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Subscribe to RSSNBC's Ron Allen reports on the latest in the Trayvon Martin case, if the current judge on the case will remove herself due to a conflict of interest, Zimmerman's upcoming bond hearing and what the outcome of his arraignment could be.
Given the immense pressure to arrest and try George Zimmerman for the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, defense attorneys who have worked on other high-profile cases say it will be tough for him to get a fair trial.
The public outcry against Zimmerman, 28, has been intense: More than two million people signed a petition calling for his prosecution; civil rights leaders descended on Sanford, the Florida city where unarmed teen Martin was killed; and almost-daily rallies were held demanding Zimmerman’s arrest.
“There’s no way in the world I think this case could be heard in Sanford. The emotional state there is just too volatile … I don’t think it’s an issue having to deal with media coverage as much as it is local community pressure,” said Jose Baez, the attorney who last year successfully defended Casey Anthony in Orlando, a 30-minute drive from Sanford.
Now that the legal process has begun, Zimmerman will get an opportunity to present his side of the story. But given the intense media spotlight on the case, defense attorneys say it may be hard to find a jury of his peers in this close-knit community who don’t already have an opinion about his guilt or innocence. And even if the trial is moved or jurors are brought in from elsewhere, that may not shield them from public pressure, the attorneys said.
In the trial of Casey Anthony, who was acquitted of killing her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, jurors had to be brought in from outside Orlando to hear the case. But even though the jury was sequestered during the trial, jurors were left ostracized and some “went into hiding” when their identities were revealed after rendering their decision, Baez said.
“How can a juror feel free to vote their conscience and to place a fair vote when they know, okay, I may be safe in here because I’m sequestered, but once I go out there and once my name is made public, people are going to harass me?” he said.
If jurors face this kind of outcry after delivering “unpopular decisions,” he said, “it may create a chilling effect where jurors are afraid to vote not guilty because of fear for public backlash. Who wants a bunch of media trucks parked outside their house asking them and harassing them as to why they made their decision?”
Zimmerman expected to take the stand in Trayvon Martin murder case
'All that's at stake'
Jeff Deen, a criminal defense lawyer and a former prosecutor who works and lives in the Sanford area, echoed Baez’ comments. He said it would be close to impossible for a jury to be selected in the city where “everybody’s six degrees from somebody.”
“There is some worry about, you know, how this is going to affect the community if you vote guilty or not guilty,” he said. “Is somebody that lives here going to be comfortable acquitting him when they know … all that’s at stake locally?”
AP Photo
Bernhard Goetz, escorted by detectives, leaves New York Police headquarters, Jan. 3, 1984, after his return from Concord, N.H., where he turned himself in and admitted to shooting four youths on a New York subway train in December.
Barry Slotnick, the New York lawyer who has taken on many high-profile defendants, including Bernhard Goetz -- a white man accused of shooting four black teens in 1984 in a case that divided the city -- said he thought Zimmerman, who is charged with second-degree murder in Martin’s death, could get a fair trial but would need a skilled attorney to weed out jurors who may have already decided his guilt.
“In trying Bernie Goetz, one of the newspapers in New York City had a headline, ‘How to get on the Goetz jury,’” he recalled, noting it outlined what they needed to do to accomplish that. “These were not people who were in favor of Bernie Goetz or anything else of that sort, but we survived it.”
Slotnick said Goetz was tried in the city and was acquitted of all charges except for possession of an illegal gun. Slotnick also recalled trying another racially-charged case in which two members of a white Jewish community allegedly beat up a black youth in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Crown Heights.
He won his clients an acquittal, though he said a juror had struggled with the pressure from her community not to acquit.
“I was in Brooklyn. It was tough, and I knew that if I got any people from the Crown Heights’ area, their decision would be dictated by their race,” he said.
It remains to be seen whether race will be a factor introduced at trial, though the killing of Martin, a black youth, by Zimmerman, who is Hispanic and white, has generated a national debate about race relations.
