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Tag: zimmerman trial

  • According To Limbaugh, Trayvon Was A Bigot and Zimmerman Is Gay

    Those who followed the Zimmerman trial are not unfamiliar with the way that Trayvon Martin’s character and past were called into question throughout the proceedings. Though Trayvon was shot and killed that rainy February night, and was thus denied a physical voice, the defense was not hesitant in its attempt to deface the character of the unarmed teen. Accusations of a fascination with “gangsta culture” and use of marijuana were mentioned by the defense in some bizarre attempt to paint Trayvon in an unfavorable light. Though the trial ended and Zimmerman was not charged, accusations pointed at Trayvon’s character are still popping up, with the latest coming from none other than your friendly neighborhood Rush Limbaugh.

    On Tuesday, Limbaugh passionately proclaimed on his radio show that, “Zimmerman got beat up because Trayvon thought he was gay.”

    This idea came about after an interview with Rachel Jeantel on Monday night’s CNN. Rachel, who was on the phone with Trayvon as Zimmerman stalked him, told Trayvon to “run, run, run” from the “creepy-ass cracker,” going on to say that Zimmerman, a grown man, pursuing a minor in a hostile fashion during the night, “may be a rapist.” According to Limbaugh, this planted an idea in Trayvon’s mind; the idea that the man pursuing him was gay, and that he, an unarmed teenager, needed to take it upon himself to beat him up because of that.

    Limbaugh, seemingly smug and delighted by this revelation, went on to say, “Well, boy. The left is gonna have a real problem here. They’re gonna have to balance: Which group are they going to favor, gays or blacks?” Reading into the tone of Limbaugh’s show, it would seem he, personally, is on the side of “the gays,” which the writer is sure many in the queer community will appreciate deeply, especially since he has such a good track record with “the gays.”

    There you have it, folks. The Zimmerman trial and Trayvon Martin’s death did not have anything to do with race. It was, in fact, a hate crime against George Zimmerman, a gay man who did nothing more than hostilely approach a young man at night on account of him looking “suspicious,” with the confrontation ending in said young man’s death and Zimmerman, the true victim, having to endure a long, grueling trial in order to be found innocent of all accounts.

  • Zimmerman Jury Selected: All-Female Jury To Decide Zimmerman’s Fate

    George Zimmerman’s jury has finally been seated after a lengthy selection process, according to Zimmerman’s attorney. The six jurors seated are all women, and nearly all (five of the six) are white. Of the four alternates, two are women and two are men.

    Zimmerman will stand trial beginning next week in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, 17, last February. Zimmerman, head of the neighborhood watch for his area, saw Martin walking through his neighborhood and grew suspicious. Concerned over recent break-ins in the neighborhood, Zimmerman followed Martin while calling 911 to report his suspicions. Zimmerman was told by the 911 operator to stop following Martin, and he hung up shortly thereafter.

    That’s the point at which stories become conflicted. Zimmerman claims that he was returning to his car when Martin attacked him. In the ensuing struggle, Zimmerman was forced to kill Martin in self-defense, using the 9mm pistol he was carrying. Prosecutors claim that Zimmerman pursued Martin and shot him, and that the shooting was racially motivated.

    During the struggle that ended in Martin’s death, Zimmerman received numerous injuries to the face and head, while Martin suffered a scrape to one ring finger, a single gunshot wound to the chest, and no other injuries. According to Seminole County authorities, Zimmerman took and passed a voice stress test the day after the shooting.

    The case ignited racial tensions in Florida and across the country as it generated a massive amount of national media coverage. Everyone, from the President to various media personalities, to pretty much the entire population of Twitter expressed some sort of opinion, many vilifying Martin as a racist and murderer.

    The process of seating the jury for Zimmerman’s trial was unusually long and complicated, owing largely to the intense media attention the case has received. Attorneys began with a pool of 211 potential jurors. These filled out questionnaires, which were reviewed by the lawyers and the judge, who narrowed the group down to 58. The attorneys questioned those 58 about their media exposure to the case in an attempt to weed out those with pre-determined opinions about the incident. Eighteen of those were eliminated, and the 6 jurors and 4 alternates were chosen from the final group of 40.

    Now that the jury has been seated, there are no further obstacles to beginning the trial. Opening arguments are set to begin on Monday.

    Zimmerman is charged with second degree murder. If convicted, he faces a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.

  • Trayvon Martin Shouts Analyzed in Court

    Trayvon Martin Shouts Analyzed in Court

    Over one year ago, Trayvon Martin was shot and killed while walking from a convenience store to his home in his Florida neighborhood. The shooter, George Zimmerman, claims that he shot Martin in self-defense, but he is now on trial for the 17-year-old’s murder.

