Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting - George Zimmerman
Sanford man who saw “tussle” outside his home testifies in Zimmerman trial
By Evan S. Benn
ebenn@MiamiHerald.com
SANFORD -- State prosecutors Friday resumed their case in the second-degree murder trial of George Zimmerman, calling another key witness: John Good, a Sanford resident who said he saw a “tussle” between Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin outside his home.
Although he testified he was not certain of their positioning, Good described seeing someone in light or red-colored clothing being straddled on the ground by someone in dark clothing. Evidence shows Zimmerman was wearing a red jacket while Trayvon, from Miami Gardens, was in a charcoal-colored hoodie when the shooting occurred on Feb. 26, 2012.
Good also said under direct examination by state prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda that he believed he heard the person on the bottom ask for help as the person on top made downward arm motions. Good said the straddle-punching was similar to mixed-martial arts fights he'd seen on television. Good said he then called police. The 911 recording was played in court Friday. Trayvon's parents remained in the courtroom as the tape was played.
“I just heard a shot right behind my house,” Good told the dispatcher. “I'm pretty sure the guy is dead out here. ... There's a black guy down. It looks like he's been shot and he's dead.”
Defense attorney Mark O'Mara began his cross-examination of Good shortly after 10 a.m. Friday, informing Seminole Circuit Judge Debra Nelson that he expected it to take some time.
Good's turn on the stand came a day after a Miami teen’s often-contentious testimony concluded with both sides expressing confidence that Rachel Jeantel’s seven hours on the witness stand had helped bolster their case. The childhood friend of Trayvon spoke with him on the phone moments before he was killed.
Jeantel, a 19-year-old Miami Norland senior, remained adamant, even under intense cross-examination, about what she heard in that phone call with Trayvon, before Zimmerman fatally shot Trayvon in a Sanford gated community. But she acknowledged that she could not know which man was the aggressor, since she was not physically present for the shooting.
“The last thing you heard was something hitting somebody?” Zimmerman defense attorney Don West asked.
“Trayvon got hit,” Jeantel replied.
“You don’t know that, do you?” West snapped back, his voice rising.
“No, sir.”
“You don’t know that Trayvon at that moment didn’t take his fist and drive it into George Zimmerman’s face, do you?” West continued.
“No, sir.”
The verbal exchange got to the heart of the nationally watched case. Zimmerman, 29, claims he acted in self-defense, forced to shoot Trayvon after the unarmed 17-year-old attacked him. Prosecutors say Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch coordinator, profiled and pursued Trayvon; they charged Zimmerman with second-degree murder, which carries a penalty of up to life in prison if convicted.
The case sparked protests and marches in the 44 days between Trayvon’s death and Zimmerman’s arrest. It also led to vigorous debates about race and Florida’s controversial Stand Your Ground law, which does not apply to this case. A six-person, all-female jury will decide Zimmerman’s fate.
Jeantel had been characterized as one of the state’s star witnesses, but parts of her testimony may have helped mitigate damage to Zimmerman’s defense. Her cross-examination exposed inconsistencies in her past statements and that she initially lied to Trayvon’s parents and attorneys.
“The only battle in this courtroom is for justice and truth,” O’Mara said after court Thursday, responding to a question about “who won the battle of West vs. Jeantel.”
“I think we got out some truth today,” he said, “and it’s going to lead to justice.”
O'Mara added that he was happy with the pacing of the trial, and believed it could wrap up sometime the week of July 8. He said he has not made a decision on whether to put his client on the stand.
It took courage for Jeantel to take the witness stand, an attorney for Trayvon’s family said, adding that the family “is so proud” of her. The teen’s testimony, which stretched over two days, was scrutinized on social media, where everything from her appearance to her speech were subject to discussion.
Jeantel, who speaks Creole, Spanish and English, declined to read a handwritten letter, composed by her but written by a friend, because “I don’t read cursive.” The letter, to Trayvon’s mother, Sybrina Fulton, gave a cursory overview of Jeantel’s recollection of her phone calls with Trayvon the night he was killed. Jeantel said she cleaned it up because she wanted to spare Fulton the painful details of what she heard.
“She is not a lawyer,” Martin family attorney Daryl Parks said outside the Seminole County Courthouse. “She is a young lady going into 12th grade, and she did her very best.”
Other testimony Thursday came from a T-Mobile representative, who explained how cell phone calls and texts are logged, establishing the timeline in calls between Trayvon and Jeantel. Two people who lived in Zimmerman’s Retreat at Twin Lakes neighborhood in February 2012 also testified.
One of the former neighbors, Selma Mora, now lives in Miami. Through a translator — she speaks mostly Spanish — she said she heard crying sounds outside her window the night of Trayvon’s death, followed by a thump and silence.
Not thinking what she heard was a gunshot, Mora said she stepped outside to investigate, seeing two bodies, one on top of the other “like riding a horse.” The man on top got up, she said, told her to call the police, then paced around the area with one hand on his head and the other on his waist. The person on the bottom, face-down, never got up, she said.
Jenna Lauer, the other neighbor who testified Thursday, placed a 911 call where shouts and a gunshot are audible. Fulton, Trayvon’s mother, stepped out of the courtroom before the 911 call was played for jurors during Lauer’s testimony.
Lauer said she and her husband muted “Celebrity Apprentice” on their television when they heard voices and then a scuffle outside their window on that rainy evening. “It sounded like sneakers on pavement and grass,” she said.
