RobertNashville

Funny you should put it like that.  I've been trying to define Zimmerman in terms of a person who carries a weapon...he clearly has tendencies of a sheepdog; the "neighborhood watch" was just one example of how he was quite active in/supportive of his community. Yet he was a Democrat who considered himself an Hispanic/minority (even though the media just wanted him to be "white").  He certaintly isn't what we would call a sheep so I think my best classification is a well-armed sheep.  :shrug:   I have hard-core Obama/Gore supporting Democrat friends who have approached me about firearm choices for home/self defense so clearly they are out there. ;)

I hope he is preparing a civil case against every news corp that doctored/ran the doctored 911 call as well as all the other trumped-up garbage they threw at him.  The defense team has allegations pending against the DA/court for several different things plus the State of FL owe the defense some money as I understand it (not sure of the details). I truly believe the DOJ Civil Rights charges don't have enough traction to qualify as a read hearing based on what I've sand in other threads (I may be wrong but I doubt it).   I'm surprised his marriage has survived...hopefully it will continue to do so.   Beyond that, Zimmerman gets his million dollar bound back which will help...after that I expect he'll do his best to live a normal life - I do wonder if he'll continue to vote Democrat or if this has changed his politics at all?

I don't know for sure about the magazine count; I thought they came with 2 as well.   Congratulations on the acquisition...I think the G21 is an excellent weapon especially for SD/carry; utterly dependable and good shooters!

Just conjecture on my part but I think he does have something to risk and nothing to gain...I'm sure that after he leaves office he's going to want to be very involved with politics and the party, especially given his young age and I think his standing in the party could be at risk because his party has a lot to risk.   There isn't much of anything a black Democrat can do to garner more votes or lose votes among blacks since blacks vote upwards of 95% Democrat so going after or not going after Zimmerman now isn't going to have much of an impact there but they can most certainly lose votes of other voting blocks if they are perceived as being raciest or vindictive; especially among young whites.   Is that a guarantee? Not at all but since they've done an investigation already and couldn't find anything I doubt they could win in court even if they did try to charge Zimmerman with something now.

It's always pretty damn easy to judge someone's actions after the fact...I would agree that it would have been smarter for Zimmerman to stay in his vehicle but some here keep repeating that like am religious mantra; as if it has magical powers...know one here can know that Martin wouldn't have attacked Zimmerman anyway while he was in his vehicle (and seatbelted in a vehicle is a lousy place from which to defend yourself).   More to the point, however, there are some here who simply will not accept the facts, evidence and testimony; they'll go right on believing that Zimmerman was guilty or manslaughter or take the legally ridiculous position that his use of deadly force to for self defense was legally justified but should be "punished" anyway.   I'm happy for Zimmerman....I have sympathy for Martins parents and that a young man's life cut short but I have a feeling that Trayvon was heading for and end like this whether he had ever met up with Zimmerman or not like so many young black (and white) men in our society today.

They've already been involved and did what was described by many as an exhaustive investigation and found nothing.  Further, not only does Zimmerman's background not show him to have any racial tendencies, it shows exactly the opposite (which is one of the reasons the prosecution didn't want those facts to make it into evidence). Now of course, with the likes of Obama and Holder in officer who knows what they might do...one can never say "never" with thugs like them; but at the end of the day, Obama is a pretty smart politician and I think he likely believes that going after Zimmerman now after already doing a DOJ investigation that exonerated him of civil rights violations would be a pretty dumb political move.

I'm a bit surprised that people keep talking about or even wishing for "civil suits" and "wondering" what's going to happen with them...folks, go read the FL statutes; this is really not something one needs to guess about.   Florida has a GREAT immunity law, if a person was justified in using deadly force to defend himself (as Zimmerman was) then the law doesn't just provide for an affirmative defense, it's true IMMUNITY from civil prosecution.   This is what a Florida attorney had to say about it...         One thing is apparent, however....I guess I got it right last night when I said that people won't be eating crow because... 

Even though we are talking about Obama, I seriously doubt that the DOJ Is going to reopen an investigation after they've already cleared him of civil rights charges Just because some race baiter organization wants them to do so. That doesn't mean they won't do it, but I still doubt that they will. Moreover, with Zimmerman's background and now the acquittal I don't think Zimmerman has anything to worry about on that in. But I guess only time will tell.

immune? No. But DOJ ended their investigation of civil rights investigations months ago and if I remember correctly said there was nothing they could prosecute him on so I don't really think that's hanging over Zimmerman's head now.

Zimmerman attorney: We will get civil suit immunity Mark O'Mara, George Zimmerman's defense attorney, said that they will 'seek and we will get' immunity from civil suits if any are 'spawned from this fiasco.'     http://www.firstcoastnews.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=2543971812001&odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|featured

Of course they can bring them...they can bring them in TN too but he'll have an absolute affirmative defense and I think those bringing suit will be stuck with the bill when they lose.    I'm not an expert but I've talked to a couple of nationally know experts on this very subject and about this case and unless I totally misunderstand them or FL refuses to follow its own law Zimmerman has nothing to worry about as far as civil suits.