Slotnick said a potential area of concern in selecting a jury could be African-Americans jurors who have children.
“The president of the United States related to the fact that could have been one of his kids and, you know, is that the way black Americans think? And if it is – I understand it -- but it shouldn’t interfere with the criminal justice system,” he said.
Zimmerman's new attorney: Who is Mark O'Mara?
In the end, Zimmerman may never stand trial. A judge could rule that his actions are covered under the controversial “Stand Your Ground” law, under which a citizen doesn’t have to retreat before using deadly force against an attacker. In such cases where that defense has worked, defendants are given immunity from prosecution -- effectively dismissing the case.
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Leave a Comment:
Wow, I guess he now knows what it feels like to be black in America...
Wow, I guess he now knows what it feels like to be Hispanic in America..
Did anyone force Mr. Zimmerman to go against standard neighborhood watch policy by carrying a concealed firearm and following and making contact with a "suspicious person" when the rules are solely to watch and report to the police? Therefore, whose fault is it that he was consequently made a media spectacle possibly effecting his ability to get a fair trial in a criminal matter apparently brought on by his own actions? If you conclude anyone else other than Mr. Zimmerman I don't know what else to tell you...
And you know and so sure about this how? Where did you hear of this? Right, from the evil media... In the eyes of the law it doesn't matter what Zimmerman was doing when he noticed Martin in his neighborhood. Its called vicarious liability...
You all's defense of Zimmerman have obviously nothing to do with concern for him or his situation but everything to do with your bias or hatred of black people.
Therefore, it automatically follows that what MUST have occurred immediately after that is Trayvon "turning around to confront Zimmerman to beat him up?" Zimmerman's side of the story... You all are so obviously biased that there is only one rational basis to see where its coming from or maybe you all's IQ is just that low...
Since you proclaim to deal in facts, show me black and white proof (OTHER THAN ZIMMERMAN'S SOUL TESTIMMONY) that Trayvon after he got home, turned around to find Zimmerman to confront him. I'll wait....
Zimmerman's story didn't make sense when the investigator's aiding the prosecutor re-enacted the event and it won't make sense when they do so again before a jury.
Zimmerman is to blame for this situation! If he was sooo.. confident of the "stand your ground" defense he would have begged the police to arrest him, get him a lawyer and a speedy trial. So he is to blame for the activist involvement, and the media. But he did not, he hid, he engaged social media, he and his family tried to blame the victim. As stated if he had stood up to his "stand your ground" defense, arrested and made his plea in a court of law this would not have reached the magnitude that it did. After all Florida is becoming the nations homicide playground. The communty at large, all who protested, was calling for his arrest not a lynching as some have suggested. Now he will have his day in court, and the world will see if his "stand your ground" defense will stand...
Ya Coyote and we know how much you care about the killing of a black kid from your previous posts..
Yeah, C 166, I've had run ins with coyote too. If you get too factual disprove his false illogical claim, he will turn racially obnoxious on you. He's very racially insulting and bias. He uses his posts to vent his racist anger.
I don't know. Somewhere in his life, he must have had a unfavorable encounter with an African American. Now he is an pitiful, cold and bitter racist.
why are ppl so scared of black ppl? zimmrman committed a crime and was let go by some pencil pushers behind a desk. finally an arrest was made. if zimmerman had admitted his faults and let the system decide, there would not have been any protests. he may have to deal with tough jury. but most likely he will get a justified outcome.
I don't have a an ounce of sympathy for Zimmerman!! All he had to do was mind his own buisness or called the police. But, he just had to go hunt the kid down. He was flat out wrong. I don't care if he was a thug or smug(which I don't belive he was a thug), he didn't deserved to be gunned down in cold blood. Yeah yeah, he got beat up, well had he not followed Trayvon, he wouldn't have gotten beaten. Where was Trayvion "fair" trial? Did Zimmerman take that into consideration when he followed him around? People need to stop talking "out both side of your mouth". It doesn't matter if he was black or white, he was a human being that was shot down before he really began to live.
