Trayvon Martin Case
February 26, 2012 marked the day that the innocent minor, Trayvon Martin, was shot to his death in a gated neighborhood in Sanford, Florida. The shooter, George Zimmerman, still has not faced any serious consequence for the murder. Many people in the Sanford community, and even around the country, believe that there is no question that Zimmerman should be convicted and sent to jail, but, unfortunately, it is not up to the people; it is up to the justice system.
With the consideration of Florida’s state laws, this is a difficult case to foresee the outcome of George Zimmerman’s conviction and prosecution.
Trayvon Martin’s murder occurred around 7:25 PM of February 26, 2012 on his way home from a convenience store. (CNN Wire staff, 2012) On site, Zimmerman called police to report a suspicious person. The police made a point to tell Zimmerman that following him was no necessary. Record show that, around the time, Martin had been on the phone with his girl friend who heard the beginning of the confrontation.
She told reporters that Martin seemed terrified because the man was following him, that he had even asked the man why he was doing so before the conversation abruptly ended. ABC News, 2012) Zimmerman’s statement claims that Trayvon Martin attacked him, punched him in the face and beat him. (CNN Wire staff, 2012) Neighbors started calling in to report screaming and gunshots; later, audio experts reported to CNN that the cry for help was not Zimmerman, but actually young Trayvon Martin. (CNN Wire staff, 2012) When on the scene, police found Zimmerman with a broken nose and a cut on the back of his head, suggesting that Martin did, in fact, attack Zimmerman.
When found dead, unarmed Martin was only carrying a small amount of cash, Skittles, and sweet tea – nothing suggesting that he was looking for any trouble. Weeks later, Police Chief Bill Lee stated that, “Zimmerman was not charged because there are no grounds to disprove his (Zimmerman’s) account of the events.
” (CNN Wire staff, 2012) On March 14th, 2012, the police department finally handed the file over to the state attorney who then would decide whether to file charges or not. Soon after, the Martin’s family online petition to have Zimmerman arrested reached 877,110 signatures.
This caught the attention of NAACP (the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) who fought for the justice system to get involved with the case. (CNN Wire staff, 2012) In George Zimmerman’s defense, his father came on TV to tell the world that his son had been wrongfully accused of bring a racist. His brother also showed up on the news claiming that there are medical reports that show that Martin had abused Zimmerman. (CNN? ) As the investigation progressed, phone calls made by witnesses were released.
One phone call stood out from the others; in the background of the call, Martin’s cry for help is heard. (ABC News, 2012) After the New Black Panther Party started rallies against Zimmerman and proposed a $10,000 reward for his “capture,” Zimmerman’s father spoke out again to say that Trayvon Martin threatened to kill his son, so he pulled the trigger in self-defense. (CNN? ) The state attorney on the case, Angela Corey, got appointed as special prosecutor. Zimmerman’s attorney(s) lost contact with him and stopped working the case. It was believed then that Zimmerman had fled Florida.
Crimesider staff, 2012) On April 11, 2012, Angela Corey announced, “George Zimmerman will be charged with second-degree murder for the shooting and killing of Trayvon Martin. ” (CNN Wire staff, 2012) As of now, Zimmerman still pleas not guilty under the “Stand Your Ground” law which states, “A person may use deadly force in self-defense if he or she reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm. ” (Hussein & Webber) This month, Judge Debra S. Nelson made June 10, 2013 George Zimmerman’s official court date.
She also included that any hearing regarding the “Stand Your Ground” law must be held by the 26th of April 2013. (Click Colorado, 2012) After doing all my research on this case and taking a deeper look into the evidence, I cannot believe that this case has been drawn out for so long.
With that being said, I can say that I disagree with the general outcome of this case so far. I do not believe that it should be the police’s decision as to whether or not Zimmerman is guilt. We have trials for that; the courts make that decision.
By confronting Martin first, Zimmerman deliberately disobeyed the police when told by the officer on the phone, “We don’t need you to do that,” meaning that they did not want him following Martin. (CNN Wire staff, 2012) In reality, Zimmerman could have prevented the danger he claims to have been in the night of the murder by staying within the premises of his yard or home to await the arrival of the police.
Therefore, I believe that his plea under the “Stand Your Ground” law is insufficient being that he threw himself into the “dangerous” situation.
I also do not buy the statement Zimmerman made about “God” making him shoot Martin. In an interview, Zimmerman said, “God Murdered innocent Trayvon, not me. ” (mccainisthroughX, 2012) Blaming “God” holds no justification while self-defense does. In that statement, not only does Zimmerman look idiotic, but he also calls Trayvon Martin innocent.
My research also brought up a few questions, such as, should neighborhood watch members be allowed to carry a gun? I also wonder why the Florida Police Department waited so long to file their claim.
Because they waited so long – about six weeks – the importance of the case probably slowly diminished with the time. The last, huge question that came to mind was, did Trayvon Martin attack Zimmerman in self-defense because he felt threatened or saw the gun? There are only two people in the entire world who know what exactly happened the night of February 26, 2012, and one of them is dead. works cited ABC News (n. d. ).
Trayvon Martin’s Girlfriend Speaks, Discusses Neighborhood-Watch Shooting in Florida [Video File].
Retrieved from http://www. Youtube. com/watch? v=3jhes6BlFf8 CNN Wire Staff (n. d.
). Timeline of events in Trayvon Martin case – CNN. com. CNN. com – Breaking News, U. S.
, World, Weather, Entertainment ;amp; Video News. Retrieved October 27, 1994, from http://www. cnn. com/2012/04/11/justice/florida-teen-shooting-timeline/index. html Hussein ;amp; Webber (n. d.
). Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law : Use of Deadly Force in Self-Defense. Jacksonville Criminal Attorneys | HUSSEIN & WEBBER, PL. Retrieved from http://www. usseinandwebber. com/stand_your_ground.
html MccainisthroughX (n. d. ). GEORGE ZIMMERMAN “GOD MURDERED INNOCENT TRAYVON MARTIN, NOT ME” [Video File]. Retrieved from http://www. youtube.
com/watch? v=aYY4t0YTYt4 New judge sets start date for George Zimmerman murder trial | News – Home. (n. d. ). Click Orlando l Orlando News, Orange County, Florida, News and Local Headlines l WKMG Local 6.
Retrieved October 27, 2012, from http://www. clickorlando. com/news/New-judge-sets-start-date-for-George-Zimmerm
