walking while black - Trayvon Martin

[Adub]

Wonder why O'Mara isn't doing it? West is the least engaging of the attorneys in this case, imo.

My gut feeling? Is that the Zimmerman's have bonded with West. He is the darling of those conspiracy theorists over at the Conservative Treehouse. And that is where the $$$ flows from. The Zimmerman's like the $$$ flowing in. $$$ = heaven. Keep the CTH happy and the $$$ will follow. West is absolutely laughable. Hope he keeps the opening clean because the Judge is already sick of him.

O'Mara will do the closing.

[Duchess]

So I tune in to what I think will be opening statements & all I get is that seal :(

[HairOfTheDog]

So I tune in to what I think will be opening statements & all I get is that seal :(

I think there's another 90 minutes before trial is scheduled to start.

It's good that you've got the seal; the seal always shows when the feed is functional but there's no action in the courtroom. Lots of stations and outlets will be streaming the trial.

Here's a link to coverage by WPTV.

http://www.wptv.com/generic/news/nationa...e-coverage

[Duchess]

I think there's another 90 minutes before trial is scheduled to start.

I must not have been paying close attention. I'd be willing to bet you told us that already.

[HairOfTheDog]

I think there's another 90 minutes before trial is scheduled to start.

I must not have been paying close attention. I'd be willing to bet you told us that already.

Nah, there might be some motions to be addressed first, so I'm not sure what time Opening Statements will start.

The judge and attorneys are in the courtroom now. There's a sidebar underway with the sound intentionally turned off.

I think they're about to start Opening Statements now...

[HairOfTheDog]

Don West is giving his Opening Statement for the defense now.

He's explaining why some family of Trayvon and George are not in the courtrroom; they could be called to testify as witnesses so they can't be present.

http://www.wptv.com/generic/news/nationa...e-coverage

[HairOfTheDog]

West started out by saying this was a "sad case".

He said that George was "viciously attacked" by Trayvon Martin.

He showed the Twin Lakes complex - diagram.

He said that George was asked to coordinate the Neighborhood Watch because there was increased crime in the area; he was not a captain.

He said that George called the NE911 because it wasn't an emergency at the time; there wasn't a crime underway when Trayvon caught George's eye.

West is gonna play George's call to report Trayvon to NE911.

He's also taking about the call between Trayvon and his girl-friend and how the timing coincides with George's NE911 call and the incident.

Note: NE = Non Emergency

[HairOfTheDog]

Sorry about the time mix up. I missed the whole Opening Statement! It was given by prosecutor John Guy, not Bernie de la Rionda after all.

Here's a recap of the Prosecution's Opening Statement from HLN:

9:37 a.m. ET: Prosecutor John Guy begins his opening statement by quoting Zimmmerman the night Martin was shot.

"Fucking punks" said Guy. "They always get away."

9:40 a.m. ET: Guy is walking the jury through Martin's last moments of his life.

9:49 a.m. ET: Guy says the jury will see exactly how Zimmerman looked after the confrontation with Martin. They will also see a video police shot at the scene of the killing of Zimmerman explaining what happened.

9:52 a.m. ET: "The defendant told police that at one point while he was sitting in his car following Trayvon Martin. Trayvon Martin ran behind some townhomes, and then came back out circled his car and ran back again. Listen to the non-emergency call that happened in real time and you will see that didn't happen," said Guy.

9:55 a.m. ET: "The defendant claims that while Trayvon Martin was on top of him. He said, 'you are going to die to night,' Well ladies and gentlemen you are going to hear from people out there. Nobody heard that," said Guy.

9:57 a.m. ET: Guy said ballistics indicate that Zimmerman pressed the gun against Martin's chest and pulled the trigger called a "contact shot."

9:59 a.m. ET: Guy is explaining that there's no witnesses who saw what happened the night of the shooting from beginning to end. He says the witnesses the jury will hear from saw "slices" of what happened.

10:00 a.m. ET: Zimmerman was examined by a medical profession the morning after shooting and he had no major injuries and his nose was not broken according to Guy.

10:03 a.m. ET: Guy said the jury will hear a heart-wrenching 911 call, where they will hear Martin screaming, and he was silenced when Zimmerman pulled the trigger.

10:08 a.m. ET: Guy said Martin's injuries do not indicate that he fought with Zimmerman.

"He didn't have bruised knuckles. He didn't have swollen hands. The only injury to his hand that was capable of being photograph was a small abrasion on his left ring finger. Trayvon Martin was right handed. That was the only injury to his hands." said Guy.