You cannot present evidence in the beginning of a trial if that evidence does not exist. If there is no evidence of a threat to Zimmerman's life, then the trial should go forward without the need to address the stand your ground law. Where is the evidence of a broken nose, bruised and bleeding head, wet and grassy clothes. If this evidence doesn't exist, then Zimmerman doesn't have a defense. Even if you think you are innocent, the police should gather evidence to support your innocence, other wise you may not be able to defend yourself. The police, most likely, were very incompetent when dealing with Zimmerman. If they cannot produce the evidence to show that Zimmerman is innocent, but he gets off anyhow, the Martins will have a strong case against the police force for lack of duty in collecting the evidence needed for a fair trial.
I think we need to remember that Travon Martin didnt get a fair trial- Zimmerman was the judge, jury and executioner and an UNARMED 17 year old was put to death- Zimmerman is alive and feels no remorse- who here is the criminal????
And you sir Coyote are an outright bigot..
,,,i shots an eats a coyotes juss lasth week,,, luf coyotes meet,,,,mmmm guud,,,sumtimes i gets em an rohdkil an safe me a bullot,,,,haha,, the good wit scuerballs and grits to,,, haha
!!!!stamps yor gound peeples,,,!!!! thems balks beets me up to!!!,,,!!
Listen up folks...The "stand your ground" law will apply to the last 90 seconds of this tragedy, and trust me, law enforcement knows this. As night-watchman Zimmerman had all legal rights to pursue, “profile” and ultimately question Trayvon (armed or unarmed). Trayvon also had all legal rights to "stand his ground" and respond or not respond to Zimmerman (armed, unarmed, Skiddles, no Skiddles, 17yo or 70yo, hoodie or no hoodie). Before this turned into a race baiting political campaign circus from Obama on down, local law enforcement must have believed that within the last 90 seconds Trayvon chose to assault Zimmerman rather than simply explaining who he was and why he was there. If Zimmerman “reasonably” expresses he was in fear of great bodily harm or death as a result of this assault, he's a free man (and should be). It's appalling this has turned into "mob rule" forcing the illegal overthrow of this great law. Trust me, if the pre-trial judge is not politically biased and does the right thing, he/she will throw it out and it will never see a jury. Sadly for Zimmerman, he was unjustly jailed and now forced to allow the “mob” to calm down before his release. After the real truth and “justice” comes out, let’s see how the mob responds.
you are as ignorant as your avatar looks...well chosen!
Yeah...the truth always hurts. Typical liberal defense...name calling (takes no intellect). RELEASE ZIMMERMAN NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With liberal media and Obama rooting for Trayvon, can Zimmerman get a fair trial? This whole ordeal reminds me of poor Charlton Heston in “The Planet of the Apes”. It probably will not be a good outcome for Zimmerman.
I don't think he will get a fair trial in Florida no matter where they bring Jury members from...to much has been played on the race tension in the case...and it is a major problem in this country...always has been and will continue as long as we have people that want to try and use it for an excuse of what they do and how they want to act...I don't think he necessarily inocent in this case...but I do think he may have been a little more aggressive than he needed to be...especially since he was told to stay away from doing anything by the police dispatcher that night...he should have allowed them to handle it...I think we need to stop promoting racism and making it a top priority everytime something happens between people...get over it already...there are so many other things that need our attention and try to fix in this country...the Civil War has been over for almost 150 years...let it stay dead and quit trying to resurrect it everytime there is a problem...we all have the same red blood and heart that beats within us...and God the Creator made us all in His image...so let's live together knowing that He is who we need to be thanking for each day we live on this earth...and stand by those who have lost a loved one...weather in a violent way or in a natural way...we all have the same feelings...
i no blaims him for mhurders that balcks man,,, they always beets me up to,,, they scar me to
stamp yor gounds peeple!!!