The noises she said she heard morphed to the sound of people wrestling in the grass, coupled with “grunting” that gradually turned to “yelping.”
She picked up her phone to call 911; soon after the call connected, the gunshot can be heard on the recording. Lauer said she and her husband ducked and scurried upstairs.
Under cross-examination, Lauer confirmed that residents in her neighborhood had been concerned about non-residents walking through their community. Minutes before their encounter, Zimmerman called a non-emergency police number to report Trayvon as a suspicious person.
She also said she couldn’t be sure which of the men was yelping outside her window.
“It sounded like they were desperate,” Lauer said. “Whoever it was really needed help.”
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/06/2...#storylink=cpy
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting - George Zimmerman
looking worse and worse for the Prosecution.... at least to me it is. This Jonanthan Good is a witness for Prosecution. I'm beginning to think that both sides are sure Zimmerman is guilty only of defending himself at this point and this has become a show for the public who wanted to lynch Zimmerman.
Zimmerman trial witness attempted to break up Zimmerman/Martin fight
Yamiche Alcindor,, USA TODAY 11:31 a.m. EDT June 28, 2013
Story Highlights
Jonanthan Good says he yelled 'Stop it' in order to break up fight
Second Zimmerman neighbor to testify about February 2012 altercation
SANFORD, Fla. - A neighbor of George Zimmerman testified Friday that it appeared that teenager Trayvon Martin was striking Zimmerman while straddling him moments before the teen was shot.
Jonathan Good, who lives in the same townhouse complex as Zimmerman, said after hearing a noise behind his townhome, he saw what looked like a fight. When he stepped outside, he said he yelled, "What's going on? Stop it."
"It looked like there were strikes being thrown, punches being thrown," said Good.
Zimmerman, 29, is on trial for second-degree murder for the February 2012 shooting death of Trayvon, 17. Zimmerman, who has pleaded not guilty, has said that he acted in self-defense after he was attacked.
When he looked outside, Good said he could only see one person at first. Seconds later, he saw two people laying flat, one on top of the another in the grass. A person in dark clothing was on top of a person with "lighter complexion" wearing red or white clothing, Good said. The description of the person on the bottom, Good said, matched Zimmerman that night. The person on the top had similar dark clothing to the type worn by Trayvon, he said.
Under cross-examination by defense attorney Mark O'Mara, Good testified that during the tussle, the teen appeared to execute a mixed-martial arts maneuver known as "ground and pound."
Good testified that he heard one or two calls for "help" and thought the words came from Zimmerman. Good said he did not see actual blows between the two, however.
Good said was dialing 911 when he heard a gunshot.
Before Good testified, a worker at a video surveillance company that maintains cameras at the townhome community took the witness stand. A prosecutor played two videos from surveillance cameras; one showed what looks like a person walking past a window at the complex's clubhouse, and another showed what looks like someone with a flashlight by the complex's mailboxes.
Jurors already have been shown some of the state's biggest pieces of evidence, including the 911 call featuring cries for help prosecutors believe came from Martin.
On Thursday, Rachel Jeantel, who was on the phone with Trayvon moments before he was killed, testified that Trayvon told her he was being followed by Zimmerman.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting - George Zimmerman
With the way this testimony is going, this should be a slam dunk case for the defense. I just can't imagine it being anything less.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rick Donaldson
But he said he did not see Martin banging Zimmerman's head on the concrete, which is what Zimmerman has claimed.
Irrelevant. Photographic evidence:
http://dailycaller.com/wp-content/up...ad-Injury1.jpg
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting - George Zimmerman
So Tray Tray was face down? So Zimm was on top of him, getting a beating, shot Tray tray, then rolled Tray Tray over?
How does one deliver a beating to the guy who is on top of you? How do we explain Zimm's injuries if zimm was the aggressor?
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting - George Zimmerman
Where are the knuckle wounds on GZ? Where are the wounds on TM? Oh, that's right, there are knuckle wounds on TM and blows on GZ. Hmm, maybe Tray Tray and GZ are The Corisican brothers.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting - George Zimmerman
lol... Mal you have such a way with letters. lol
THE JURY OF SIX
B29: She is a young woman of color who recently moved with her husband and children to Central Florida from Chicago. The juror, who has eight children and has been married for 10 years, once worked as a certified nursing assistant. She learned of the shooting in the news and first assumed Trayvon Martin was 12 or 13 based on pictures in the media just after the shooting. A lot of people in her family took "the child's side" but she said she didn't form an opinion. She said that when she lived in Chicago, there were reports of many shootings, so she didn't pay special attention to Martin's death. She likes watching Bravo, episodes of the Real Housewives series, and is still adjusting to a calmer life in Florida.
B76: The middle-aged white woman with short brown hair and glasses has lived in Seminole County since 1995. She has two children, one of which is an attorney. She's heard about the case only three or four times, she says. During questioning, she said she thought Zimmerman was a security guard. During questioning about her media exposure, she turned to Martin's mom, Sybrina Fulton, and said, "Is that his mom?" Prosecutors tried to get her dismissed for that moment, but Judge Nelson ruled that she could stay. B76 said it's natural to have sympathy for people, but she understands that in this case that shouldn't impact deliberations. A pet lover, she manages rental properties.
