The Bucknuts Hot Spot

6pm according to news outlets. I would assume there is going to be a list of things. THere can't be a Murder One charge, because it didn't go to a grand jury, but anything under that could be at the top of the list.

I could see some kind of Manslaughter charge and a bunch of other small things. Just my opinion.

If we could take you said and put it in a giant fucking placard and place it upon everyone's computer we'd all be better off on this subject.

Great point!

I don't think there is a chance in hell Zimmerman gets off. The circumstances for this are not the same as the ones where the FL Stand Your Ground law gets someone off.

We're not talking about a guy who was innocently walking around, got mugged, pulled out his weapon and killed the dude. We're talking about the guy who initiated the ENTIRE thing, was the only one armed, and tried to claim self-defense.

You guys have to understand how this appears to the court. The nexus of all of this begins with Zimmerman and continues with his poor decisions along the way. As a result, there is culpability here. Zimmerman is not a murderer. But technically he is criminally negligent. Stand your ground law or not.

Granted, there are serious ambiguities here. Which is why this debate is so polarizing. And the Stand your Ground law is a major contributing factor.

In the end, the prosecutor isn't going to push for charges this publicly without having a serious case. I think we'll see some level of manslaughter. Which is a SERIOUS charge. If convicted, he will see prison time.

Good luck ever getting him a fair trial...this is a problem when the media and public convict a man before his day in court. I am in no way saying he is innocent but the State should have been allowed to gather evidence and build a case before charging anyone with anything and the public needs to be patient. With the facts out there it wouldn't (and didn't) take long to charge a suspect for the killing and for him to stand trial. Now, this man has lost one of our fundamental rights to a fair trial which is just another shame in this tragic situation.

Sorry for the short rant, this stuff just bugs me more after starting law school lol

Yes, Zimmerman followed Trayvon but that is not a crime. There is no proof that Zimmerman started an altercation. Trayvon didn't have a scratch on him. The only thing we really know is that Zimmerman was getting beaten up and was yelling for help for a long time before he actually shot Trayvon. I don't think it is unreasonable to shoot someone that is beating you and shows no signs of stopping, despite your screams for help. I think what most likely happened is Travyon got pissed some random guy was following him and decided to kick his ass. I don't have a problem with that. The problem lies with the fact that Trayvon went overboard and refused to stop beating Zimmerman. You can hear Zimmerman yelling for help for a long time on the 911 tapes. Because Trayvon kept on beating Zimmerman even after he had clearly won and was yelling for help, that sounds like a logical claim of a shooting in self-defense to me.

I am not anti-gun by any stretch of the imagination, but anybody who has visions of heroism should take notice of this situation. My honest opinion on this is that it wasn't a racially motivated shooting. I think Zimmerman was a neighborhood watch guy who was a little too over zealous and loved his gun a little too much. So, the kid probably picked a fight after taking exception to being followed. And, the end result was Zimmerman pulling his gun in self-defense.

However, a gun is a powerful weapon, and anytime you discharge a round in the general vicinity of other people, there is a strong likelihood that somebody is going to be either hurt or killed.

The bottom line is that if you're going to pull a trigger, you better prepare yourself for the potential result. In this case, Zimmerman killed, probably in a panic induced accident, an unarmed young person who may or may not have been up to no good. The reality is that Zimmerman is civilly liable for for Travon's death, and the law will have to determine if he is criminally liable.

In my mind, Zimmerman could/should probably be convicted of manslaughter, but not much else.

Everyone keeps saying that following is not a crime. Neither is talking. But both can instigate.

The fact is, Zimmerman initiated everything. And then claimed self-defense. That is now being debated in a court of law.

As you can see, the prosecutor is now going for 2nd degree murder. Which means they believe its beyond negligence. They believe there was malice on Zimmerman's part.

Filing charges are no small thing. The prosecutor wouldn't do that unless they feel they can win.

Following someone and asking them what they are doing is not instigating. Who was violent in this situation? Zimmerman had multiple injuries Trayvon had no injuries before he was shot. I don't think anyone could come to any conclusion other than that Trayvon was beating Zimmerman. The expert analysis of the 911 tape is not scientific and will not be admissible in court. For it to be considered legit science there would have to be at least 10 words said on the 911 tape. They had to charge him or there would be riots. They didn't believe they could get a conviction which is why they didn't charge him the first time around.

Trayvon didn't have any injuries? Well, I guess if you overlook the details... like the gunshot wound that ended his life.

Warrior:

Good question. I am not sure. If dude gets off and we have had a "fair" investigation/ trial (perceived as fair), then the collective masses just have to accept it.

People have to understand that we have a system of laws/ courts that govern this land and that's the way we do business here.

Enough with this stupid thinking that there will be riots and shootings and this kind of stuff. Thinking that people of color will only result to violence when they don't get what they want is in fact racist as well! It shows how little some out there know about minority communities. People tend to act a fool when there are perceived slights, outright injustice and mistreatment happens.

All people want the same things and that is to be treated fairly, have equal access, safety for their families, etc.
People need to stop trying to act like what this family has asked for (e.g. an arrest) is beyond the pale and different than what EVERY OTHER FAMILY would ask for given similar circumstances.

Fact of the matter is that they lost their child, they have no evidence, were disrespected in a MAJOR way by local Sanford law enforcement, and they are American citizens that have an expectation of answers/ remedy under the law.

People, regardless of their race/ background, need to understand that is really what this entire thing is all about.
Time to drop listening to idiots like Limbaugh/ Hannity and realize that people are people. Also time to elevate your thinking, have some compassion and empathy for other people.