The juror, known as Maddy and identified as Juror B29 in the courtroom, said that she and the others on the six-woman jury had no choice but to vote for an acquittal in the case because of Florida law and the evidence presented at the trial in Sanford, Fla. Mr. Zimmerman, 29, argued that he shot Mr. Martin, 17, who was unarmed, in self-defense.
“You can’t put the man in jail even though in our hearts we felt he was guilty,” the juror said in an interview broadcast on ABC’s “World News” on Thursday. “But we had to grab our hearts and put it aside and look at the evidence.”
The juror also said that she felt sympathy for the Martin family. Of the charges against Mr. Zimmerman, she said, “The law couldn’t prove it.”
“George Zimmerman — look, George Zimmerman got away with murder. But you can’t get away from God,” she told Robin Roberts, the “Good Morning America” anchor. “And at the end of the day, he’s going to have a lot of questions and answers he has to deal with.”
While I agree with this juror that Zimmerman got away with murder I disagree that there was not evidence which proved he was not fighting back in self defense.
Take a look at this Daily Kos post from June 9th:
The DNA results show none of Zimmerman's DNA under Martin's fingernails:
RESULTS Exhibit ME2: Fingernail scrapings represented as being from Trayvon Benjamin Martin “gave chemical indications for the presence of blood”
ME 2A Right hand: “No DNA results foreign to Trayvon Benjamin Martin (ME-3) were found on Exhibit ME-2A”
ME 2B Left hand: “No DNA results were obtained from Exhibit ME-2B
The Jury will see the DNA report shows that none of Zimmerman's DNA was found on the cuffs/sleeves of Martin's hoodie.
George Zimmerman told detectives (time 34:46 in video after the orange squiggle) that he had "blood all over [his] face and eyes." We know from pictures officer's took of Zimmerman moments after he killed Trayvon that Zimmerman did not really have blood covering his eyes. That said, if Trayvon had been punching Zimmerman in the nose 25 to 30 times, as Zimmerman claims, then some of Zimmerman's blood would be all over the cuff/sleeve of Trayvon Martins hoodie.
Exhibit ME 12 Hoodie represented as being from Trayvon Martin
Stain A: Partial DNA profile consistent with originating from a male individual and matches the DNA profile from Trayvon Benjamin Martin (ME-3).”
Stain B: (cuff/sleeve regions of both arms) Failed to give chemical indications for the presence of blood
Right cuff/lower sleeve: No DNA results foreign to Trayvon Martin were obtained from right cuff/lower sleeve
Left cuff/lower sleeve: No DNA results foreign to Trayvon Martin were obtained from left cuff/lower sleeve
ME 12 (stain B and general rubbing from cuff/sleeve regions of both arms) Failed to give chemical indications for the presence of blood
Stain C: No DNA results were obtained.
George Zimmerman's entire defense was predicated on the lie that he was assaulted and in fear for his life. As far as I am concerned the only evidence to support his version are the scratches on his head, which have ALWAYS looked self inflicted to me, and his version of events, a version that he changed numerous times.
If this juror had stood her ground Trayvon Martin just might have had justice served on his behalf. But sadly for him, and his family, and the NEXT victim of an unnecessary shooting due to "Stand Your Ground" laws, that did not happen.
I believe that it was the instructions given to the jury that led to the non guilty decision. There didn't seem to be any way to be positive that GZ was guilty because of the way the law is written. Thus, GZ got away with murder because of a badly written, and poorly conceived IMO, law. He is guilty. I don't think he was even beaten up by TBM. Just another story on GZ's part.
ReplyDeleteOf course he got away with murder. This juror could have hung the damn jury if she wanted to, so I say to her, GO TO HELL, you helped a murderer go free.
ReplyDeleteThe prosecution didn't try to win this case, they only prosecuted because of the public outrage.
My husband is a trial attorney and he predicted from the start that Zimmerman would get off. Put simply,the prosecution did a bad job. The defense had better lawyers. Might be curious to know who paid the defense attorney's fee.
ReplyDeleteIf jurors followed the judge's instructions they had to acquit. Zimmerman is another case of O.J. Simpson
The defense was pro bono.
Deleteeclecticsandra - if the defense was pro bono, where did the $300,000+ raised in Zimmerman's defense fund go? Zimmerman's wife was recently arrested for perjury regarding this.
DeleteThe money raised covered costs of trial preparation, expert witnesses, and living expenses. The attorneys didn't charge for their time.
DeleteNo, the defense was NOT pro bono. Over $300,000 was raised by NRA members. BTW The atty also got part of that fee.
DeleteInitially O'Mara and West were pro bono. I never heard of that changing. Do you have a link?
DeleteHas anything changed since this notice? http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/05/30/trayvon-martin-murder-trial-george-zimmermans-defense-fund-is-almost-broke/
DeleteZimmerman was skinning and grinning the whole trial because the Florida authorities so much as winked their eye at him, assuring him he would not have to pay for the murder of that child.
ReplyDeleteThis is NOT a "Stand Your Ground" situation. But without the stand your ground law, a man can attack a woman, not let her have a chance to get away, and when she defends herself, SHE is the one that has to PROVE that she couldn't get away. It allows the court to assume she is guilty until she can prove her innocence! This cannot happen! and let me say--300 lb man to 120 female is not enough to prove that she can't get away. There are TONS of cases in which the stand your ground has proven to work, and work properly.
ReplyDeleteIn case anyone was going to bring up the case involving Marissa Alexande--It doesn't apply because she went outside, got her gun, and went back inside... it was not a case where she couldn't get away, and had to defend herself.
In case anyone was going to bring up the case involving Marissa Alexande--It doesn't apply because she went outside, got her gun, and went back inside... it was not a case where she couldn't get away, and had to defend herself.