O1,,,that is the dumbest remark yet..and you have made some dumb ones
But we all know your agenda,.,.and same with toothless Bulldog Dude the redneck..
Well, shucks, it's always been hard to get a fair trial from a lynch mob. It's the reason so many of us Neaderthals (people who live in the real world, as opposed to the liberal one made entirely of language and rhetoric), carry a sidearm. Once you've handed yourself over to the mob, you're dead. Make it very clear to the mob that several of their number are going with you to hell, they will almost always lose their lust to see you dead (smug as it is in its Brobdingnagian military might, that applies to U.S. Government, too, you know).
Relax, though, cooler heads are prevailing. They know they have to stage a theatrical production trial, with result reversed and remanded perhaps a couple of times (great stuff for the media and lawyers) by an appeals court in order to have justice done (Zimmerman escapes the would-be lynchers, that is). And, of course, appease the half-wits (who will have forgotten about the whole thing by the next Super Bowl, NBA playoffs, or World Series - a nice sex scandal, somebody in the White House, for instance, could also do the trick)( screaming for blood.
It's the "Nation of Laws," you know - where any other way only those with bucks enough to pay for it get justice. Any "Nation of Laws" wherein innocence and guilt are decided by political means is a farce. Voila - U.S.A.!
they need me on the jury!!! INNOCENT!! Next!!
Anyone notice Benjamin Jealous (head of NAACP) looks more white than George Zimmerman?
Well first off, if he wants a fair trail, he should forgo jury of his peers and let the judge decide, his lawyers will not go for this option because they would be unable to drag this out. Plain and simple media has tainted public opinion. If he is innocent let the judge decide with the evidence provided.
Sardeth, you know absolutely nothing about the law and how it works. Please refrain from exposing your soiled panties again.
Despite what tex2c2 states, it may be in Zimmermans best interest to elect to not have this heard by a jury but rather only by a judge.
He will get a fair trial, in Florida there are bound to be some gun toting, wannabes just like Zimmerman to serve on the jury.
Take note tough guys. Maybe every wannabe vigilante will learn a little from this case. Your life will be ruined any way the dice fall if you chose to take a gun out and look for someone to shoot.
What if I were to legally carry a gun as is a right in many states and am not looking for someone to shoot, but do, when faced with circumstances where I fear for my life and use the gun, will that make me the tough guy you seem to portray anyone who legally carries a gun?
The jury is damned if they do and damned if they don't. After the frenzy that has been created because the media laps up every thing that is said by every polarizing rebel-rouser, the situation has been slanted before any evidence has been produced. It's been tried in the media. If he were to be acquitted, it would be a perfect reason for people to riot which usually turns to violence.
I just find it interesting that we have yet to see a recent picture of Trayvon. We've seen him when he was 12 and looked sweet and innocent. Now at almost 6' and 180 lbs. wearing a hoodie may have looked more menacing.
Zimmerman can't get a fair trial because the jury may be fearful of a guilty verdict.
There are pictures of Trayvon at all age's every where on the Internet, huffington post, CNN, New York times, the one with the hoodie, and the one riding in the car, the one holding a child in his family, the one with a hat are all recent pictures of Tryvon. The original police report says he was 6' and 145-160 pounds. His father said he was 140 pounds.
I don't know if his trial will be fair or not. But it should be just as fair as the one he gave that 17 year old kid. He was the victim (sic), police, Judge, Jury and lynch mob executioner that fateful night. The kid had no chance. If Travon Martin was your kid, how fair would any of you want George Zimmerman's trial to be?
JohnnyB
Since you were there and saw everything("The kid had no chance.") why didn't you give your statement to the Police that night or the next day? Have you talked to the police at all?
The same question can be applied to your stupid and ignorant response. Question yourself, you racist dimwit!
Poll from article.
Do you think George Zimmerman will be able to get a fair trial?
Currrent total;
24.7% say "Yes"
75.3 say "No"