    This week, a pre-trial hearing for Zimmerman’s trial turned to the topic of the shouts heard on a 911 call recorded at the time of the incident. Zimmerman had called a non-emergency police number at the time of the incident. Martin was also on the phone, with a female friend who has stated she heard Martin say, “Why are you following me?” shortly before his death.

    According to an Associated Press report on the trial, the prosecution has hired audio experts to determine whether the shouts heard on the call recording were those of Zimmerman or Martin. Of the two experts cited in the story, one found that the shouts were Martins and the other found they were a mix of both Zimmerman and Martin. In a court filing, Zimmerman’s lawyer has stated that he believes the audio analysis could prejudice jurors, and should not be allowed at the trial.

    Since he was charged with Martin’s murder, Zimmerman has been in hiding and using various schemes to pay for his legal representation.

  • George Zimmerman is Out of Money and Living in Hiding

    George Zimmerman is in hiding and nearly broke, his lawyer, Mark O’Mara, said this week. In a statement to the Orlando Sentinel, O’Mara stated that Zimmerman’s legal-defense fund is down to around $50,000, with around $20,000 in payments due. Zimmerman was able to raise over $200,000 in donations through a website he set up earlier this year. O’Mara stated that a declaration of indigency would likely be needed for Zimmerman, meaning the state of Florida would pay for his legal defense. “The money is not coming in all that strongly right now,” said O’Mara.

    According to what O’Mara told the Orlando Sentinel, Zimmerman and his wife are currently jobless and living “in hiding” somewhere in Seminole County, Florida. O’Mara said that the couple fears for their lives and that Zimmerman is living “as a hermit” and “not doing well.” O’Mara intends to ask the courts to allow Zimmerman to move out of the county.

    Zimmerman is standing trial for the death of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed 17-year-old that Zimmerman shot in late February. Zimmerman claims that he shot Martin in self-defense. Prosecutors claim that Zimmerman followed Martin before the shooting because of Martin’s race.

    The fact that Martin was black has sparked racial tensions in Central Florida and throughout the U.S. The shooting has inspired rallies and protests in which participants wear hoodies, which are symbolic of the clothing Martin was wearing the night he was shot. Also controversial is Florida’s “stand your ground” law, which allows a person to use deadly force in self-defense without having to first attempt a retreat.

    O’Mara also announced this week that he intends to appeal Judge Kenneth Lester Jr.’s decision to stay on the case. O’Mara had requested that Lester be taken off the case after the judge called Zimmerman a “manipulator” for trying to hide money before a bond hearing.

    O’Mara estimated it will be at least five months before a “stand your ground” or self-defense immunity hearing can commence.

  • George Zimmerman: Witness Testimony Could Be Damning

    In a shocking revelation, a woman has come forward to George Zimmerman’s prosecutors with tales of childhood molestation at Zimmerman’s hands.

    The woman, who is only identified in court documents as Witness 9, says she was just six years old when Zimmerman first touched her inappropriately; he was eight. The molestation went on for ten years, and the woman says she is only coming forward with her story now because she finally feels safe. What this will mean for the prosecution remains to be seen, as the woman didn’t witness Zimmerman commit the fatal shooting that cost 17-year old Trayvon Martin his life and has no ties to the case other than her connection to Zimmerman, whom she calls a “family friend”. It could, however, damage his credibility and character in the eyes of everyone involved, which is something his attorneys are anticipating. They tried to keep Witness 9’s statement out of the mainstream news, but as soon as the story broke it swept across the internet.

    The alleged victim said the molestation culminated in a situation where Zimmerman tried to force himself on her, but she managed to get away.

    “I wanted to believe that everyone was good and that people change. I wanted it to just stop,” she said. “I didn’t want to ever have to tell anyone. I didn’t want to be sad and Georgie always made himself look so good. He always sucked up to my dad. He was charming…When I got there no one was there, but I was already scared. I wanted to run, but I didn’t know what to do. He told me to lay on the bed but I did. I felt that he had an erection. I saw scared. I didn’t know what was going to happen but I got up and ran,” she told police.

    One key piece of Witness 9’s testimony is in regards to the Zimmerman family’s attitude towards African-Americans, which she says was less than savory.

    “Growing up they’ve always made, him and his family have always made statements that they don’t like black people if they don’t act like white people. They like black people if they act white. Other than that, they talk a lot of bad things about black people,” she said.