On Sunday, the Department of Justice confirmed that they would review the George Zimmerman case, one day after the rogue volunteer watchman was found not guilty of all charges. Tuesday afternoon, Attorney General Eric Holder (pictured) spoke at the NAACP at their annual convention in Orlando, Fla., about the controversial killing of Trayvon Martin, how the murder affected his own life, and upholding the Voting Rights Act. From the outset, Holder aligned himself with President Barack Obama’s initial statement but assured the audience that the department was looking in to the case diligently: Today, I’d like to join President Obama in urging all Americans to recognize that – as he said – we are a nation of laws, and the jury has spoken. I know the NAACP and its members are deeply, and rightly, concerned about this case – as passionate civil rights leaders, as engaged citizens, and – most of all – as parents. This afternoon, I want to assure you ...
It’s been difficult to write anything about the George Zimmerman trial verdict that doesn’t begin and end with profanity-laced diatribe topped with rage. As if the reality that there is Florida legislation — and similar laws in some 20 other states[1] — that effectively protects prejudice-holding vigilantes like George Zimmerman and their hunting and slaughtering of Black children wasn’t infuriating enough, making it even worse is the smug behavior of the cast of characters who serve as a support system for that murderer. At their press conference, Zimmerman’s attorneys Mark O’Mara and Don West practically threw their win in the faces of people of color: They’ve essentially been on a victory tour, engaging with what seems like any media outlet with a functional camera and working microphone. As despicable as it feels to see so many profit off of the murder of a Black teenager, what makes me even more furious is that some actually want you to feel sorry for whatever purported dangers are ...
MIAMI (AP) — A juror in the George Zimmerman trial said Monday that the actions of the neighborhood watch volunteer and Trayvon Martin both led to the teenager’s fatal shooting last year, but that Zimmerman didn’t actually break the law. The woman known as Juror B37 told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that Zimmerman made some poor decisions leading up to the shooting, but that Martin wasn’t innocent either. “I think both were responsible for the situation they had gotten themselves into,” said the juror, who is planning to write a book about the trial. “I think they both could have walked away.” The juror said Sanford Police Detective Chris Serino made a big impression on her, because he would have been accustomed to dealing with murders and similar cases. He would have known how to spot a liar, and yet he testified that he believed Zimmerman, the juror said. Legal analysts agreed that Serino’s testimony was a blow to the state’s case. The ...
