Facts - Acquittal of George Zimmerman

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February 26, 2012 marked a highly controversial day in history; a day in which an unarmed African-American, 17 year old, Trayvon Martin, was fatally shot and killed by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watchman of a gated neighborhood in Sanford, Florida. The essence of the case was that Martin way walking home from a 7/11 store, after purchasing a skittles and drink, it was during that time that Zimmerman saw him and called 911 reporting a mysterious young black male in a hoody who looks like he was up to no good. Zimmerman was instructed by the 911 operator that they do not need him following the suspicious male (Martin), however, Zimmerman continued his pursuit, and later reported that he only got out of his car to give the authorities a physical/location address. He claims to have been jumped and pummeled, by Martin, who repeatedly knocked his head into the ground. Martin was alleged to have reached for Zimmerman’s firearm and at that point was shot once in the chest. The Sanford police department (PD) declined to arrest Zimmerman after the shooting, because the PD found no evidence to contradict his account that he acted in self-defense. As upset as I am about the verdict, there are laws that governs a State and in the absence of amendments, those laws must be abided by. That being said, I believe the prosecutors were at a distinct legal disadvantage; as they were charged with the burden of proving that Zimmerman did not "reasonably believe" that the gunshot was "necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm" to himself. A job which the prosecutors did more harm than good, by charging Zimmerman with 2nd degree murder, a charge that was overreaching. Jurors are notoriously impossible to predict and the deliberation process can take on a life of its own, but even before the verdict unfolded, many notable defense attorneys and legal analysts

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