If George Zimmerman is acquitted do you think

[gopiscrap]

there will be protests or rioting? I for one would be willing to join or lead a protest!

Oops so sorry folks I meant Zimmerman I was just watching Trayvon's mom and her testimony! So he was on my mind.

[ecstatic]

1. You mean GZ? nt

[WestStar]

2. Trayvon Martin is dead.

[hlthe2b]

3. Trayvon Martin is dead.... hard to acquit him of anything...

[redwitch]

4. He does seem to be the one on trial though.

I can't even watch this case, it was making me sick.

[Warpy]

5. Well, he is the one who's been on trial

I'll give the OP that much.

[etherealtruth]

6. Though I can undersdtand from some of the media portrayals

... that one would mistake Trayvon Martin as on the one on trial. He is not, he is dead.

[TeeYiYi]

7. Series? ! 11! ! 111

TYY

[Rstrstx]

8. I think you mean Zimmerman

Though in some ways I feel as if Trayvon was the one who had been put on trial

[MrSlayer]

9. Is Martin's corpse on trial?

Tricky thing that. Reminds me of Pope Formosus.

[gopiscrap]

10. Maybe that's why I wrote it that way

This could have been fruedian

[etherealtruth]

17. I understand ...

At times, it sure seems that way (Martin on trial that is)

[lpbk2713]

11. WTF??

What are you smoking?

[Enrique]

12. these guys always get away!

[JimDandy]

53. Good one!

[Deep13]

13. no need to wonder.

soon we will have a verdict. if it is acquittal, we will know the results.

[Skidmore]

14. So a jury of one's peers is not acceptable to you?

I hope Zimmerman receives some punishment for killing this young man. If he doesn't, then it will be up to his parents to seek justice through other avenues. Protests will not overturn a jury decision. Suggesting rioting, which is destructive, to the community is downright irresponsible and accomplishes nothing for Trayvon's memory or his family.

[Ruby the Liberal]

15. This is more than just justice

it is precedent on the reach of SYG.

[gopiscrap]

16. Well let's put it this way

the KKK in the Birmingham church bombing were tried by a jury of their peers....and look how that trial turned out......there were many southern trials in which the jury was a bunch racist southerners and acquitted when knowing full well the KKK or even just non KKK white defendant was guilty as hell. Our court system is as crooked and rigged as hell.

[Skidmore]

20. I agree.

However, your suggestion of rioting as the immediate response really seemed counterproductive. There is a difference between demonstrating/protest over seeking to start out with rioting.

[JimDandy]

54. The poster said he'd be willing to

protest, not riot.

[gopiscrap]

19. I am not suggesting it I was asking if you think it will happen

my guess is yes and to be honest, I wouldn't blame them!

[Skidmore]

21. That was not how it read to me.

Sorry if I misunderstood.

[gopiscrap]

23. It's ok I kept it vague

because I wanted to see what sort of interpretations I would get

[treestar]

18. No. Racist right wingers assume there would be riots if Z were acquitted

because you know black people can't accept justice to black thugs.

They refer to LA/Rodney King. But in this case the gun-toters are more likely to riot if Z is found guilty.

[gopiscrap]

22. I know a whole bunch of white folks

who would be willing to take on the state if there is an acquittal this is not just about race it is also sticking it to the fucking gun nuts...I don't give a fuck about Martin's race...I do care about sticking it to the SYG gun culture fuckers.

[Skidmore]

25. I agree that this is the more likely scenario.

This decision would be a threat to them more so.

[avebury]

24. IF Zimmeran is acquitted, if I were Trayvon's

family I would sit back and wait and see if Zimmerman gets any contracts (book, TV, etc.) and file a wrongful death lawsuit.

Zimmerman should not in any way be allowed to profit financially by this act. The Brown and Goldman family got a ruling in their case where if O J got any kind of money he was supposed to pay the Brown and Goldman families.

[gopiscrap]

26. I fully agree

[treestar]

28. This ^^^^^^

The burden of proof in a civil case is lower. They can get judgments for mere negligence, too. Make Z a financial zero.

[RGR375]

33. Under Florida law

If he is acquitted in self defense shooting he can not be sued for wrongful death.

[treestar]

52. Is there an actual cite to that?

The burden of proof is generally lower in a civil case. So that it can't be proven in criminal court would not mean it could not be proven in civil

[RGR375]

30. If he is acquitted he is immune from law suits.

[Dwayne Hicks]

31. Not true

OJ was acquitted and was still sued.