10:10 a.m. ET: "We are confident that at the end of this trial you will know in your head, in your heart, in your stomach that George Zimmerman did not shot Trayvon Martin, because he had to. He shot him for the worst of all reasons, because he wanted to. Thank you for your time." said Guy wrapping his opening statement.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

West is continuing with defense's opening statement. He's continuing to explain what George was doing when he made the NE 911 call and how he was already out of the car when the dispatcher told George they didn't need him to follow Trayvon.

[HairOfTheDog]

West talked about how there was a break-in in the neighborhood a couple of weeks before the incident.

He agrees that George said "fucking punks" and "these assholes always get away" during the NE911 call; he hopes the jury will put it in context.

He keeps pointing out how dark it was that night.

He's replaying the NE911 call again now for the jury.

[HairOfTheDog]

Rachel Gentell (sp) is the girl with whom Trayvon was on the phone (Witness 8).

West says Trayvon was hiding and waiting to see why this guy was following him while he was on the phone with her.

Now, West is talking about the witnesses who couldn't see anything but heard "scuffling" and someone moaning or "crying for help" and called 911.

West is now playing the witness 911 calls which captured the screams and the shot.

Here's the link again for those that wanna watch:
http://www.wptv.com/generic/news/nationa...e-coverage

[Jimbone]

What the hell was up with the prosecutor telling a knock-knock joke? How flipping bizarre.

[HairOfTheDog]

What the hell was up with the prosecutor telling a knock-knock joke? How flipping bizarre.

That was the defense attorney, West.

[Cynical Ninja]

I appreciate you going through the trial step by step like this HOTD.

[Jimbone]

What the hell was up with the prosecutor telling a knock-knock joke? How flipping bizarre.

That was the defense attorney, West.

Either way, WTF?????

I'd use that as my basis for appeal due to ineffective counsel. Dope.

[HairOfTheDog]

I appreciate you going through the trial step by step like this HOTD.

Thanks, CN. Wish I hadn't missed the start this morning; but it's captured in the recap.

West is now saying why a witness thought she saw George on top of Trayvon before the shot.

West says she was wrong when you consider other witness statements a few seconds later.

West keeps talking about how this witness Jane got it wrong due to timing because it wasn't until after he shot Travyon that George got on top of Trayvon.

West is doing everything that he can in opening statements to position all of the witness statements as favorable to George's story.

[HairOfTheDog]

What the hell was up with the prosecutor telling a knock-knock joke? How flipping bizarre.

That was the defense attorney, West.

Either way, WTF?????

I'd use that as my basis for appeal due to ineffective counsel. Dope.

Yeah, it wasn't funny, but lots of attorneys try to break the ice with some amusing story or joke.

West is a bit corny.

[HairOfTheDog]

West says that the screaming stopped after the gunshot wound, "why wouldn't it?" he asked.

Well, imo, because George says he didn't even know that he'd shot Trayvon. George felt the need to jump on Travyon after the shot and asked an approaching witness for help in restraining Travyon, who was by then not moving, as West just described.

It hurts George that as soon as the shot was fired, the screaming stopped. Dead guys don't scream. West wants to explain why it could have been George who was screaming and stopped, but George's answer to police questions about his mindset at the time don't really support that, imo. The prosecution will probably position that apparent inconsistency as a lie during trial, and the defense is setting the stage to counter that.

West is describing the aftermath of the shooting.

[Duchess]

George is giving me the impression that he is having trouble staying awake.

[HairOfTheDog]

George is giving me the impression that he is having trouble staying awake.

I think he's medicated. He always looks like that lately.


West is now attempting to counter the prosecution statement that George's injuries were not severe and not consistent with his version of the altercation.

West says that the wounds were cleaned up and it had been a couple of hours since the fight when the police photos were taken, so the injuries don't look bad. West says that George did get his head banged on the concrete and "when you get your bell rung, it shakes things up and affects your thinking."

West is explaining how George went to work the next day and how one co-worker was "stunned" by George's emotional and physical appearance and how George started crying when he tried to explain.

George then went to the doctor. West says the doc thought the nose was "probably" broken, but no deviated septum. George declined to see an ENT as advised. George continued to cooperate whenever asked, West says.

Now, West is gonna talk about the forensic evidence.

Lunch break.

Defense opening continues after break.

[Cynical Ninja]

West says that the wounds were cleaned up and it had been a couple of hours since the fight when the police photos were taken, so the injuries don't look bad.

Hmmmm I think bumps, swellings or lumps would have looked worse after two hours not better. Bruises and bumps tend to discolour and swell over an extended period making them look worse later on.

In the photos apart from the small lump on his nose zimmerman appears to be almost injury free to me.