case, correcy?

Had Trayvon Martin had a gun on him, would it have been OK to shoot him? Not had he pulled it. Just if he had it. Would that have been enough? Those are the trickier questions when things like this come up. The biggest reason people feel so comfortable fighting on behalf of Martin and his family is there are no issues like those. He is a perfectly clean victim, the opposite of Rodney King. Thing is, it&#8217;s not cool to shoot dirty victims for no reason, either. Had Martin been packing with a quarter-ounce of weed in his pocket, George Zimmerman still shouldn&#8217;t have followed and shot him. If Martin had a rap sheet long as my arm, there still would have been no reason to end his life. Ultimately, &#8220;looking suspicious,&#8221; is not probable cause, especially not for some dude who just lives in the neighborhood.

And yet sadly, so many black men "look suspicious." The elephant in the room in this case is how mainstream the belief is that black men look &#8220;suspicious

In example, as another wisely noted:

Supposing a black man named Harold Smith, who was previously charged with assaulting a police officer, stalks a white teenager who is carrying a Snicker's bar in one hand and a can of Pepsi in the other. Supposing Smith calls 911 and is told not to follow the white teenager and Smith says, "These [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse]s always get away." Supposing Smith hunts down the white teenager who is ambling over to his girlfriend's house and the next thing you know the white teenager is dead: a black man with a gun shoots an unarmed white teenager eating a candy bar.

Is there anyone that is going to argue that Smith would not be in jail under indictment? Is there anyone who is going to argue that the police officer at the scene would not have immediately arrested Smith and taken drug and alcohol tests? Is there anyone who is going to argue that FOX News and Limbaugh wouldn't be all over the airwaves denouncing black men with guns who kill innocent white teens? Newt Gingrich might even try to revive his moribund presidential bid by calling the murder a "symbol of the nation's declining moral standards and coddling of minorities."

BuzzFlash at Truthout can argue about allegations that the Sanford, Florida -- where Trayvon Martin was killed -- police department has shown evidence of being a discriminatory law enforcement agency. We can point out that the Sanford area is so gun crazy that a truck dealer offered an AK-47 assault weapon for every vehicle purchased a couple of years back.

But the simple reality is this: if Zimmerman were black and named Harold Smith and had shot and killed a white teenager athlete from the local high school named Joey Brewster - given the Martin homicide circumstances - Smith's ass wouldn't be going anywhere.

It would be parked in jail, which is where Zimmerman belongs.

​

 

[Panzerkamfwagen]

Exactly how did you reach the conclusion that Martin was "far weaker than Zimmerman?"

Because at nine years old Martin dragged his father out of a burning house. Isn't it obvious? That level headed nine year old child matured into a weak teenager that is scared of fat white-hispanic men.