B37: The middle-aged white woman is the daughter of an Air Force captain and has been married to a space attorney for 20 years. She has two children, 24 and 27, and works in a management position. During questioning, she told lawyers she knew a "broad spectrum" of names, but she hasn't kept up with the case. "Newspapers are usually in the parrot's cage," she told lawyers. Thursday, she told O'Mara that she had an issue with what kinds of guns people can own, that someone obtaining a concealed weapons permit doesn't mean they will act responsibly and that more training is needed for concealed permit holders. She has three dogs, four cats and "a couple of lizards" and has been called to jury duty four times before this case.
B51: She is an older white woman with short brown hair who has lived in Seminole County for nine years. She retired from a job in real estate five years ago, has no children and often visits her elderly parents and siblings in north Florida. Last week, she told lawyers she thought Zimmerman may have done something wrong because he was arrested. She brought up that she heard the police investigation may not have been carried out properly. "The end result was somebody thought it was mishandled," she said.
E6: The middle-aged white woman with blond hair is married and has two kids, ages 11 and 13. After the shooting, she talked about "appearance" and "safety" with her kids. She got emotional when talking about being a victim of domestic violence. One of the most talkative people during the group questioning, she often spoke up when lawyers questioned potential jurors, asking how jurors would deal with "paranoid" and "anxious" people who claim self-defense. Prosecutors tried at least two times to get her stricken from the jury for recognizing four names on the potential witness list. Judge Nelson let her stay. E6 is a churchgoer who used to volunteer at a school and likes gardening and babysitting.
E40: The middle-aged white woman moved to Seminole County in November from Iowa and worked around the country as a safety officer. She is married to a chemical engineer, has a 28-year-old son and does not have a Facebook account. She remembered little about the shooting, summing up her knowledge for lawyers as "I recall the phrase 'gated community, teenager.' ... That's about it." She likes to travel, read and watch sports — especially football.
THE ALTERNATES
E54: The 14-year resident of Seminole County is a white, middle-aged man who grew up in Central Florida and has two stepchildren. He wrote on his juror questionnaire that Zimmerman was "attacked and beaten." He said later during questioning that he doesn't really know what happened that night and could keep an open mind. He enjoys exploring his family's heritage and has spent time tracing his ancestry.
B72: The young man says he heard about the case but didn't focus on the shooting and doesn't watch much news. "From what I got, I didn't care about it," he said, adding later that he is a "stoic" person who believes sympathy should not factor into a jury's verdict. He said he is "naturally suspicious" of people but would not have "pursued" someone. Instead, he would wait for police if an issue arose, he told lawyers. The young man is a maintenance technician who spends a lot of time at the gym and walking his dog.
E13: She is a young white woman and has lived in Seminole County for 17 years. A student, she worked as a surgical assistant for about two years and has never served on a jury. During individual questioning, she told lawyers that she never talked to other students about the shooting. She said she hasn't seen any photos of Trayvon Martin or at least hasn't paid attention to any since shooting. She is a member of a church and owns horses.
E28: The middle-aged white woman with glasses has lived in Seminole County since 1985. She is originally from Texas, has two adult children and has been married for about 28 years. Her answers during questioning indicated that she knows little about the case and that work absorbs most of her life. She's a soccer coach and volunteers with Relay For Life and Girl Scouts.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting - George Zimmerman
Hope you folks are loading mags... Actually, you shouldn't be. You should have them already loaded! :D
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting - George Zimmerman
Eyewitness describes Trayvon Martin's fatal struggle to Florida jury
Published: 4:24AM Saturday June 29, 2013
A witness in the murder trial of neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman testified on Saturday that he saw Trayvon Martin on top of Zimmerman during a struggle that led to the unarmed black teenager's shooting death in a central Florida gated community last year.
But Jonathan Good, a former resident at the townhouse complex, told the jury in Seminole County criminal court that he never saw Martin slam Zimmerman's head into the concrete sidewalk, undermining a key element in Zimmerman's defense.
"I did not see that," Good told the court under questioning by a state prosecutor about the racially charged case that triggered civil rights protests and debates about the treatment of black Americans in the US justice system.
Police did not arrest Zimmerman, who is white and Hispanic, for 44 days. Zimmerman does not deny killing Martin but he says he did so in self-defense after he was attacked and Martin smashed his head repeatedly into the sidewalk.
Good was the fourth former neighbor who partially witnessed the death of Martin on February 26 last year to testify in the trial. Each has given slightly different accounts, but Good is the first to state that Martin was on top during the struggle.
Zimmerman, 29, was a neighborhood watch volunteer in the Retreat at Twin Lakes community in Sanford at the time of the killing. He has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and could face life imprisonment if convicted.
Martin, 17, was a student at a Miami-area high school and a guest of one of the homeowners. He was returning after buying snacks at a convenience store when he was shot in the chest during a confrontation with Zimmerman.
Several former Twin Lakes residents have testified for the prosecution that they heard and caught glimpses of the fight between Zimmerman and Martin, and heard cries for help, on a dark and rainy night near a walkway between units in the community of townhomes.
Advertisement
Good said he was watching TV with his wife when he heard a noise outside and saw two people wrestling on the ground, with "a lighter-skinned man" on the bottom. He identified the other man, Martin, by his race and clothing.
Good initially told police the person on top was pummeling the other in mixed martial arts style, but backed off that, saying the person on top was straddling the other man, but his arms might have been holding the other down rather than punching.
