What's justice in George Zimmerman case? Opinionline
South Florida Times, editorial: "The search for justice in the killing of ... teenager Trayvon Martin on Feb. 26, 2012, in a gated community in Sanford (Fla.), enters its second phase on Monday, when the process of selecting jurors is due to begin. ... It took a nationwide campaign to convince the authorities to bring criminal proceedings in the case. ... Now that the trial is about to start, there is every expectation that it will be fair. That is easier said than done in a region which is notorious for being biased against black males and which has a history of justice being warped in favor of white people. But it can happen."
Mark Pinsky, The Huffington Post: "George Zimmerman is now charged with second-degree murder. ... Embedded in the second-degree charge are what are called 'lesser included offenses,' including ... involuntary manslaughter. ... The Florida state statute describing involuntary manslaughter reads as though it were written to describe the uncontradicted facts of the Martin shooting. That is, that the armed Zimmerman, against the advice of a police dispatcher, continued to stalk Martin until an altercation ensued that resulted in Martin's death. ... Given the defense's theory of the case — that Zimmerman did not intend to kill Martin ... a verdict of involuntary manslaughter might provide a conflicted jury an opportunity to arrive at a compromise."
George Parry, The Philadelphia Inquirer: "Various civilian witnesses have given police statements establishing that, when the fatal shot was fired, Zimmerman was on the ground being beaten by Martin. ... The beating lasted until Zimmerman shot Martin. ... Now, as the trial begins, the only real question is whether a fair and impartial jury can be found that will have the courage to defy the lynch-mob frenzy swirling about this case and free an innocent man."
Melissa Gomez, HLNtv.com: "Considering that Judge Debra Nelson called for 500 citizens ... to appear for jury selection in hopes of empaneling six jurors, it is clear that the court is expecting to encounter some challenges in finding a jury that can be deemed 'fair and impartial.' This concern is certainly warranted. ... The jurors have to decide whether what Zimmerman did was reasonably in self-defense. That will rely much more on the jurors' values and beliefs."
Marsha Hallet, Technorati: "Judge Nelson banned the defense from using strategies that would damage the reputation of the deceased teen. ... For example, there is a text message dialogue about marijuana and guns. ... Rules of evidence are there to prevent questionable character traits of the victim and the defendant from being introduced into evidence at trial unless they are related to the facts. For example, a woman's sexual history is not relevant if she is the victim of rape. In this case, neither man was a choir boy, and the door is still open to show relevance at trial."
Mychal Denzel Smith, The Nation: "I'll be watching the trial closely, because I want this to be a turning point. I'm breaking out the rabbit's foot and the four-leaf clovers while avoiding all ladders and mirrors. I'm hoping for change like an Obama campaign volunteer in '07. I want this trial to mean a new day is upon us. ... I probably sound as foolishly optimistic as people who think racism is already over. But ... Trayvon deserves some foolish optimism on his side."
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