walking while black - Trayvon Martin

[HairOfTheDog]

Zimmerman has a jury consultant that charges $10,000 a day. The State is winging it. Just going on their experience. It is, what it is.

Should take another week, or so. The jury will be seated by the end of the next court week. And I expect a few Baston (sp) hearings, and for O'Mara to try and get a continuance based on bias. Maybe even ask for a change of venue.

Didn't know about the jury consultant. Pretty damned expensive - I guess that's where this last round of donations is going?

Hope you're right that a jury will be seated by end of next week; seems reasonable if both sides are truly working towards it.

I read last week that O'Mara said he has no imminent plans to ask for a change of venue, nor to put Zimmerman (or any other defense witnesses) on the stand. But then, he left the door wide open to do both depending on how jury selection goes and the how the state's case proceeds. Anything goes still.

Ref:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/09/justice/fl...rman-trial

[Adub]

I feel that O'Mara is disingenuous when he speaks to the media. He is not to be trusted.
But, the State of Florida is no fool. They got this one.

[HairOfTheDog]

Looks like there are 20, as of today, that are moving on to the next phase of jury selection. And the court is asking for 30 before they move on.

After the court gets their 30, the jurors will be questioned individually but in front of all the other potential jurors in the courtroom.

About guns, concealed weapons permit, and who knows what else.

Seems to be picking up speed as the questioning continues; good thing.

Judge Nelson ruled today that the jury will be sequestered. I really think that's for the best in this case.

She also said that trial is expected to last 2 to 4 weeks, which is less than the originally estimated 4 to 6 weeks. Wonder if that's because the defense really doesn't plan to call any/many witnesses or for some other reason?

snip:
The jurors will be "kept together with court security and not allowed to go outside except in special circumstances," defense attorney Don West said in court Thursday afternoon, speaking to a potential juror. West said that visitation with family would be allowed, but said the sequestration would mean the jurors "would not be able to participate in day-to-day activity." He said entertainment would be provided by court security, adding that it would be "something monitored."

Jury selection continued Thursday after Nelson's announcement.

Attorneys need 30 potential jurors to get past the initial round of interviews so they can ask them more in-depth questions about their views and life experiences. Four potential jurors were dismissed Wednesday, raising the total of jury candidates who have been disqualified to 75.

At the start of questioning Thursday, 20 potential jurors were in the pool of candidates to be interviewed in the next round.

Full story:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-5...udge-says/

[Duchess]

Holy shit! George's Dad has released an e-book!

Robert Zimmerman has released a book about the case against his son, George, who is standing trial for the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. In it, he shares his views on "how and why" his son has been charged with murder .

"Florida v. Zimmerman: Uncovering the Malicious Prosecution of my Son, George" was released as an e-book Wednesday. The description reads simply: "This book describes how and why my son, George Zimmerman, has been charged with the crime of murder."

Racism has been an overarching issue since Martin, who was unarmed, was shot and killed on Feb. 26, 2012. Many believe Zimmerman, who is Hispanic, targeted the teen that night in Sanford, Fla., because of Martin's race. Zimmerman's father, however, disagrees with the portrait that has been painted of his son.

"As an adult, George continued to judge everyone as individuals, as he does today," Zimmerman writes in the prologue. "Many of George's closest and most trusted friends are African American. Although the FBI interviewed dozens of George's friends, neighbors, co-workers, and acquaintances, there is a tremendous amount of evidence that George is absolutely not a racist in any sense of the word."

In fact, he thinks the racism is coming from elsewhere.

In the chapter, "Who Are The True Racists," according to Think Progress, Zimmerman uses words like "pathetic," "self-serving" and "disgrace" when describing the Congressional Black Caucus, the NAACP and Martin's funeral director, among others. He says he believes they are promoting a racist agenda in the United States and around the Martin case.

Story

[HairOfTheDog]

^ Yeah, and released it right in the middle of jury selection. No coincidence.

The fact that initially George Zimmerman himself, then and still his brother Robert Zimmerman Jr., then and still attorney O'Mara, and now George's dad have put on such a huge and long-lasting public relations campaign to pump George Zimmerman and pummel Trayvon Martin is such a turn off to undecideds like myself who are waiting to hear the evidence at trial.

It causes me to think they are the slimiest of people looking to taint the jury pool and profit from the killing. That opinion is based on nothing other than their own actions and words (not to mention the perjury), though I'm still not considering any of it relevant to the case against George Zimmerman or what happened on Feb. 26, 2012.