Asked by state prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda if he saw the "person on top" grabbing the head of the lighter skinned man and slamming it into the concrete, Good replied "No."
In opening statements, defense attorney Don West told the court "Trayvon Martin armed himself with the concrete sidewalk and used it to smash George Zimmerman's head ... That is a deadly weapon."
Under cross-examination Good was asked why he had clarified his initial description about blows being struck. "That's what it looked like," Good said. But because it was dark outside, Good said "I can't 100 percent confirm that that was happening."
Good also said that he was not sure who made the cries for help that several neighbors have described, although he said "the yelling sounded like it was coming from the person on the bottom."
Three residents have told the court that they saw someone who appeared to be Zimmerman on top during the incident.
Even though several were close enough to hear the struggle, the prosecution has highlighted the fact that none of them heard a crude death threat that Zimmerman says Martin made moments before he shot him.
Prosecutors say Zimmerman profiled Martin, suspecting him of being up to no good, and killed him in an act of vigilante justice. The defense says Zimmerman was doing his job as part of the neighborhood watch and simply trying to investigate something that he perceived as suspicious.
The prosecution faces a tall order to win a conviction for second-degree murder, and under Florida law must convince all six jurors that Zimmerman acted with "ill will" or "hatred" and "an indifference to human life."
Under Florida's Stand Your Ground law, which was approved in 2005 and has since been copied by about 30 other states, people fearing for their lives can use deadly force without having to retreat from a confrontation, even when it is possible.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting - George Zimmerman
One of the most aggravating and infuriating things I've seen out of this thus far is the media, and others, who keep making the claim "the police told him not to follow Trayvon, and he did anyway and shot him."
All that is bullshit, compete, unadulterated bullshit.
We already know from previous "time lines" that Zimmerman had spotted Martin and eventually got out and followed him WHILE SPEAKING TO THE DISPATCHER. He was sounding out of breath in the call. Any idiot who listens can hear it and that's why the dispatcher asked "Are you following him". Zimmerman replied yes, and the dispatcher said "We don't need you to do that...."
That wasn't an order. It wasn't the police (most dispatchers are NOT police officers, especially not in little towns). And Zimmerman said "ok" and stood down right then.
Then Martin came from behind a building, charged Zimmerman, knocked him down and started beating him.
When Martin saw the gun he said "you're going to die" or words to that effect and attempted according to Zimmerman to grab the gun.
ANY POLICE officer in the same position would have fought for the weapon and shot the perp trying to take it.
Martin flat out attacked Zimmerman and Zimmerman defended himself with his gun.
If I were the attorneys for Zimmerman I'd be pressing the time line. If I were on the jury I'd be asking questions.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting - George Zimmerman
Yep, I'd almost guarantee that's the scenario that went down.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting - George Zimmerman
Obviously, none of us were there. But, you know, I grew up in Detroit. I've dealt with people like Martin before. I've actually been in fights with people like him.
There's no DOUBT in my mind that Zimmerman was trying to be a good neighbor and find a no-good robber, because the area had been robbed before and people had described someone like Martin previously. Martin didn't like the idea he was being followed, that's pretty obvious, and he decided to challenge Zimmerman and attack him.
This is a bullshit trial, waste of money and should have never, ever gone to court.
Now, I'm sure some mofo is gonna call me a racist or some shit, but this has nothing to do with racism. It has to do with the facts.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting - George Zimmerman
Tray Tray was a thug in training and figured he'd show how much of a tough guy he was. He rolled the dice and lost. Tough shit. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
His parents should take consolation in the fact that it probably only shortened his life a few years. He'd have been in the clink by 19 and dead by 28.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting - George Zimmerman
Well, his parents are going to take consolation in the fact the black population of America (a large number of them anyway) are going to go stupid and riot. And in some places WILL be shot dead.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting - George Zimmerman
George Zimmerman Prosecution's Woes: Analysis
By DAN ABRAMS
July 1, 2013
By most accounts, last week was not what the state in the George Zimmerman case would have hoped for. In one way or another, more than half of the prosecution witnesses supported Zimmerman's account of what happened the night Trayvon Martin was killed.
Prosecutors started strong with a powerful, concise opening statement from Assistant State Attorney John Guy, in contrast to the silly knock-knock joke and seemingly disorganized and meandering defense argument.
Photos of the final candy and drink that Martin, 17, purchased minutes before his death riveted the jury, followed by haunting images of his dead body, the end result of a quick visit to a 7-11.
But then something happened that many would have thought improbable as this case received wall to wall coverage leading up to Zimmerman's arrest.
Catch up on all the details from the George Zimmerman murder trial.
What the state hoped would be proof that Zimmerman initiated the altercation and that he, not Martin, was on top as they grappled on the ground, did not appear to proceed as planned. A variety of eye and ear witnesses of varying credibility, did offer testimony to support the prosecution theory that Zimmerman was the aggressor before the shot was fired. They either heard what they thought was Zimmerman instigating the encounter or in one case heard a chase (which Zimmerman insists never happened).
But with each witness there were either facts that we now know are not true (like hearing three shots, when there was only one) or indications that their memories have somehow become clearer since the incident itself.
While those sorts of attacks on witnesses, in particular eyewitnesses, are standard fare for cross examination, the state's troubles seemed to extend further than minor inconsistencies.
