Strong opinions about Trayvon Martin's murder

[cheyanne]

15. This case is not about racism or gun control;

that is a red herring . . .

It is a legal case based on legal issues. It is important to keep that in mind. The jury will decide on legal issues and evidence only about that very particular incident. Racism is not a legal issue in this case; neither is gun carrying.

Racism and gun control do need to be debated and approached in our society and people may well feel that each of these issues has a bearing on how the trial will play out. But it is a disservice to all citizens to discuss the trial in those terms.

There is a presumption of innocence in our legal system that means not "I'll wait and see whether I think he is guilty of something." It is a positive imperative that the prosecution prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Here is a summary of murder two in Florida as given on the TalkLeft website:

At least one of the following must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt:
1.Zimmerman was committing a forcible felony at the start of the physical conflict with Martin. For example, trying to forcibly detain him.
2.Zimmerman did not have a reasonable fear of great bodily harm at the time he shot Martin.
3.Both a) and b) below must be proven BRD.
a)Zimmerman was the initial provoker of the conflict with Martin.
b)Zimmerman could have safely withdrawn from the fight but chose not to do so.

This website has besides an exposition of the legal issues links to legal documents filed in the case.