DeleteNo, she went through a connecting door into the garage. The only exits from the garage were the door through which she had entered it, and the garage door, which (allegedly) she was unable to get open. In the city where I live, a garage is required to be a free-standing structure—you really do have to go "outside" to get to it. Not so in this case.
She was going to drive off in her car but had forgotten her keys. Because she had to come back inside from the garage (directly into kitchen from garage, which garage door was closed) to get her keys, she got the gun out of her car, which was unlocked because the garage was closed. When she came in, she felt threatened and her children were inside with the perpetrator.
DeleteWhatever happened to the castle doctrine that protects someone when they are threatened with harm in their own home? Wait, never mind, this was a black woman, and you know how women can be, most notably one of color.
I can't be more sarcastic if I worked at it all day. She's being punished for not killing the man. This is sick.
Stand your ground
ReplyDeleteSupport George Zimmerman
and your 2nd amendment tights.
Are my 2nd amendment "tights" the ones I should wear at Christmas or Easter? I always get those fashion tips confused.
DeleteGeorge Zimmerman is a liar and killer. And you are a dope.
A Fan From Chicago
Ever since you outed yourself yesterday, 7:11 AM, the sarcasm is greatly appreciated!
DeleteFuck you, you piece of shit. Who fucking knew that righties are so fucking callous, heartless, and perverted that they would defend a murderer and demonize a young man who LOST HIS LIFE. You fucking assholes call yourselves Christians, too. It's obvious to sane people that you have NO MORALS, no compassion, no empathy whatsoever for anyone but yourselves. You're all just sickening. Get the fuck off our planet.
DeleteThe jurors who have spoken out so far all seem to cite the law and no focus on the evidence. This leads me to conclude that this jury was rigged from the get go and B37 and lawyer husband were the riggers. Remember they had unsupervised family/friends visit.
ReplyDeletePoor handling at the scene is the main reason the lack of evidence couldn't be used. I hope this police department is an exception.
ReplyDeleteCops only handle i better when white people are killed, all over, every state.
DeleteThat is awful! Another thing we have to change.
DeleteYou might want to re-think your statement about the SYG law helping women after reading Charles Blow's opinion piece in the NY Times today where he refers to this very argument. He refers to a Tampa Bay Times survey that shows that out of 235 cases from 2005-2013, only 33 were related to domestic disputes or arguments and that the law was invoked more by men than women. However, the law has been invoked frequently by criminals. A Tampa Bay Times article published last year states that, “119 people are known to have killed someone and invoked stand your ground. Those people have been arrested 327 times in incidents involving violence, property crimes, drugs, weapons or probation violations.” (http://www.tampabay.com/stand-your-ground-law/data)
ReplyDeleteDid it never occur to these jurors that Zimmerman was lying? Do they think that the oath means that every person will automatically tell the truth? The forensic evidence on Trayvon Martin's body contradicted Zimmerman's version of events. The trajectory of the bullet contradicted Zimmerman's version of events. Shouldn't that enter into the jurors' considerations? Unfortunately many Americans are too stupid to be permitted to be jurors. Florida must abound in them.
ReplyDeleteBeaglemom
O/T - Gryphen, would love to read your take on this latest Issa story - http://www.thenation.com/blog/175439/darrell-issas-got-plan-put-postal-service-death-spiral
ReplyDeleteZIMMERMAN GOT AWAY WITH MURDER AND BABY IS GETTING AWAY WITH HOAX.
ReplyDeleteNot one juror looked at it as Trayvon had the right to "stand HIS ground" after being stalked and confronted. But then I am not white, I knew how the trial would go. I already knew some laws aren't for us.
ReplyDeleteBut Zimmerman WILL be the "colored" person in a neighborhood one of these days......since the only neighborhoods he better stay in are the white ones, it may happen very soon.
Exactly. Trayvon was the one standing his grown, but the jurors and the court apparently overlooked that. As though that child did not have the same rights as Zimmerman.
DeleteHow do you get TM standing his ground? He left the scene and returned.
DeleteDid you hear about how Zimmerman saved some people from a burning car?? Sounds like a weird coincidence that he's a hero now....
ReplyDeleteIt was a fraudulent account. The officer at the scene was a friend of GZ, and tipped him off to show up. GZ drove by and leapt out of his car with a fire extinguisher, but didn't do anything. The family were set up to give him a hero's shoutout but they backed out almost immediately.
Deletebetsy, you are replying as if that is a fact, but it is only speculation.
DeleteSurprise, surprise.....not.
ReplyDeletehttp://ivn.us/penigma/2013/07/25/george-zimmermans-heroic-car-crash-rescue-appears-to-be-a-fraud/
https://twitter.com/gangrey/status/360828329206611968
ReplyDeleteJust called to try to get the Zimmerman trial transcript. Cost? $27,000!
This juror, like many others, is unaware of the principle of jury nullification. Jurors have the power to determine not only the facts of the case, but also the fairness of applicable laws.
ReplyDeleteIn this instance, they could have exercised their individual consciences and their collective common sense, and found Zimmerman guilty of second degree murder or of manslaughter.
Juries can exercise this power even if it seems in violation of the judge's instructions, but jurors are almost never informed about it. Occasionally prospective jurors are asked about nullification during voir dire, as a way to weed out those who might be tempted to think outside the box in their deliberations.
There was more than enough evidence for manslaughter. Maddie's right
ReplyDelete“George Zimmerman — look, George Zimmerman got away with murder. But you can’t get away from God,” she told Robin Roberts"
An innocent teen is dead, she has regrets, ignores the evidence, and leaves it up to God.
Bless her white cotton socks.