After the last couple days testimony the Prosecution, by playing various Police Interviews with George Zimmerman, has essentially laid out for the jury the entire Defense case without rebuttal or cross-examination.
There's is reason to question this strategy, but what it does allow is for that story to be examined clearly and thoroughly. If Zimmerman's story is true as told, it essentially destroys the entire reason for the case being filed. Conservatives who have been claiming that this case is simply "because Obama politicized it with Holder" (even though President Obama didn't even comment on the case until the day after Gov. Scott assigned a Special Prosecutor) or to appease the "Al Sharpton Wing of the Democrat Party to Prevent a RIOT!" or some such - are already feeling VINDICATED.
If Zimmerman's Story is credible and believable - well - Game Over, Dude. Game Over!
But what if there are problems with Zimmerman's Story which he has been locked into since Day One? What if there are Holes? Big Holes?
Let's grab a back-hoe and meet me over the flip.
I know that trial is not even half over, but I have to get all this off my chest or I'll explode.
Map of the Crime Scene.
The first thing people have noted is the fact he decided Travon was acting "Suspicious" because he wasn't "walking fast to get out of the rain" and "going between the houses". Why are Travon's actions
automatically "Suspicious" because he doesn't behave the way Zimmerman expects he should? Does he fit the suspect profile (Truthfully, he
does. I requested the crime reports from various break-ins around that neighborhood from Sanford PD and he's Does fit the description, although not enough to prove anything - I would post it but the PDF includes my home address) It could be the fact that he really wasn't paying attention to where he going because
he was on the PHONE to his friend Rachel Jeantel, and cutting between those houses where he does is a perfect
short-cut to and from the 7-11 to the North West.
Let's just leave those issues aside for the moment.
The real big technical and legal issue facing Zimmerman is the fact when Trayvon started to run away to the section between the two rows of house (which led to the father's fiances house) and disappeared from sight George IMMEDIATELY got out of his car to chase Trayvon after he said "Shit, he's running.
That's aggressive behavior on HIS part, behavior he then has to hide or deflect or his all his claims begin to unravel upon themselves.
Full Transcript: http://s3.documentcloud.org/...
Dispatcher: Yeah we've got someone on the way, just let me know if this guy does anything else.
Zimmerman: Okay. These assholes they always get away. When you come to the
clubhouse you come straight in and make a left. Actually you would go past the
clubhouse.
Dispatcher: So it's on the left hand side from the clubhouse?
Zimmerman: No you go in straight through the entrance and then you make a left...uh
you go straight in, don't turn, and make a left. Shit he's running.
Dispatcher: He's running? Which way is he running?
Zimmerman: Down towards the other entrance to the neighborhood.
Dispatcher: Which entrance is that that he's heading towards?
Zimmerman: The back entrance...fucking [unintelligible] (ed. "PUNKS!")
Dispatcher: Are you following him?
Zimmerman: Yeah
Dispatcher: Ok, we don't need you to do that.
Zimmerman: Ok
As soon as he says this you can hear the door open, and the wind begin to howl. As we all know the dispatcher heard this and ask him, "Are you following him?"
To which he said "Yeah". and the dispatcher famously said "We don't need you to do that".
Zimmerman responded with "Okay", but he didn't stop. He kept going the same direction he was going (As shown on the map via the Yellow Arrows). The same direction that Trayvon had just run. His explanation for this during the 2nd Interview with Police was - he just wanted to get an address number for the street. But rather than doing it on the Twin Trees street where his car was parked behind him he proceeded to the "T" where Trayvon turned right and he lost sight of him, then Looked Around, didn't see him and went forward all the way "Retreat View Circle" which is the street he lived on in order to get an address to tell the cop where to come.
Let's get this straight. He's been living in this Neighborhood for Three Years but he doesn't know the name of the street he's on? He's part of the "Neighborhood Watch" but he doesn't know the name of all three streets (Retreat View Circle, Twin Trees & Long Oak Way) in the Neighborhood he's been watching?
When asked about this by Det. Serino he makes the unbelievable claim that "He wasn't following Trayvon, he was just going the same way Trayvon went."
Uh what?
When asked why he doesn't know what street he's on he says "He has a really bad memory?"
Ok, this guy tells this story at least 3-4 times within that same night, at least twice to police - two of which videos I've seen - and then a third and forth time to his Air Marshal friend and his wife when they picked him up from the police station.
It doesn't change, it doesn't very. But he has a "bad memory"? Okey dokey.
We Know he got out the car and chased after Trayvon once he ran, we can hear it, the dispatcher heard it, he admitted to it on the tape. Instead of simply going back to his car and checking the address on Twin Trees he has to walk past the last area he saw Trayvon not once - BUT TWICE on his way to the far street and back again.