Gays are wonderful people and if they want to get married they should be allowed to do so...I mean, if they want to be a miserable as heterosexuals why should we deny them???  ;)

Nope...since his use of SD deadly force was justified he is immune from civil suits; same as we here in TN

Yuup and the defense team made it clear that if anyone is stupid enough to file suit against Zimmerman they will go back to court and seek and GET immunity from civil suites.  It it had been a hung jury it would have been an issue but now that he's been found Not Guilty (the use of self-defense deadly force) he will be immune from civil suits.

That may well be...hadn't thought of that...could also just depend on the particular department. :shrug:

No...they won't...they'll be doing what I just saw the prosecution do on Fox news a few minutes ago; trying to retry the case with the same old, innuendo, lying witnesses, stupid witnesses, expert witnesses who should return their paycheck out of shame for doing such a poor job and pictures of 12 year old Trayvon.   There are always those who refuse to be confused by facts and evidence.

I think one of the most important segments for me of Massad Ayoob's "Rules of Engagement for The Armed Citizen" training is that anyone who uses deadly force to defend him/her self should understand that what we saw happen to George Zimmerman CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE.   There are simply times when, no matter the facts...no matter how obviously justified and righteous the use of self defense deadly force way, you will be charged anyway and be fighting for you life a second time and can even be convicted.  Maybe...MAYBE it's a little less likely to happen here in Tennessee than some other state but anyone who thinks it can't happen here is truly deluding themselves. I think anyone who has a firearm in their home for SD and especially anyone who carries a firearm in public needs to come to grips with that or we probably should just keep our guns in the safe and just enjoy having them/shooting them at paper targets or clay pigeons.     I'm happy for George Zimmerman...once I saw the facts there was zero doubt in my mind that he was not guilty...it's just too bad that he had to go through a trial to establish what he original DA already knew some 18 months ago. The system worked this time...may we all be as fortunate should be ever be unfortunate enough to have to take another person's life in defense of our own.

I don't think that's an answer...what government agency/service at any level isn't always screaming for a bigger budget?  ;)

No...only the "white-Hispanics" will.

I'd certainly recommend trying one, if possible, before buying.  I've had good and bad experiences with Kimbers in general and (personal bias here), I'm just not that into smaller caliber pistols or smaller pistols in general; they just always seem to be more prone to problems/malfunctions.

In 2005, Zimmerman was arrested and charged with "resisting officer with violence" and "battery of law enforcement officer." Both 3rd degree felonies, but the charges were reduced to "resisting officer without violence". The remaining charge was dismissed when he entered an alcohol education program.   A lot had been made of those "charges" but few people ever bother to find out the whole story; I can't lay my hands on the story now but if memory serves he had been drinking and came to the aid of a buddy whom he felt the police were harassing for no reason. Whether the cops were or weren't being unreasonable I've no idea but certainly, the court didn't make as much of it at the time as a lot of folks want to make of it now.   In the same year (2005), Zimmerman's ex-fiance, Veronica Zuazo, filed a civil motion for a restraining order, alleging domestic violence; Zimmerman filed for a retraining order against Zuazo and both these claims were resolved with both restraining orders granted.

Unless they are hiring new officers and patrol cars and other equipment every time they do a checkpoint the cost is actually zero, or stated another way, it's money already spent whether they do the checkpoint or not.  As to time, these checkpoints don't usually involve that many officers so I suspect the overall "cost" in time is pretty negligible.

Considering three weeks of testimony and a couple hundred individual pieces of evidence I think it's too early to think it's going to be a hung jury...I'm not discounting the possibility at all but I don't think they've spend more than 8-10 hours of actual deliberation yet have they?

I'm really not arguing for or against, or arguing at all for that matter...for the children or anything else...just noting that the question of "are they effective" doesn't need to be a matter of opinion. I've read some of the studies; there are many more but they all point to these checkpoints being effective in deterring and/or catching drunk drivers. Now, I haven't read every one so maybe there are ones out there that say something different but if so I haven't heard anyone citing them. ;)   I don't want to see anyone convicted of DUI unless they are truly guilty but if they are then the punishment needs to be changed because the current system of punishment clearly is not working as a deterrent; not when you have people driving on suspended licenses or even with in-force licenses after multiple convictions.  I don't know what it is...maybe too many people who still think drinking and driving is no big deal :shrug:

I have mixed feelings about whether Trayvon's past should have been introduced to the jury. I understand the issue of not introducing, usually, prior bad acts. At the same time, even though Zimmerman didn't KNOW them at the time, the fact that Trayvon had been using drugs, had been found with a burglary tool, had been expelled from school (for fighting I believe) all seem to me to be building a case for Trayvon doing a whole lot more that night than just "walking home with skittles"...in other words, Martin probably WAS acting suspiciously...even very suspiciously  making Zimmerman's attention to Martin more than understandable...even more than justified. Now I admit that doesn't = not guilty but it certainly throws a BIG hole in the prosecution's argument that Zimmerman was just out to get "someone' because he was a cop-want-a-be who was pissed off because "they always get away".