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George Zimmerman answering readers' questions - OrlandoSentinel.com
And.. Here was my favorite question/answer:
I'm still shocked at how surprised so many people are by the verdict. The state had nothing to cause the verdict to break any other way.
The URl in the article is pretty good too:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/ente...lame-state-not-jurors-20130717,0,1775278.post
Day after day, we get questions about the George Zimmerman trial and his acquittal in Trayvon Martin's death.
Those questions raise another query: Dear readers, where are you getting your information?
So we'll answer a few questions to try to bust a few myths or to provide context to those questions. People say they want to have a serious discussion about the verdict, which has polarized the country. But sometimes it seems they just want to cherry-pick the information to support their view.
And.. Here was my favorite question/answer:
Question: How could the jury reach its verdict?
Answer: How much of the trial did you watch?It's surprising that so many people didn't see the acquittal coming. The state put on a horrendous case.
State witnesses ultimately became witnesses for the defense. Prosecutors overreached in their opening statement and closing arguments.
The trial will be studied for decades to come because the state repeatedly stumbled. Two big mistakes by prosecutors: repeatedly screaming expletives that Zimmerman had uttered and trying to paint him as a criminal mastermind. If you want to blame someone for the verdict, look to the state, not the jurors.
The jurors were focused on a verdict in a murder trial. They weren't working for social change. That challenge will fall to others.
I'm still shocked at how surprised so many people are by the verdict. The state had nothing to cause the verdict to break any other way.
The URl in the article is pretty good too:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/ente...lame-state-not-jurors-20130717,0,1775278.post
The state overcharged Zimmerman with second-degree murder in Trayvon Martin's death, then put on witnesses who ultimately helped the defense. The state capped off its disastrous performance by letting one prosecutor (Bernie de la Rionda) scream at jurors, spew sarcasm and skip, then allowing another prosecutor (John Guy) to deliver mawkish comments designed to play on jurors' emotions.
Didn't work. Legal cases are supposed to be about facts and evidence, not tears.