Does that make any sense for a guy who swears he didn't want to confront the "Fucking Punk Asshole" who always gets away? Sure, let me just saunter back and forth across the last spot I saw the Asshole... cuz.. nothing bad could ever happen that way could it? Nah. Never.
From what we heard from Rachel's testimony Trayvon did run and then he hid somewhere below the "T" in the area behind his father's fiances house (which was at the end of the double row to the south) thinking he "lost him". It would make sense if this occurred after Zimmerman passed by the "T" the first time on his way to Retreat View to get the address he "needed" but never did give the dispatcher.
Dispatcher: Alright George we do have them on the way, do you want to meet with the
officer when they get out there?
Zimmerman: Alright, where you going to meet with them at?
Zimmerman: If they come in through the gate, tell them to go straight past the
club house, and uh, straight past the club house and make a left, and then they
go past the mailboxes, that’s my truck...[unintelligible]
Dispatcher: What address are you parked in front of?
Zimmerman: I don’t know, it’s a cut through so I don’t know the address.
Dispatcher: Okay do you live in the area?
Zimmerman: Yeah, I...[unintelligible]
Dispatcher: What’s your apartment number?
Zimmerman: It’s a home it’s 1950, oh crap I don’t want to give it all out, I don’t
know where this kid is.
Dispatcher: Okay do you want to just meet with them right near the mailboxes
then?
Zimmerman: Yeah that’s fine.
Dispatcher: Alright George, I’ll let them know to meet you around there okay?
Zimmerman: Actually could you have them call me and I’ll tell them where I’m at?
Dispatcher: Okay, yeah that’s no problem.
So George claims he spent all of this time, from the point the dispatcher said "We don't need you to do that?" walking all the way to the far end of the walkway to get the address, but as I said - He doesn't
Give them an address, either on Twin Trees or on Retreat View. He says "Call me and I'll tell them where I'm at?"
He's hasn't yet headed back to his car - he's not at Retreat View, he's not at Twin Tree's - Where the FUCK IS HE? Wandering around in circles? This section takes about 90 seconds, and he never does get back to his car.
"I don't know where this kid is at?"
Logic says He's still looking for Trayvon, the Asshole who always gets away, that's where he's at. And further, he doesn't want to give his address because he thinks Trayvon might be within earshot of him IMO.
Eventually Zimmerman says he came back to the "T" from the other side, meanwhile Trayvon had told Rachel "I'm not going to run". So he likely came out of hiding and they saw each other., at which point Trayvon according to Rachel says "Shit!".
Now we reach the second major problem in Zimmerman's story, according to him he's at the "T" as Trayvon approaches him.
They have words.
Zimmerman says the conversion goes "You have a problem Mother-Fucker? - I don't have no problem? - Now you do! BAM (punch in the nose as Zimmerman looks up from reaching for his phone to call 9-11 again).
Rachel says the conversation goes 'What are you following me for? - What are you doing around here! BAM (Trayvon headset fall to the grass as the result of an impact) Trayvon says "Get off. Get off!" and the phone goes dead.
Here's the crux of other problem, even it you put the discrepancies between Rachel and Zimmerman's accounts of the verbals details aside according to Zimmerman he's minding his own business and walking away when Trayvon comes up behind him and shouts -he turns, Trayvon punches him and he falls backwards back towards his own car on Twin Trees. Then the fight commences with Trayvon on top pounding his head against the pavement - except that HE'S FALLING THE WRONG WAY.
Watch starting at the 9:50 Mark in this Video.
If Zimmerman is telling the truth the fight should've happened in a different place and Trayvon's body would have been to the side of the houses on Twin Tree, west of the "T' - NOT AT THE BACK between the first and second house South of the "T". He can't explain how they moved - but he knows that they did - so after saying Trayvon punched him somewhere near the "T", he walks the Opposite Direction - going around a tree that in his path to get to the spot where he knows the fight ended.
Something is fishy with this. Real fishy.
Zimmerman's story makes him the passive person, he's not the aggressor he didn't approach or try to come near Trayvon he was just walking back and forth to get the address then back to his car, cause he doesn't know the Neighborhood he's living in - not a care in the world. Not following Trayvon. Not looking for him. Not worried about him, not considering the fact he might still be around. Nothing. Nope. La-dee-da. Then suddenly - "Hey Mother-Fucker." BAM!
Woah, why for you hit me dude?
