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Sanford Police Officer Chris Serino first made headlines when evidence released in the case showed he sought manslaughter charges against Zimmerman even while his chief publicly said there was no probable cause to arrest him. But a document released late Thursday casts doubt on Serino’s prior sworn affidavit seeking criminal charges, and raises questions about the credibility of the star law-enforcement witness in the murder case against Zimmerman for the shooting death of a black teenager, Miami Gardens high school junior Trayvon Martin..
Telling the FBI that he was concerned that people inside the police department were leaking information, Serino cited Sgt. Arthur Barnes, officers Rebecca Villalona and Trekelle Perkins “as all pressuring him to file charges against Zimmerman after the incident,” an FBI report said. “Serino did not believe he had enough evidence at the time to file charges.”
The summary of Serino’s statement does not mention the race of the officers who allegedly pressured him, but sources told The Miami Herald that Barnes and Perkins are black, and Villalona is married to an African-American man. All three, the source said, had been called in by their supervisor and questioned about leaking information in the case.
There isn't even circumstantial evidence that anything like that happened, it's pure speculation and the defense will have a field day with that.
I disagree. After all, if this case was as cut-and-dry as you and others claim, then why would he have waived his right to a speedy trial? The reason an attorney advises a client to waive that right is usually because there are mounds of evidence to sort through or if the defense attorney isn't confident that his case is a solid and will lead to an acquittal. Mark O'Mara is not a fool.
Dirty politics all centered around race. Why are people obsessed with skin color and social justice rather than just legal justice ?
Anybody who has kept up with the records disclosure in this case KNOWS that this is about legal justice and not skin color/race. It may have been predominately black people who brought this case to the attention of the media, however, it is a Florida State Attorney who charged Zimmerman with 2nd murder, NOT A HATE CRIME. If it had been about race, he would have been charged with a hate crime.
Anybody who has kept up with the records disclosure in this case KNOWS that this is about legal justice and not skin color/race. It may have been predominately black people who brought this case to the attention of the media, however, it is a Florida State Attorney who charged Zimmerman with 2nd murder, NOT A HATE CRIME. If it had been about race, he would have been charged with a hate crime.
As soon as the black community found out a white man killed a black man it was all about race, who are you kidding?
George Zimmerman Defense Moves to Disqualify Judge
Quote:
In Friday's motion, O'Mara wrote that Lester's order was indicative of a bias against Zimmerman, saying that the judge's statements were "disingenuous, self-serving manipulations."
"In said order, the court made gratuitous, disparaging remarks about Mr. Zimmerman's character, advocated for Mr. Zimmerman to be prosecuted for additional crimes; offers a personal opinion about the evidence for said prosecution; and continues to hold over Mr. Zimmerman's head the threat of future contempt proceedings," the motion read.
O'Mara asserted that the judge and court "departed from its role as an impartial, objective minister of justice" and should therefore be removed from the case.
It looks like Zimmerman wants preferential treatment once again. It isn't like judges never make any opinionated comments in court rooms. First he wanted to take this stand without being cross examined, now he is upset because the judge commented on his credibility and the fact that his wife lied. If everyone could change judges just because they don't like them, most trials would take twenty years. What a tool.
In her other statement, Witness 9 says that she knows Zimmerman, as well as his family.
"I know George, and I know that he does not like black people," she said, speaking to a Sanford police investigator. "He would start something. He's a very confrontational person. It's in his blood. Let's just say that."
She went on to describe Zimmerman and his family as "just mean and open about it, and I don't know what he's capable of, but I do know things that he's done to me that I would never, I would never talk to him about ever again."
O'Mara wrote in a motion that the not-yet-released second statement "is not relevant" to the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, and would "serve to reignite and potentially enhance the widespread public hostility toward Mr. Zimmerman."
However, Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester wrote in an order filed Friday that public records law requires the release of evidence, unless it would present a "serious and imminent threat to the administration of justice."
The statement, Lester writes, does not reach that high bar.
O'Mara also asked the judge to seal 145 of 151 jail phone calls made by Zimmerman, arguing they're irrelevant to the case and the people Zimmerman talked to have a right to privacy.
The judge rejected that argument. People called by an inmate, he wrote, "are specifically advised that their calls will be recorded."
It was not immediately clear when the statement and calls would be released. The order comes as Zimmerman has requested a new judge in the case.
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