George Zimmerman Case in Pictures
Even the prosecution's effort to show that Zimmerman was an over-eager, wannabe cop backfired when a witness from the Sanford Police Department, testifying as part of the prosecution's case, admitted that she tried to recruit Zimmerman for a citizen's patrol and that "George was very professional, a little meek, really wanted to make community better."
Then came the state's star witness, Rachel Jeantel, who recounted those final moments on the phone with Martin.
"He told me the man kept following him," Jeantel testified. "I say, 'Trayvon,' and then he said, 'Why are you following me for?' And then I heard a hard-breathing man come say, 'What you doing around here?' ... And then I was calling, 'Trayvon, Trayvon.' And then I started to hear a little bit of Trayvon saying, 'Get off, get off.'"
If jurors believe her, that Martin said "get off," then there seems to be little question that Zimmerman at least initiated the incident.
The problem? She admitted to lying on certain matters, and most importantly she was confronted with an earlier account, where she had recalled Zimmerman uttering the far more innocuous response, "What are you talking about," rather the more menacing "What are you doing around here" The difference between bewilderment by Zimmerman as opposed to a veiled accusation is a significant one.
But the ambiguity surrounding her testimony was nothing compared to the clarity of neighbor and witness John Good. His vantage point and detailed account may be more definitive than that of any other witness to date, and rather than supporting the prosecution's case, he seemed to bolster Zimmerman's claim that Martin was beating him.
Good testified that the lighter skinned man was on the bottom. He also described to the jury the clothing that he saw.
"The color on top was dark and the color at bottom was ... red," Martin said. Zimmerman is a white Hispanic who was wearing a red jacket while Martin, who was black, was wearing a dark sweatshirt.
George Zimmerman's Prosecution Has Long Way to Go
The beauty of having a camera in court is that we all can watch the testimony and develop informed (sometimes differing) opinions about how the case is proceeding. In a case this divisive and sensitive I am glad no one has to take my, or any other reporter's word for what happened in court. Yes the Jodi Arias case was fascinating and the verdict in Casey Anthony somewhat stunning, but this is a case where the verdict could extend well beyond the confines of this particular courtroom.
It's not just the facts that the public ought to see and understand, but the law that the jury will be instructed to employ and this has always been a tough legal case for prosecutors (even beyond the issue of whether prosecutors should have just sought a manslaughter charge rather second degree murder.)
Even if Rachel Jeantel is absolutely right about what happened, prosecutors still have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Zimmerman did not "reasonably believe" he was "in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm" during their altercation. That is a heavy burden to bear.
If these six women jurors believe the fight would not have occurred but for Zimmerman "following" Martin -- which remains a matter of dispute -- and even if they are convinced that Zimmerman initiated the confrontation, that alone is not enough to convict under Florida law.
When this case entered the public consciousness, Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law became a national focus. Under that controversial law, determining who was the aggressor is crucial to assessing whether a defendant can succeed in having a case dismissed. The defense here chose not to rely on that law, probably because they would have lost at a hearing.
Instead, they are arguing classic self defense and so Zimmerman's actions and mindset when he fired the shot are at issue. Was he reasonably in fear for his life or great bodily harm at the moment he pulled the trigger?
This jury could believe Zimmerman was wrong, even be convinced that he stalked Martin and still find that the prosecution had not survived its legal burden beyond a reasonable doubt. These legal distinctions are important and as part of the live coverage on many cable and local news networks they are discussing these issues thereby allowing people to better understand the process.
This is not to suggest in any way that the prosecution should be throwing in the towel. This week they will present evidence of inconsistencies in Zimmerman's own account of what happened and if they find his story implausible that could spell trouble for the defense. Furthermore, jurors can give some witnesses far more weight than others.
But no matter what happens, I know I'll be glad that the world watched and judged it, and the verdict, for themselves.
"The person on the bottom, I could hear a 'Help,'" Good said.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting - George Zimmerman
I really have to wonder about this....
It's NOT impossible to tell who the voice was.
They CAN do voice analysis stuff with frequency spectrum analyzers and then have Zimmerman repeat the phrases if they think he was the one yelling then compare the things.
A voice print is like a fingerprint, it is very unique. Granted this was under duress, but there is no way Martin was doing the yelling if he charged at Zimmerman. Zimmerman was probably on the ground yelling, I know sure as shit *I* would have been if someone were on top of me hitting me into the concrete.
They need to bring in the photos of Martin's knuckles (they DID take photos right?) and the blood on the concrete (they DID take photos, right?) and Zimmerman's face, back of head, and by GOD Martin's wound (they DID TAKE PHOTOS, RIGHT?!?!?!?!)
Voice analyst in Zimmerman trial: 'Impossible' to tell age of person heard screaming on 911 tape
Published July 01, 2013
FoxNews.com
SANFORD, Fla. – The prosecution began the second week of testimony in the George Zimmerman murder trial with a voice analyst who said it was "impossible to determine" the age of the person who was heard screaming on the 911 call.
Hirotaka Nakasone, an FBI audio voice analyst who examined eight audio recordings related to the February, 2012, shooting of Trayvon Martin, said he was unable to identify or even peg an age to the person whose screams were heard on the tape. He said the pitch of one's voice goes "all over the place" under extreme stress.
It "was not possible to determine" the age of the person who was screaming, for approximately 2.5 seconds, he said under questioning from Assistant Prosecutor Richard Mantei. "Guessing age is a little complicated."