[RGR375]

36. Apples and oranges

If he is acquitted in a self defense shooting he is immune from civil liability. It was part of the modification of the law that some people call stand your ground.

[JimDandy]

55. This is why if Zimmerman is acquitted

there should and will be protests...to change a really bad law that is set up so you can murder someone, claim self-defense and not only get away with it criminally, but also escape civil liability. It's a legal license to kill, which is why gun proponents are so eager to pay for Zimmerman's defense; they are protecting a law for their future potential use.

[avebury]

35. That did not stop the Brown and Goldman

families from winning their wrongful death suit against O J Simpson.

[RGR375]

37. Different state at that time

Much different laws.

[avebury]

38. I thought that they would be barred from

suit if Zimmerman claimed a SYG defense which he has not.

[RGR375]

40. Whether from a trial or the grand jury

If the person is found to have acted in self defense which means found not guilty by the jury or no billed by the grand jury> that person is immune from civil liability. No bullshit!

[avebury]

42. That is so wrong in this case.

It would totally suck if Zimmerman made money off of this. Although he would probably blow through it pretty quickly. He is not the brightest bulb in the room.

[Ruby the Liberal]

39. What?

You have been posting a lot of nonsense on this topic, but this one is a real gem.

"Immune from lawsuits"? There is no such thing.

[RGR375]

44. Sorry you don't like it

But a lot of states have the same law now. If zimmerman walks he can't be sued under Florida law.

[gopiscrap]

45. He could be sued in Federal Court

for civil rights violation

[Ruby the Liberal]

47. He didn't mount a SYG defense

Wrongful death...

[RGR375]

48. SYG is just a nick name

Given to the modification of the law that transfered the rights you had inside your home to outside you home. It also gave a bar to civil suit if the shooting was ruled self defense. Again sorry if you don't like it.

[Ruby the Liberal]

49. Take it up with O'mara

Hes the one that decided not to invoke it.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/08/13/zimmerman-defense-lawyers-wont-argue-tand-your-ground-in-florida-shooting-case/

[RGR375]

51. All SYG means is you have no duty to retreat

We have the same law in Michigan. They skipped the hearing for SYG and went with the straight up self defense. Either way if zimmerman is acquitted he can not be sued for wrongful death. SYG added the bar from civil suit whether it was at a SYG hearing or a self defense trial. That is why they never took this to a grand jury. Because if the state went to the grand jury not only would he have a bar to civil suit he would have a bar to prosecution if they no billed zimmerman. Omara is smart enough to know if zimmerman is going to have a chance at a normal life this has to go in front of a jury.

[orpupilofnature57]

27. There should be a Civil suit against the assholes that gave him....

the opportunity to be the neighborhood threat !!!! Even though He broke the policy by carrying a weapon, they should pay for their obvious lack of discernment .

[Little Star]

29. They already settled with the HOA.....

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/04/05/trayvon-martins-parents-settle/2058239/

[orpupilofnature57]

32. Thanks .

[gopiscrap]

46. Thanks I wished that that would be brought out in trial

[backwoodsbob]

34. there will be no riots

[Mojo Electro]

41. There have been plenty of threats of violence

in the event there is an acquittal.

How much of that is all talk remains to be seen.

[avebury]

43. I wouldn't want him living in my

neighborhood. Even if acquitted, he has definitely burned any bridges he might have ever had to get any job even remotely close to law enforcement - even as a rent a cop. He would be viewed as a huge potential liability.

[Captain Stern]

50. I think it's slightly more likely than not that he gets acquitted....

..and I think that if that happens, there aren't going to be any riots. There will be some protests, but they won't really be a big deal. The media will move on to the next big thing, and so will we.

I think there will be a lot of people here, that will end up feeling the same way a lot of republicans felt last November. They just "knew" (because everybody they knew and listened to said the same thing) Romney was going to win...maybe in a landslide, even though guys like Nate Silver were showing them weeks in advance that it wasn't going to happen.

[JimDandy]

56. Welcome to DU.

Odd to be told we're going to feel like republicans...weird comparison to use, but I see you joined us on election day last year.

[Captain Stern]

57. Thanks.

I actually joined a few days before the election, but had been reading for a few years.

[Captain Stern]

58. No need to "kill the messenger"

It's pretty much ended up the way I thought it would. Lots of folks that are pissed off about the outcome because they ignored people whose predictions disagreed with theirs.