Verdict Predictions

[Oceandan]

why was there only a jury of 6, anyway?

It wasn't a death penalty case, therefore in Florida they only seat a jury of six.

 

[Superfly]

That's how it is in Florida.

Cuz they can't count any higher without ****ing it up?

Just kidding, Floridians. Don't get butt hurt. Thanks for the answers, y'all.

 

[Oceandan]

I've often said, FloriDUH, where the hair is sometimes more blue than the ocean. We STILL can't count, and, you can walk faster than most people drive.

 

[ttwtt78640]

The jury will find him guilty of a lesser offense IMO.

My other prediction is that newsrooms around the country are combing the police blotters with a fine toothed comb looking for the next Who The Hell Would Otherwise Really Care case for them to blast into people's living rooms. It is all Murder Porn brought to you by the makers of tampons and GEICO insurance.

This was not simply a routine homocide at all. It had mass media appeal because of the racial/age differences involved (profiling?), the alleged legal use of a concealed handgun to kill another, the laxity of the Floriduh SYG law (the initial aggressor may still be covered) and that no criminal charges were brought (until political pressure was applied). Even our teleprompter in chief chimed in.

 

[polgara]

why was there only a jury of 6, anyway?

Good afternoon, Superfly. :2wave:

I wondered the same thing! :shock: Every jury I have served on has had 12 jurors, and 3 alternates. Does anyone have an explanation? :doh:

.

 

[OscarB63]

Someone mentioned earlier that the Jury need not be unanimous to convict, but it
appears that the Supreme Court ruled that for a 6 person jury a finding of guilty
had to be unanimous.

a unanimous decision must be made for a guilty verdict in all federal criminal cases. for state criminal cases it is left up to the state to decide. only Louisiana and Oregon do NOT require unanimous decisions for a guilty verdict.

 

[Superfly]

I've often said, FloriDUH, where the hair is sometimes more blue than the ocean. We STILL can't count, and, you can walk faster than most people drive.

:lol: I live about 45 minutes from Jacksonville, and we don't have a lot of elderly people there. Crime? Yes. Elderly? I think they're afraid.

 

[molten_dragon]

I really doubt he'll be convicted of 2nd degree murder at this point.

I think there's a small chance he'll be convicted of manslaughter.

But with those two being the only two charges on the table, I think he'll probably be declared not guilty.

I think that if there were lesser charges than manslaughter available, he'd have a much higher chance of being convicted of something.

I do consider it likely that he'll be sued and lose that trial though.

 

[Superfly]

I really doubt he'll be convicted of 2nd degree murder at this point.

I think there's a small chance he'll be convicted of manslaughter.

But with those two being the only two charges on the table, I think he'll probably be declared not guilty.

I think that if there were lesser charges than manslaughter available, he'd have a much higher chance of being convicted of something.

I do consider it likely that he'll be sued and lose that trial though.

Yeah. Florida screwed up like that with Casey Anthony, too.

 

[OscarB63]

Yeah. Florida screwed up like that with Casey Anthony, too.

yeah...I was shocked when they let her walk. and there was much more evidence against her than there was against Z

 

[Superfly]

yeah...I was shocked when they let her walk. and there was much more evidence against her than there was against Z

Same here. I actually cried. I'm such a girl. :roll: But the problem with that, other than the 1st degree murder or nothing, was that the jury didn't get to see a lot of what we did. Had they seen all the evidence that the general public saw, she would have been hung by her neck until dead.

 

[tech30528]

I think if there is a lawyer who would pursue a civil case Zimmerman should follow him, provoke an assault, go to his back and shoot the ****er dead.

I kid, I kid. Thing is if the race roles had been reversed this case would never had gotten national attention. If they had both been black it wouldn't have even made the news. Martin's "crazy ass cracker" statement should be seen as racial aggression. He underestimated Zimmerman, who was carrying legally. Just because he didn't survive does not mean the attack was not racially motivated. If a white guy turned around and attacked a black guy who was following him it would be seen as a hate crime. But if Zimmerman is acquitted I predict riots, and I expect the racial apologists to pass it off as justified. Right now I'm really happy I don't live in a major city.