Trayvon approached HIM, hit him, jumped on top of him smashed his head against the concrete so badly, he had no choice but to grab his gun and shoot once Trayvon saw it and tried to get it first. He's the gun-slinger. Fastest Draw Wins! Poor little Trayvon loses. Too bad. So sad.
But what if it didn't go that way? What if what Rachel's saying is more accurate?
What if Trayvon never approached Zimmerman but once they spotted each other Zimmerman came toward him?
The proof of his may be where the body ended up - on the other side of the tree - behind the backyard of the first and second houses on the row where the red box is on the map, instead of somewhere above the "T". Somehow - and Zimmerman doesn't explain how because HE CAN'T without incriminating himself - the fight was in the other direction.
I think, and this is admittedly supposition to FILL THIS HOLE in the story based on what makes sense in the testimony and evidence up to this point, that Zimmerman came toward Trayvon and either shoved or grabbed him (per Rachel Jeantel testimony) so he wouldn't get away knocking off his headset in the process. "Get off". Trayvon probably punched him and knocked him down based on Zimmeran's injuries and the bruise found on Trayvon's left knuckle. We do know there was a fight, that's proven. What we don't know is who started it, and obscuring this fact protects Zimmerman because if he started the fight, Self Defense is potentially off the table. (Stand-your-ground might still be, but that's another story since the Defense didn't assert it pre-trial.)
At some point Trayvon was on top according to what Goode said.. At some point, during or after the gunshot, Zimmerman was on top according to other witnesses. Even Zimmerman admits this "I got on top and pushed his arms away from his body". Never mind that Trayvon's arms were found underneath his body. It's inconsistent, but not fatally.
Two pieces of physical evidence that support the idea that Zimmerman approached Trayvon by moving southward down from the "T" is the fact that Zimmerman's Flashlight (Item #5) and Trayvon's Cell phone (Item #7) were found between the walkway and the the body (Item #6)
Close up of Cell Phone before it's collection.
Close up of Car Keys & Mini-Flashlight.
Closeup of Keys & Flashlight
This Crime Scene photo shows the relative position of all three facing south, the side walk that Zimmerman says his head was bashed against is out of frame to the left, Trayvon's body was found to the right before this shot was taken, his head was near the "6" and his feet would have been out of frame.
The large flashlight was found just north of the body (coming from the direction Zimmerman came from and nearest in the picture) while Trayvon's Cell Phone was just South (the other direction, farthest away) toward the direction of his father's fiances place.
This is a view from the "T" -where Zimmerman says the fight started showing where it Ended with Trayvon's Body marked by the yellow tarp. The Jury is supposed to believe that while Zimmerman was facing the same direction as the camera is here- Trayvon punched him in the nose and sent him -- FORWARD? That Far? How?
Long shot of Crime Scene Looking South from "T", Body Marked by Yellow Tarp
My point is this, according to Zimmerman Trayvon had "something in his hands" which was most likely - His phone. It makes sense for George to have his flashlight in his hand. Zimmerman says "He Punched Me, I Went Down". So where Zimmerman Got Hit is where he fell and both bodies fought. The most logical thing to happen once the fight broke out is for
both of them to drop what they have in their hands as they swing at and/or grapple with each other. (This is confirmed by Rachel Jeantel who heard Trayvon's headset disconnect as he dropped the phone) If I'm correct, and I readily admit that I could be wrong,
These two items MARK where they both were when the fight started and it's nowhere near where George says it started. It's about 20 feet away,
Not in the direction of George's Car - but in a PURSUIT course of where he last saw Trayvon.
According to George he's the one screaming even though he "doesn't sound like himself" as he told the detectives, and he's doing that constant screaming while Trayvon is covering his nose with one hand and his mouth with the other (and doesn't get any blood on his hands or clothes) and then with a his magical third hand he reaches for the gun which if he's sitting on George's chest is BEHIND HIS LEGS in the dark , yet Trayvon doesn't leave any DNA or fingerprints on the gun and the screaming STOPS as soon as the gun goes off, but Zimmerman says he's still shouting at talking at Trayvon because he doesn't think he hit him - but that doesn't get picked up on the 9-11 tape - and Trayvon says "You got me" like something out of an old western even though He's Been Shot in the Lung and Heart...and...and...
Oh fuck, I can't keep it up any longer. This is a complete fustercluck. It's fantastical, like a Rube Golberg Machine of perfect innocence on George's Part and Absolute Malice on Trayvon's. I don't buy it - but I'm not going to attack or insult people who do. That's their prerogative. It's a matter of opinion, but DAHYAM - this has got some big holes in it.
