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The Justice Department said Sunday that it will review the George Zimmerman case for possible civil rights violations, after a jury acquitted the Florida neighborhood watch volunteer in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
As Zimmerman's attorney cautioned that his client's safety is at risk, the Justice Department responded to appeals from NAACP President Benjamin Todd Jealous and several lawmakers to keep investigating the defendant.
The department may find itself in a vulnerable spot. Last week, a conservative watchdog accused an obscure agency within the DOJ of helping sup
Originally posted by CirqueDeTruth
He was given a verdict of not guilty. However, this does not stop the family of the young man who died - suing Zimmerman in civil court for damages. Correct? I only took a handful of legal courses in college - so my memory might be hazy.
But I distinctly found it ironic, that in one case study - A man had shot and killed an intruder who was trying to break and enter into his home. He was found not guilty, in that he acted in self defense. (There were children in the house, so he could not escape from the house and call the police as is expected.) Then the family of the man he shot took him to court and sued him and was awarded a large settlement.
My biggest pet peeve with this case - is that if in a situation, you are expected to flee before using deadly force, if at all possible...
How is it that Zimmerman wasn't required to do the same? The young man who died, was much younger as I understand it, shorter and of slighter build, and weaponless...
Why wasn't Zimmerman required to flee, to withdraw from the altercation? He's not a police officer or anything, just head of the neighborhood watch, right? I don't know. It's a difficult case. But in the end, if the jury came back with a not guilty verdict. It's good enough for me.
But part of me rejoices that he will be taken to the cleaners by the family, and he will. There are always other alternatives to altercations than killing somebody. Beat the crap out of each other - yell till you draw a crowd - but don't kill each other over power-trips.
Cirque