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Everyone can spin this from now to doomsday...The fact is that it's two people that were confronted with each other.
And as TM'S texts and photos reflect on his frame of mind, they can be relevant. That's for a trial to decide.
I have no opinion about who is right...there is too much media hype and are too few facts that anybody on this board knows. That is why we have trials to determine guilt or non-guilt...Not a uninformed mob.
GZ had exactly zero knowledge of any of these texts and photos. TM could have been a choir boy for all he knew, looking around b/c he was lost. This last is what I thought, anyway, about the "looking around".
Quote:
Originally Posted by BentBow
Is it just a coincidence, that after this altercation that removed a person from society, all the burglaries in the community, stopped immediately.
Character, past & present, plays a big role in any court case.
Oh please!!!! It makes a difference and it factors in because GZ claimed he was acting in the capacity as a neighborhood watchman. The HOA sent out a notice that GZ was the captain of the (unregistered) Neighborhood Watch and he was the contact person.
Your need to be right about everything is absolutely pathetic.
GZ had exactly zero knowledge of any of these texts and photos. TM could have been a choir boy for all he knew, looking around b/c he was lost. This last is what I thought, anyway, about the "looking around".
You think this matters why? It doesn't matter what GZ knew in advance. There's no suggestion that GZ said, "Hey, this guys has a history of being a criminal, so I can kill him." The point of looking at TM's history, all these texts and photos, is to illuminate the situation in which he got shot. The guy who shot him has made some statements, regarding the behavior, the look, the attitude of the guy he shot. The history & background on that guy will go a long way toward showing whether GZs claims are believable. Is this behavior consistent with behavior previously exhibited by TM, or is it completely out of the ordinary for him?
You think this matters why? It doesn't matter what GZ knew in advance. There's no suggestion that GZ said, "Hey, this guys has a history of being a criminal, so I can kill him." The point of looking at TM's history, all these texts and photos, is to illuminate the situation in which he got shot. The guy who shot him has made some statements, regarding the behavior, the look, the attitude of the guy he shot. The history & background on that guy will go a long way toward showing whether GZs claims are believable. Is this behavior consistent with behavior previously exhibited by TM, or is it completely out of the ordinary for him?
FL and the judge's previous rulings in this case agree with you.
FL allows some character evidence to be introduced by the defense if they are asserting self defense and if the character evidence shows a pattern that is consistent with behavior asserted by the defense for the particular case.
In the 10-19 hearing, the judge asked O'Mara is he was planning to assert self defense. O'Mara replied yes, and the judge cited from two previous FL cases. To keep this post shorter, I will just post one of the cites:
From Munoz:
Quote:
The purpose of introducing the reputation evidence in a self-defense case is to show the victim was the initial aggressor. Reputation evidence is offered to show that the victim acted in conformity with a known character trait. Because reputation evidence relates to the conduct of the victim, the defendant is not required to have had prior knowledge of the victim's reputation in the community.
This would be very relevant to some of the evidence uncovered from the cell phone.
1. The fighting- the texts have people telling Trayvon he needs to stop fighting so much. In one text he replies that he's not done with a guy yet because all the guy did was bleed from the nose.
In another text Trayvon says a guy got the better of him by sitting on him.
So Trayvon has, in his own words, a history of going for the nose, not being happy with just making someone bleed from the nose, and learning that sitting on someone gives you the upper hand in a fight.
2. The drugs- Zimmerman said it looked like Trayvon was on drugs in his NEN call. In addition to the bloodwork, they now have proof of a history of drug use in Trayvon's own words. Plus there is proof Trayvon brought drugs to Sanford with him after being suspended for drugs.
If the judge remains consistent (a big if, granted, since she reversed her own previous rulings on Crump's deposition), but if she does, this evidence should be allowed according to the cases she cited.
George Zimmerman has already admitted to being a long time drug user.
He is a speed freak.
Meth is death.
" Psychosis and Violent Behavior
Adderall can trigger mild psychotic episodes in chronic Adderall users as well as in patients predisposed to certain psychological conditions. The Alliance for Human Research Protection explains that certain children may also develop symptoms of psychosis while using Adderall. Psychosis-related side effects reported by Adderall users include hallucinations, delusions, delirium and mania. Adderall may also cause aggressive behavior and hostility in some ADHD patients."
I think character evidence is a Pandora's box. Zimmerman's lawyers could try to go that way, but it might come back to bit them in the ass since it may sometimes crack the door to the DA to come at you.
Character evidence is often highly restricted, because it often take away from what really happened and has people judging an incident on a whole lot of unrelated background stuff. It is also like playing with fire if you are the defense because you are opening a whole area the DA often cannot go into. I think it is odd that they are going this way, but I don't know what their position is so it might be their only hope.
Last edited by Randomstudent; 05-27-2013 at 12:02 PM..
Trayvon's past history is meaningless here! George Zimmermann was told by 911 not to follow Trayvon Martin and to stay in his car! The police were on their way!
Trayvon was walking back from a 7-11 to his father's house and Zimmermann disobeyed the 911 dispatchers!
I guess it's ok to shoot a "unarmed" teenager in the heart and claim it was self defense?
Trayvon did not approach Zimmerman! He did aproach Trayvon!
Trayvon's past history is meaningless here! George Zimmermann was told by 911 not to follow Trayvon Martin and to stay in his car! The police were on their way!
Trayvon was walking back from a 7-11 to his father's house and Zimmermann disobeyed the 911 dispatchers!
I guess it's ok to shoot a "unarmed" teenager in the heart and claim it was self defense?
Trayvon did not approach Zimmerman! He did aproach Trayvon!
Tell us a few things here please. Specifically;
Does a 911 dispatcher actually have any authority to "tell" someone what to do?
When the 911 dispatcher told Zimmermann, "We don't need you to do that," was Zimmerman still in his car, or was he already out of it, trying to keep track of Martin? And after he was told, "We don't need you to do that," does it not sound like he did stop running, and was having a calm discussion with the dispatcher? From where do you get the idea that Zimmerman kept chasing him?
Do you have ANY, and I do mean ABSOLUTELY ANY, proof of your assertion that "Trayvon didn't approach Zimmermann"? Or is that just what you want to believe?
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