Sure, I think this may have been an unintended tragedy that George is maybe shading to take away any of his guilty actions if he had any beyond running his mouth about "Assholes." Zimmerman may have "profiled" Trayvon, but Trayvon may have done the same thinking he was being following by a Creepy Ass RAPIST Cracker (according to Rachel) who might try to give him a Sandusky.
Trayvon might have thrown the first punch, and then again he might not.
If he thought that's who Zimmerman was I can understand fighting like hell. Any victim of sexual assault should understand such a response.
Yet, I've actually seen people tweet that Trayvon would be alive if he just kept running and didn't "turn around to Confront Zimmerman", because that's how George tells the story and being able to "Stand Your Ground" is only for fine upstanding folk like George, not "Fucking Punk Assholes/Gang-Banging/Burglars" who do all the bad stuff. George did nothing but get beat up by a "Thug". See?
He Had to shoot, he couldn't have possibly brandished the gun and said "FREEZE! STOP! Hold Still"
Nope, just BANG! That's what Punks deserves. His Baby-Daddy on Welfare should have raised him better.
It may have happened as George says, but it's also true that George has to say that Trayvon said "You're gonna DIE" because that's required under Florida Law to establish a "fear of death" to qualify for a valid case of "Self Defense".
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/...
Title XLVI
CRIMES
Chapter 776
JUSTIFIABLE USE OF FORCE
View Entire Chapter
776.012 Use of force in defense of person.—A person is justified in using force, except deadly force, against another when and to the extent that the person reasonably believes that such conduct is necessary to defend himself or herself or another against the other’s imminent use of unlawful force. However, a person is justified in the use of deadly force and does not have a duty to retreat if:
(1) He or she reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony; or
(2) Under those circumstances permitted pursuant to s. 776.013.
It is amazing that like a
Bond Villian or
Lex Luthor On SuperFriends Trayvon tells Zimmerman exactly what he needs to hear in order to pull his weapon and fire
without hesitation.
Man, that's convenient. Brother that George is Lucky isn't he?
We're supposed to believe that George took three Martial Arts Classes a week, but couldn't handle a skinny 158 lbs 17-year-old kid? He's gentle and quiet as a church mouse, except that he has a history of beating up his ex-fiance, attacking an undercover police officer, losing his bouncer job because he lost his temper and threw a woman against a wall, racially taunted a former co-worker to the point of violent distress, and allegations of long term molestation of his cousin - but y'know - good ole George is a Saint. George wouldn't hurt a fly.
Trayvon on the other hand...
The Miami Herald claims that in October, he was caught with a 'burglary tool' - a flathead screwdriver - and 12 pieces of women's jewellery. Martin insisted that they did not belong to him.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/...
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Yea, George is not like that dirty devilspawn Martin boy, with his "Burglary Kit" (which was apparently a highly dangerous
sawed-off assault SCREW DRIVER) and the Weed dust in his pockets, school suspension, flipping the bird at a camera (whose he think he is Steven Tyler?), his extremely dangerous Youtube Account of people (not him) fighting, and smack-talking text messages. We all know that every kid with a screw-driver, some dumb pictures, dumb videos, a fetish for MMA or WWE or Kung-Fu movies, and weed dust remnants who says stupid shit on the net
has to be a CRIP Right?
Just like everyone who watches Boxing is ready to give you a right cross to the ear. Just because, y'know?
Be what their pasts may be, the real question is - does Zimmerman's story for the night in question add up?
Can the Prosecution punch enough holes in it to make it completely unreasonable and unworkable?
Will the Jury be open to that seeing those holes, or am I making too much of minor little details? Who cares if Trayvon's body Levitated 20 or 30 feet all by itself, along with his phone, and Zimmerman's Keys - shit like that happens all the time. Doesn't it?
Some people who sympathize with Trayvon and want to see racial justice in this case will automatically say "I hope he pays", some people who feel poor innocent whites have been getting slandered for far too long as bigots will reflexively feel that George was justified and think that his conviction is more of the Obamanization of America.
You can't argue either side out of that position.
Regardless of what the jury decides, whether there's another angry Black Riot (which I doubt), or yet another round of "Gone Galt/White Flight" (which I think is already ongoing) I don't think this case will solve the bitter racial/cultural/experiential divide.
No matter what happens, I'm fairly sure that will get worse.
We need to start thinking about what happens after this case. What happens when the next black boy is shot down. Or When the next white kid is mowed down by a shooter. Finger-pointing isn't going to help.
Zimmerman might not be convicted. I can see that possibility if the case keeps going this direction. He told a great yarn. If you don't look between the trees, it's almost convincing. Almost. I can live with it if the prosecution fails, this time.
But not if the country does because of cases like this.
Vyan