Here is the best summation of this case that I've read:
"The choice was Stand Your Ground or Stand for Justice
Yesterday Rick asked on his FB page whether George Zimmerman would be found innocent or guilty of murdering Trayvon Martin. I wrote “not guilty". As an individual who has served on two King County Superior Court juries involving criminal charges the law, the facts, and the beyond a reasonable doubt standard weigh heavily upon a juror. In both cases the jurors probably felt a crime was committed. But in both cases we found the defendant not guilty.
The facts in the Zimmerman prosecution are not in dispute. An armed adult racially profiled and stalked an unarmed black teenager. A shoving or wrestling match ensued. Zimmerman used his weapon. Martin was shot and he died.
In the Zimmerman trial the prosecutors presented a rather weak case with respect to the original charge. The acknowledgement of the weakness of their case was made when they argued that Zimmerman could be convicted of manslaughter instead of murder. It is quite likely that this change affected the jury deliberations.
I am not angry with the jurors, judge, or defense counsel. My antipathy is directed at poorly prepared prosecutors, the legislators who supported the “Stand Your Ground” legislation, and a governor who signed it into law. But it is the law in Florida.
Zimmerman is not a hero and Trayvon Martin was not an angel. But both were entitled to the protections provided by the law. We were seeking justice. But our system of laws, the facts, and the constitution prevailed. The great tragedy is that justice remained elusive."
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Originally Posted by redfox