 

[Josie]

My mom watched every second of the Casey Anthony trial. I remember I was out with her at IHOP when the verdict came back. She didn't believe me when I told her.

 

[Fisher]

This was not simply a routine homocide at all. It had mass media appeal because of the racial/age differences involved (profiling?), the alleged legal use of a concealed handgun to kill another, the laxity of the Floriduh SYG law (the initial aggressor may still be covered) and that no criminal charges were brought (until political pressure was applied). Even our teleprompter in chief chimed in.

I am aware, but I still think because he did not take the stand the jury will try to split the baby and find him guilty of the least thing possible. Anything could happen, but that is my guess only having seen bits and pieces of the trial.

 

[windowdressing]

If OJ was acquitted, and Zimmerman isn't, what would that say?

for one thing, OJ had better (and more) attorneys ...

 

[Oceandan]

:lol: I live about 45 minutes from Jacksonville, and we don't have a lot of elderly people there. Crime? Yes. Elderly? I think they're afraid.

Well we're a bit......no a long way further south. (-;

 

[windowdressing]

I am aware, but I still think because he did not take the stand the jury will try to split the baby and find him guilty of the least thing possible. Anything could happen, but that is my guess only having seen bits and pieces of the trial.

I think they'll go for manslaughter ...

 

[mak2]

I dont think he will be found guilty, the other half of the story is dead.

 

[Sig]

It is difficult to predict the verdict of a jury one knows very little about. All I can say is that, if I were on the jury, I would deem Zimmerman not guilty based upon the evidence presented and the presumption of innocence.

 

[Oceandan]

I really doubt he'll be convicted of 2nd degree murder at this point.

I think there's a small chance he'll be convicted of manslaughter.

But with those two being the only two charges on the table, I think he'll probably be declared not guilty.

I think that if there were lesser charges than manslaughter available, he'd have a much higher chance of being convicted of something.

I do consider it likely that he'll be sued and lose that trial though.

Interesting. Sued for what?

I believe quite the contrary, I think GZ will sue a number of parties. I know I'd start with NBC. CNN would be right behind for disclosing his ss number.

 

[ric27]

How I have seen the case and the evidence I don't think it's strong enough to convict him of 2nd degree murder and his claims of self defense appear to be valid in my judgement. I predict an innocent verdict, if I was the jury given the info that I know I would say he is innocent.

Innocent is not used on jury forms

Either your guilty or not guilty

 

[Fisher]

I think they'll go for manslaughter ...

That is my guess and he will get little to no jail time.

 

[Gaius46]

Interesting. Sued for what?

I believe quite the contrary, I think GZ will sue a number of parties. I know I'd start with NBC. CNN would be right behind for disclosing his ss number.

CNN disclosed his SS number? That violates any number of privacy laws.

I think he walks. Even with a hung jury I'm betting they won't retry him.

Honestly the case should've never been brought in the first place.

 

[Superfly]

Well we're a bit......no a long way further south. (-;

The farther south you go in Florida, the bluer the hair gets. Except the Keys. Maybe the elderly are afraid to go there. :lol:

 

[CanadaJohn]

I'm admittedly a little biased in that I don't believe the case for second degree murder was made or could ever be made and was a political decision, not one based on the law. But that said, I have to say that I found the glimpses I've had at the prosecutor's summation to be very off-putting and a little too strident and screamy - it felt like I was sitting in class and the teacher was really ticked at us because we didn't understand his stupid lesson plan.

I think the defense summation will be far less emotional, far less strident, very much matter of fact and to the law and the evidence and it will come across as reasoned and believable, because in large part it is. People generally navigate towards the sane, calm, reasoned people among leadership and away from the strident, overly emotional who are relying more on effect rather than fact.