The issue is critical, because Zimmerman claims to have acted in self-defense when he shot the 17-year-old Martin. Determining who was doing the screaming could go a long way toward bolstering - or undermining - his defense. Prior to testimony beginning in the case, the prosecution had tried to block Nakasone in a Frye hearing, as they sought in vain to admit audio experts that said the voice was Martin's.
On cross examination by defense attorney Don West, Nakasone said people who harbor preconceptions or "a bias" prior to hearing a recording could make a mistake in identifying the speaker.
"There is always that danger," Nakasone said.
More than 20 witnesses testified during the opening week of a trial that has opened up national debates about race, equal justice, self-defense and gun control.
Zimmerman has said Martin was banging his head into the concrete sidewalk behind the townhomes in a gated community. Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder and has pleaded not guilty.
Zimmerman defense attorney Mark O'Mara said at the end of last week that the trial was progressing at a faster pace than anticipated, but that he was reserving judgment on the prosecution's case so far.
"We're in the middle of it. They've got a lot more to show. These things build up slow, and it's sort of like pieces of a puzzle," O'Mara said. "People say, 'wait a minute, I can't see the picture yet.' They're very good prosecutors, they're gonna do very good job, and they're gonna put on their evidence. We'll see how it goes. We're certainly ready to respond to it."
Zimmerman, 29, could get life in prison if convicted of second-degree murder. The state argued during its opening statement that Zimmerman profiled and followed Martin in his truck and called a police dispatch number before he and the teen got into a fight.
Zimmerman has denied the confrontation had anything to do with race, as Martin's family and their supporters have claimed.
Over the first five days of testimony, jurors heard 911 calls from neighbors that included cries for help and the fatal gunshot. Zimmerman's attorneys are adamant that he is the one screaming on the recordings, while Martin's parents have said it's their son.
Jurors also listened to more than six hours of testimony from Martin's friend Rachel Jeantel, who testified that she was talking on the phone with the teen as the fight started.
She testified that Martin told her he was being followed by "a creepy-ass cracker." But it was her testy cross-examination exchanges with defense attorney Don West that commanded the most attention.
West attacked inconsistencies in multiple statements she gave attorneys and law enforcement officials about what she heard, including whether she heard Martin say "Get off! Get off!"
There also was conflicting testimony from neighbors that witnessed parts of the struggle between Martin and Zimmerman. Some said it appeared the larger Zimmerman was straddling Martin, but neighbor Jonathan Good said it appeared Martin was on top.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/07/01...#ixzz2Xnu3HXmC
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting - George Zimmerman
Jurors to hear Zimmerman’s account of Trayvon Martin’s death
By Reuters
Monday, July 1, 2013 10:32 EDT
A picture of George Zimmerman on the night of the Trayvon Martin shooting is projected for the jury in this State evidence video in Sanford
Topics: George Zimmerman ♦ Trayvon Martin
By Barbara Liston
SANFORD, Florida (Reuters) – Jurors are expected to hear neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman’s description of how he shot unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in a Florida murder trial that moved into the second week of testimony on Monday.
Zimmerman gave several statements to police, including one just after he shot Martin during a fight in a gated community in the central Florida town of Sanford on February 26 last year, and another taken during a videotaped re-enactment the next day.
It is not yet known whether Zimmerman, who is white and Hispanic, will testify at his trial on a charge of second-degree murder in the racially charged case that triggered civil rights protests and debates about the treatment of black Americans in the U.S. justice system.
The trial resumed on Monday morning in a Seminole County criminal courtroom with testimony from an FBI voice analysis expert, Hirotaka Nakasone. He testified that a recorded 911 emergency call “is not fit for the purpose of voice comparison” to determine who was screaming for help – either Zimmerman or Martin – during the scuffle that ended with Martin’s death.
The trial is scheduled to run through Wednesday then take a break on Thursday for the Independence Day holiday. Circuit Judge Debra Nelson said court would resume on Friday.
Zimmerman, 29, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and could face life in prison if convicted. He says he killed Martin in self-defense after Martin attacked him and smashed his head into a sidewalk at the Retreat at Twin Lakes community.
Martin, 17, was a student at a Miami-area high school and a guest of one of the homeowners. He was returning after buying snacks at a convenience store when he was shot in the chest during a confrontation with Zimmerman.
Zimmerman was a member of the neighborhood watch and called police to report a suspicious person. Prosecutors claim he profiled Martin and chased after him vigilante-style rather than wait for police to arrive.
In order to win a second-degree murder conviction, prosecutors would have to convince the six women on the jury that Zimmerman acted with “ill will” or “hatred” and “an indifference to human life.”
Four former neighbors testified last week about what they could see and hear during the fatal argument on a rainy, dark night. Three said they thought Zimmerman was on top during the scuffle and one said Martin was on top.
None said they heard a crude death threat that Zimmerman says Martin made moments before he shot him.
Jurors also heard from a childhood friend who was talking on the phone with Martin moments before his death. She quoted Martin as saying a “creepy” man was following him and that she heard Martin yell “get off, get off” before the call went dead.
But the 19-year-old admitted lying when she said she was a minor and when she said she had missed Martin’s funeral because she was in the hospital.