I wish the Zimmerman family would act with some dignity, STFU about the legal case, and let George take the stand (or let his attorney speak on his behalf) to defend his choices and actions in a court of law. They won't shut up though.

[Cynical Ninja]

Having a go at Trayvons funeral director?

Really?

Why don't the zimmerman family just go the whole hog and line up to take turns pissing on Martins grave?

[HairOfTheDog]

First round juror profiles

Here's are brief profiles of the 30 potential jurors remaining after the first week of questioning. Very diverse. They will return to court on Tuesday.

1 of them was dismissed on Friday, but it's not clear which one. Attorneys are continuing to conduct first round questioning to reach 30 potential jurors. From those 30 selected, attorneys will conduct further questioning in order to narrow it down to 10 final jurors (4 will end up being alternates). This, of course, assumes everything goes as planned with the current jury selection process.


B-35: A middle-aged black man who owns a vending business. He was critical of the Rev. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, and says this case is not racial.

B-29: A Hispanic nurse on an Alzheimer's ward who has seven children and lived in Chicago at time of shooting.

B-12: A middle-aged white woman who works the graveyard shift. She likes the crime-forensics show CSI and said she'd heard Zimmerman was following Trayvon.

B-76: A white middle-aged woman who said Zimmerman had an "altercation with the young man. There was a struggle and the gun went off."

B-51: A retired white woman from Oviedo who has a dog and 20-year-old cat. She knew a good deal about the case, but said "I'm not rigid in my thinking."

B-7: A middle-aged white man who listens to NPR. He remembered when Florida implemented its "stand your ground" law and the debate about whether it was needed.

B-37: A middle-aged white woman who works for a chiropractor and has many pets. She described protests in Sanford as "rioting."

B-86: A middle-aged white woman who works at a middle school. She said if Trayvon had not been "expelled" from school in Dade County — he was actually suspended — "this could have been prevented."

B-55: A small, dark-skinned woman who's a business major at college. She had almost no information about the case. "It doesn't concern me."

E-6: A young white woman and mother who used to work in financial services. She used this case as an example to her adolescent children, warning them to not go out at night.

E-40: A white woman in her 60s who lived in Iowa at the time of the shooting. She heard national news reports and recalls the shooting was in a gated community and a teenager was killed.

E-54: A middle-aged white man with a teenage stepson who wears hoodies. He recalled seeing photos of Zimmerman's head and face that show injuries.

E-73: A middle-aged white woman active in Sanford's arts community, who is raising her late brother's 15- and 18-year-old children. The media interjected race in this case, she said.

[HairOfTheDog]

first round juror profiles, continued

M-75: A young African-American woman who says many of her friends have opinions on the case, but she doesn't.

B-61: A young white woman who remembered that "after the protesters, it seemed to turn more into a racial issue...I don't think it's a racial issue."

B-72: A young man who does maintenance at a school and competes in arm wrestling tournaments. He said he avoids the news because he does not want to be "brainwashed."

E-22: A middle-aged African-American woman who said that after the shooting Sanford police should have booked Zimmerman and asked him more questions.

E-13: A young white woman who goes to college and works two jobs. She heard the shooting was a "racial thing."

E-28: A middle-aged white woman who works as a nurse. She knew little about the case and has no opinion about Zimmerman's guilt.

K-80: A middle-aged white woman with children who has not followed the case. She considers the "racial undertones" in the case "disturbing."

K-95: A middle-aged woman who's a full-time student and "IT geek" with two children. She was critical of protests calling for Zimmerman's arrest.

P-67: A native of Mexico who seemed eager to serve on the jury, describing it as a civic duty. "Some people think it is a racist thing," he said of the shooting.

G-14: A middle-aged white woman. "I remember a lot of anger, a lot of people upset that Mr. Zimmerman was not arrested immediately."

G-29: A young black woman who has lived in Seminole County eight months. "There is a lot of racial tension built up," she said, but she "stayed away from it."

G-47: A young white man who works as assistant manager at restaurant. Zimmerman appears to be "stuck in the worst situation" possible, he said.

G-63: A young, unemployed man who described himself as "mixed race." He knew few details about the case but denounced stereotyping and said people sometimes interject race into cases.

G-66: A retired white woman who cares for her toddler grandson and moved to Central Florida in 2011. When she saw photos of Zimmerman's injuries, "I felt sorry for him."

G-81: A tall black man who lives less than a half mile from the scene of the shooting. There is a racial divide in Sanford, he said, but the media has misportrayed the city.

