Justice Department to Consider Civil Rights Charges Against Zimmerman

On the basis of?

The Justice Department says it is looking into the shooting death of Trayvon Martin to determine whether federal prosecutors should file criminal civil rights charges now that George Zimmerman has been acquitted in the state case.

The department opened an investigation into Martin's death last year but stepped aside to allow the state prosecution to proceed.

Comments

[Acosmist]

Please, please do. The humiliation will be delicious.

[Bramblyspam]

Perhaps so, but hasn't Zimmerman been through enough already?

[Acosmist]

Yes, in reality, this lawsuit would be a gross, demoralizing injustice against Zimmerman, and I wouldn't want it to happen.

In my fever dreams, I want Obama to try this and get smacked down in federal court.

[Wind Rider]

This can only end in tears.

[Marshall Gill]

How is that not double jeopardy? Civil court is totally different because it is easier to take someone's money than send them to jail? How about adding some other "courts"? Why not try every person 800 times, all in different courts, of course. It wouldn't be anything like trying a person multiple times for the same crime because it would be different "courts".

[Corneliusm]

I think the DOJ is the only remaining avenue that can be used against Zimmerman at this point. IIRC, there's a patchwork of FL laws granting immunity from civil cases against citizens whose homicides were ruled justified.

Which is a shame, since Trayvon's family needs their payout justice.

[sarcasmic]

It's still better than Italy. As in Foxy Knoxy.

[Scarecrow Repair]

I didn't understand it in OJ's case and I don't understand it here. It would be like charging someone with burglary, and when the jury acquits, charging them separately with breaking and entering, theft, possession of stolen goods, and whatever other individual charges can be thought of.

Any common sense understanding of double jeopardy is by the incident, not the individual laws or jurisdiction.

[Duke]

The difference is between the criminal and civil nature of the cases. Double jeopardy only applies to criminal cases.

[Duke]

Squirrels. I also wrote that res judicata applies in civil cases but that's a long story...

[RBS]

What shitty law school did you attend?

[Acosmist]

OJ's case was totally different. It was a lawsuit by private individuals for wrongful death.

[Bramblyspam]

It plainly is double jeopardy as far as I'm concerned. They pulled a similar stunt against OJ Simpson, if I recall correctly... he was acquitted in the criminal trial, so the families sued him for violating the civil rights of the folks he was acquitted of killing.

I remember thinking at the time that that was a horrible precedent, even though I was (and still am) wholly convinced that he committed the murders.

[Duke]

Criminal cases are totally different than civil cases. That's why OJ came out the way it did. I blame bad civics teachers for not teaching this. I didn't really understand it either until I got to law school.

[GroundTruth]

The bottom line remains, political correctness has dictated that Zimmerman be tried until he can be convicted of something. Unfortunately, he can't be tried for being a fool and not backing down before a low level situation got out of control... 'cause I could sure see him getting a quick conviction on that!

[Scarecrow Repair]

Civil and criminal be damned. It's still the same incident and still double jeopardy and still wrong.

[Acosmist]

No, it's not.

[Pwyll]

if it's a private lawsuit, as others have stated, I would agree. But the Feds have NO BUSINESS here filing criminal "civil rights" violations.

[Marshall Gill]

Criminal cases are totally different than civil cases.

Only in the minds of attorneys and it doesn't matter. It remains being tried for the same action, even if you call it a different crime.

Shakespeare was definitely right about attorneys.

[Acosmist]

No...wrongful death suit. Not the same thing, dude.

[Marshall Gill]

So they should have another trial for OJ for meaniness? Ugliness? How about social court? It would be like, totally different because you would name the same action as yet another crime?

Fuck attorneys with a rusty chainsaw.

[Sevo]

AP is offering instructions for vigilantes to follow Zimmerman around:
"You can't go in that store alone, you can't go to the movies ever, unless you rent out the whole theater for yourself," he said. "A movie theater is a death trap."
http://www.sfgate.com/news/us/.....664910.php

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Holder disgusts me.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

You know, instead of just letting it go and upholding the law, now the Politburo is gonna 'set things right.'

How does this preserve the sanctity of the courts and does it not set a terrible precedent?

Seeing how much Obama just loves the state's cock up your asses, this doesn't surprise me one bit.

They are not leaders. They are not seeking justice. They are hucksters and opportunists.

You know, my wife, after watching things and cutting through all the bull shit (she's basically Spoc with tits), she asked, "this is what made the headlines? I should think there are far greater crimes against humanity, no?'

Bingo.

[Erik Jay]

Damn, bro, my wife is your wife's Vulcan mindmeld. She said EXACTLY THE SAME THING IN ALMSOT EXACTLY THE SAME WORDS, including the "no?" at the end (she's half Italian). Wisdom in the spouses...!

[madilynbrady6]

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[JeremyR]

You know, if Obama and Holder are so concerned with "racial justice", why don't they release black prisoners in for stupid stuff, like drug laws? Or that dumbass lady that keeps getting compared to this case, that shot at her ex-husband and got 20 years for it.

What exactly is keeping Obama from using his presidential pardon to free these people?

If the justice system is so racist, why doesn't Obama fix it? Not by imprisoning more people, but by freeing people. Why doesn't the NCAAP and the black community pressure him to do that?

[Acosmist]

Well, the Florida lady was not a federal case, so he can't pardon that.

[What's that smell?]

Fists of Love not Hate by the Reverend Phil McKracken

Dear Friends,

By now you have all heard and have had some time to digest the verdict in the George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martian case. While some of you may have accepted the verdict and rationalized it as "the system worked" or "they didn't prove beyond a reasonable doubt" many of you however, especially those in the political and entertainment realm, are angry and upset by this ruling. And rather than submit to the idea that Zimmerman, like all Americans enjoys the right of the presumption of innocence, and that the jurors listened carefully to all the evidence, shed the blinders of racial bias and reached a just verdict on the facts and rule of law, you want vengeance.

I ask; please stop. Stop the hate. Stop stoking the flames of racism and join me in raising your fists not in hate but in love. I am proposing a rally of all Americans, black, white, white-black, white-Hispanic, just plain Hispanic, black-Hispanic, Hispanic-black, Asian, white- Asian, black-Asian, Asian-white Asian (ah, you get it. Do I have to go through Eskimo and Native American and all variations therein?).

[XM]

I'm going to shoot your fist with my gun, out of indifference.

[What's that smell?]

Let us all join together and raise our fists in love; self-love. For what greater love is there than to love thyself? None. That's why I am proposing a national day to come together and "Masturbate for Trayvon!" (copyrighted and trademarked.)

What greater tribute, what greater bonding, what greater display of unity, love, peace, and joy, than to, as a nation, lie back and whack off together?

I envision all men, women, and children (especially children) masturbating in unison while picturing Trayvon and chanting; "Creepy-ass Cracker, Creepy-ass Cracker, Creepy-ass Cracker" mentally bonding together all three major races as we climax in a aura of self-love and self-satisfaction. Then we rest.

We rest with satisfaction, exhaustion, peace and understanding.

So on Friday July 26 at 10pm eastern time, join me as we raise our fists, drop our pants, spread our legs and Masturbate For Trayvon!

May God, Al Sharpton, Eric Holder, and Barack Obama be with you.

Remember: If President Obama masturbates to the image of a male teen, that male teen would look like Trayvon!

With Love,
The Reverend Phil McKracken PhD.

Please spread the word!!!

[BLEEDINELL]

Are you related to those famous faggy Scots Ben Doon and Phil McKavity?

[scottstams]

We should appoint Zimmerman to head up the DOJ.