Jurors were expected to hear this week from the lead police investigator in the case and the coroner who conducted the autopsy on Martin’s body.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting - George Zimmerman
Trayvon Martin’s Involvement In Local Burglaries Covered Up By Media, School, Police, Prosecutors
Jun 28, 2013 No Comments ›› Toro520
http://patdollard.com/wp-content/upl...ble-finger.jpg
http://theconservativetreehouse.file...pg?w=640&h=480
Excerpted from The Last Refuge:
Ironically were it not for Frances Robles writing a Miami Herald article on March 26th 2012 an entire chain of events would not have taken place.
http://patdollard.com/wp-content/upl...s-Excluded.jpg
It was that Robles article, and the outlining of the Miami-Dade School Police Department’s report on a Trayvon Martin incident from October 2011, that kicked off an internal investigation by M-DSPD Police Chief Hurley against his own officers to find out who leaked the police report.
[Note: The Miami-Dade Public School System has its own Police force, and Chief, who report to the School Board and Superintendent - Not the Police Dept. The Police Chief is appointed by the School Superintendent, in this example, Alberto Carvalho]
http://theconservativetreehouse.file...pg?w=640&h=445
It was that M-DSPD internal affairs investigation which revealed in October 2011 Trayvon Martin was searched by School Resource Officer, Darryl Dunn. The search of Trayvon Martin’s backpack turned up at least 12 pcs of ladies jewelry, and a man’s watch, in addition to a flat head screwdriver described as “a burglary tool”.
When Trayvon was questioned about who owned the jewelry and where it came from, he claimed he was just holding it for a “friend”. A “friend” he would not name.
Later, after the police report was outlined in the Robles article, and despite Trayvon being suspended for the second time in a new school year, Martin family attorney, Benjamin Crump, said Trayvon’s dad, Tracy Martin, and Trayvon’s mom, Sybrina Fulton, did not know anything about the jewelry case.
It was only as a consequence of the M-DSPD internal affairs investigation that “why” they may not have known came to light.
http://theconservativetreehouse.file...pg?w=640&h=431
On October 21st 2011 a burglary took place a few blocks from Krop Senior High School where Trayvon Martin attended. The stolen property outlined in the Miami-Dade Police Report (PD111021-422483) matches the descriptive presented by SRO Dunn in his School Police report 2011-11477.
However, there was ONE big issue. SRO Dunn never filed a criminal report, nor opened a criminal investigation, surrounding the stolen jewelry. Instead, and as a result of pressure from M-DSPD Chief Hurley to avoid criminal reports for black male students, Dunn wrote up the jewelry as “found items”, and transferred them, along with the burglary tool, to the Miami-Dade Police property room where they sat on a shelf unassigned to anyone for investigation.
A separate report of “criminal Mischief” (T-08809) was filed for the additional issue of writing “WTF” on a school locker. [It was the search for the marker used to write the graffiti that led to the backpack search].
The school discipline, “suspension”, was attached to the graffiti and not the stolen jewelry.
http://theconservativetreehouse.file...pg?w=640&h=259
The connections between the Police Burglary report and the School Report of “found items” were never made because the regular police detective in charge of the Burglary case had no idea the School Police Dept. had filed a “found items” report.
Two differing police departments, and the School Officer, Dunn, intentionally took the criminal element out of the equation – instead preferring “school discipline” and not “criminal adjudication”.
It was only when the M-DSPD Internal Affairs investigation kicked in, and six officers gave sworn affidavits, the manipulative scheme to improve criminal statistics within the School System were identified openly.
School Superintendent Alberto Carvalho gave his hire, Police Chief Hurley, instructions to reduce the criminal behavior of young black males. The chosen strategy between them, to insure optical success, was to stop using the Criminal Justice System to punish black student behavior. Instead they instructed the School Resource Officers to use school discipline in place of criminal justice.
Another approach was the use of The Baker Act, to quantify behaviors under health HIPPA law secrecy by assigning the students with psychological problems. This allowed them to again use school discipline and work around criminal reports.
Without the reports, the statistics would improve immensely; And improve they did.
http://diwataman.files.wordpress.com...00&h=675&h=675
The final approach, to insure no-one would find out about the manipulation, was to change the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for inter-agency information sharing.
This new SOP was outlined by a communications directive in 2010 forbidding the sharing of Miami-Dade School Police reports to outside agencies without redaction. Officers had to send any and all requests through the public information officer.
Hence, the furor of Chief Hurley when the Robles article hit the press and cited police reports – Hurley smelled a leaker and launched an investigation.
Ultimately the internal affairs investigation initiated by Hurley led to his own firing, because the officers questioned told the internal affairs investigators the truth of what was going on and outed the scheme.
One of the examples of this in action was the jewelry incident and Trayvon Martin – as accidentally outlined in the Herald report. But the Herald never knew their reporting had launched an internal affairs investigation which led to the collapse of the scheme.
Meanwhile the stolen jewelry from the burglary (PD111021-422483) was sitting on a shelf in the Property Room listed as (2011-11477 “found items) gathering dust.
Until we started digging, and the FOIA requests revealed not only the scheme, but the fact a victim was never made whole with the return of their items.
That is, until now. Keep reading
http://patdollard.com/2013/06/trayvon-martins-involvement-in-local-burglaries-covered-up-by-media-school-police/
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting - George Zimmerman
It's pretty obvious Martin was a slime ball. Zimmerman was trying to do the right thing, and he MIGHT have been in the wrong place at the wrong time and he might NOT have shot the kid, and he MIGHT wanna be a cop, and he MIGHT be a white-hispanic and he MIGHT get off.