H-6: A young white man who heard the phone call Zimmerman made to police before the shooting. "He sounded like he was concerned for his neighborhood."

Ref:
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2013...-selection

[Cynical Ninja]

Unless some of the potential jurors are wearing KKK hoods or Black Panther T-shirts you can never really know what their true feelings are about the case and what their motivations are for wanting to be on the jury.

[HairOfTheDog]

Unless some of the potential jurors are wearing KKK hoods or Black Panther T-shirts you can never really know what their true feelings are about the case and what their motivations are for wanting to be on the jury.

Yeah, you can never really ever know what anybody else is thinking.

When it comes to jury selection though, the attorneys do a good job of asking the right questions and gauging the potential jurors' responses. They're pros at it; as are the judges. It's the same with any jury trial.

There was a suspicion that one of those questioned early on was trying to get on the jury in order to sway it in favor of the prosecution. The judge called him out about a Facebook post on a Trayvon Justice page right away. Don't know if there have also been Zimmerman supporters suspected of trying to infiltrate.

When the second round of questioning begins next week, it will be more interesting. Some biases that could be prejudicial to one side or the other and have been either intentionally or unintentionally withheld will come to light, no doubt.

[Maggot]

Back when Nixon was president he went on national television and called Charles Manson guilty. Obama went on national television and said if he had a son he would be like Trayvon.
Zimmermans fate is sealed.

[HairOfTheDog]

Back when Nixon was president he went on national television and called Charles Manson guilty. Obama went on national television and said if he had a son he would be like Trayvon.
Zimmermans fate is sealed.

I totally disagree, Maggot.

That's part of what the voir doire is all about; weeding out those who hear media statements made by anyone and are so easily persuaded or biased enough to therefore believe that somehow makes Zimmerman guilty (or innocent, depending on the comment/source).

There may be just as many Obama haters as Obama lovers (or middle grounders who neither love nor hate the man) in the potential jury pool.

I guess I just have more faith in the judicial system and process than do you. Juries always worry me because some people are just not that bright, but that's representative of society in general and it is a jury of our peers.

I don't think juries always get it right, but do think our system is a fair one and the court is going to extraordinary measures to ensure a fair trial in this case.

Having watched and read the transcripts from the trial of Charles Manson, I'd say the facts, evidence, witness testimony, Manson's own testimony, and the case presented by Bugliosi for the state of California sealed his fate; not a statement made by Milhous.

P.s. I think making that public statement was an idiotic move by Obama; always have. Just don't think it has any bearing on Zimmerman getting a fair trial.

[Maggot]

That was my point. When a politician becomes involved it becomes an issue. I believe he will get a fair trial but if it looks like he may win I have no doubt some high profile person will speak up and raise hell hoping to stir racial tension. I believe he is guilty of at least manslaughter, but others want a noose around his neck and dragged through the streets.

[HairOfTheDog]

That was my point. When a politician becomes involved it becomes an issue. I believe he will get a fair trial but if it looks like he may win I have no doubt some high profile person will speak up and raise hell hoping to stir racial tension. I believe he is guilty of at least manslaughter, but others want a noose around his neck and dragged through the streets.

And, there is a very large contingency of people who want him to walk free, before trial begins, and don't think he should even have been charged.

Fair trial is the answer. Looking forward to letting the justice system do its thing.

Some will agree with the verdict and celebrate it, others will have the opposite reaction. Such is life.

[Cynical Ninja]

Zimmermans fate is sealed.

Don't be so sure. There are a LOT of yanks out there who fully support Zimmerman, loving guns and hating niggers is as American as apple pie.

[Duchess]

There are a LOT of yanks out there who fully support Zimmerman, loving guns and hating niggers is as American as apple pie.

I could believe that. I think racism is alive & well in America. Some people hide that shit though, it's socially unacceptable in this day & age.

[Cynical Ninja]

Its alive and well in the UK too.

BNP, EDL, UKIP and other far right groups and in Europe black footballers are still being barracked with monkey chanting from sizeable sections of crowds during games.

[Cynical Ninja]

Don't remember seeing that in America having black baseball and gridiron players getting monkey chants and having bananas thrown at them.

Saying that in the UK we never had the....unpleasantness....of the negro league.

[username]

It goes both ways these days. The Hispanic kids at my son's school loudly disparage the white kids. It started in elementary school (5^th grade). All of a sudden it wasn't "cool" to hang out with non-Hispanics.

[Cynical Ninja]

You should provide your son with a list of ethnic slurs he can use when the little spics are in his grill or getting uppity.