Either way, Martin was still a shit head gangsta-wannabe and wasn't. He was a petty criminal, and maybe HE shouldn't have been in the area, maybe HE shouldn't have attacked Zimmerman, maybe HE should have run away, maybe HE wouldn't have gotten shot and maybe he shouldn't have been acting suspicious.
He's dead, won't act like an ass any more.
Zimmerman won't get a moment's peace if he is found innocent of all charges.
This is the biggest railroading I've ever seen.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting - George Zimmerman
Really?
Trayvon Martin’s stepmom Alicia Stanley is no longer standing on the sidelines. The women who helped raise the Martin for 14 years sat down for man interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Friday night, and she said she doesn’t think George Zimmerman shot her stepson because he was black.
“I really don’t think it was Zimmerman don’t like black people, or he picked him out because he was black,” she said. “Did he profile him with the hoodie and stuff like that as this thug, whatever, walking, in Zimmerman’s mind? Yes, but to say that he targeted him because he was black? No, I don’t think so.”
She went on to say that her family doesn’t use racial slurs like “white a** cracker,” which star witness Rachel Jeantel said Trayvon used to describe Zimmerman during their phone call.
“Kids gonna be kids,” she said. “We didn’t teach that kind of language in our home.”
She also admitted that see doesn’t like to watch the trial. “To see and hear the things that led to his death. It’s hard for me. I don’t care to hear that,” she revealed.
If Zimmerman is not found guilty of killing the 17-year-old, Stanley said she would be heartbroken.
“It’s going to be heartbreaking, because I truly believe that Zimmerman killed my son,” she said. “God will take care of all of that. I put it in God’s hands.”
Check out the full interview below and tell us what you think about Alicia Stanley finally speaking out.
http://hellobeautiful.com/2653375/tr...AACAAAABTIAgA=
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting - George Zimmerman
Expert: Ex: Has benn. Spert: Drip under pressure. Some expert.
George Zimmerman trial: Audio expert can't ID screams in 911 calls
http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amne...rue_lfalse.jpg AP Photo: Orlando Sentinel, Joe Burbank, Pool
An FBI audio expert is testifying in the George Zimmerman trial. Zimmerman is charged in the murder of Trayvon Martin.
share
tweet
email
An FBI voice analyst is testifying in the George Zimmerman trial about the screams heard on the 911 calls.
SANFORD, Fla. — An FBI audio expert whose pretrial testimony helped keep prosecution witnesses from testifying at George Zimmerman's murder trial took the stand Monday and said a person who is familiar with a voice on a recording has a better chance of identifying it.
The issue is who was screaming for help on 911 calls during the confrontation that ended with the neighborhood watch volunteer fatally shooting 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Jurors were played the 911 calls several times last week.
The recordings are crucial pieces of evidence because they could determine who the aggressor was in the confrontation. Martin's family contends it was the teen screaming, while Zimmerman's father has said it was his son.
Even though he was a pre-trial witness for the defense, prosecutors called FBI expert Hirotaka Nakasone to set up later testimony from either the teen's mother or father that they believe it was their son yelling for help.
During his pre-trial testimony, Nakasone testified that there wasn't enough clear sound to determine whether Zimmerman or Martin was screaming on the best 911 sample, an assertion he repeated Monday.
"It's not fit for the purpose of voice comparison," Nakasone said.
Related: Who's who in the George Zimmerman trial?
Nakasone also said guessing a person's age by voice is "complicated" in general, and it was impossible to determine with the 911 sample he heard.
The FBI expert said that it's easier for a person with a familiarity of a voice to identify it than someone who has never heard it previously. "It's better," he said.
But under cross-examination by defense attorney Don West, Nakasone said there was a risk of increased listener bias if people trying to identify a voice are listening to a sample in a group, as Martin's parents did, rather than individually.
"There might be a risk of bias included in the end results," Nakasone said.
Nakasone's pretrial testimony, along with other defense experts, helped keep two prosecution audio experts from testifying. One prosecution expert ruled out that it was Zimmerman screaming on the 911 call and the other thought it was the teen.
Judge Debra Nelson ruled that the methods used by the experts aren't reliable. Her ruling didn't prevent the 911 calls from being played at trial.
More than 20 witnesses last week testified during the opening week of a testimony in a trial that has opened up national debates about race, equal justice, self-defense and gun control.
Zimmerman has said he fatally shot the teen in February 2012 in self-defense as the Miami-area black teenager was banging his head into the concrete sidewalk behind the townhomes in a gated community. Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder and has pleaded not guilty.
Zimmerman defense attorney Mark O'Mara said at the end of last week that the trial was progressing at a faster pace than anticipated, but that he was reserving judgment on the prosecution's case so far.
"We're in the middle of it. They've got a lot more to show. These things build up slow, and it's sort of like pieces of a puzzle," O'Mara said. "People say, 'wait a minute, I can't see the picture yet.' They're very good prosecutors, they're gonna do very good job, and they're gonna put on their evidence. We'll see how it goes. We're certainly ready to respond to it."
Zimmerman, 29, could get life in prison if convicted of second-degree murder. The state argued during its opening statement that Zimmerman profiled and followed Martin in his truck and called a police dispatch number before he and the teen got into a fight.
Zimmerman has denied the confrontation had anything to do with race, as Martin's family and their supporters have claimed.