General Discussion

boston bean

(36,224 posts) Sun Jul 14, 2013, 08:57 PM Jul 2013

I just learned something from watching CNN

And now I'm a bit more disturbed with the prosecution team in the Zimmerman trial.

If the prosecution had not played the tapes of George Zimmermans interviews an re-enactment, the defense would not have been able to use them unless Zimmerman took the stand.

Does this sound right? They seemed pretty confident.

12 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

I just learned something from watching CNN (Original Post) boston bean Jul 2013 OP

I think thats right DJ13 Jul 2013 #1

Nothing is a mistake when it comes to delivering decisions that favor conservatives. Baitball Blogger Jul 2013 #9

i don't think it mattered, the jury wasn't going to convict him for shooting a black kid JI7 Jul 2013 #2

I heard a couple of defense madaboutharry Jul 2013 #3

I had co-workers argue a better case against Zimmerman while in the breakroom last week! TheDebbieDee Jul 2013 #4

The prosecution mentioned all those things, FYI. nt woolldog Jul 2013 #11

Well, the jurors either had their fingers in their ears when this was pointed out or TheDebbieDee Jul 2013 #12

Prosecution? Bragi Jul 2013 #5

Zimmernam invoked his right not to testify. Courts have found you can't use that right selectively, PoliticAverse Jul 2013 #6

So they fucked up? boston bean Jul 2013 #7

Ultimately only the jurors can say whether it helped or hurt the states' case. n/t PoliticAverse Jul 2013 #8

They played the tapes to demonstrate the lies mzmolly Jul 2013 #10

DJ13

(23,671 posts)

1. I think thats right

Reply to boston bean (Original post)

Sun Jul 14, 2013, 09:02 PM

Jul 2013

The prosecution shot themselves in the foot with that one.

Zimmerman would have been forced to testify to try and justify his actions, and then the prosecution could have directly cross examined him to highlight his obvious bias against other races, pointing out the same things they used the tapes for.

Using the videos was a real fuck up (among other things).

Baitball Blogger

(46,768 posts)

9. Nothing is a mistake when it comes to delivering decisions that favor conservatives.

Reply to DJ13 (Reply #1)

Sun Jul 14, 2013, 09:31 PM

Jul 2013

JI7

(89,279 posts)

2. i don't think it mattered, the jury wasn't going to convict him for shooting a black kid

Reply to boston bean (Original post)

Sun Jul 14, 2013, 09:03 PM

Jul 2013

madaboutharry

(40,232 posts)

3. I heard a couple of defense

Reply to boston bean (Original post)

Sun Jul 14, 2013, 09:04 PM

Jul 2013

attorneys a couple of days ago discussing this on MSNBC. The prosecutors could have put Zimmerman in a position where it would have been tough for him not to testify.

TheDebbieDee

(11,119 posts)

4. I had co-workers argue a better case against Zimmerman while in the breakroom last week!

Reply to boston bean (Original post)

Sun Jul 14, 2013, 09:07 PM

Jul 2013

They wondered if and when the prosecution was going to point out that GZ lied about:

1) getting out of the car to see the street sign because he didn't know where he was

2) the position of the gun while he was wrestling with Trayvon - if his weapon was holstered behind him, then how could Trayvon see it to reach for it

Lastly, if GZ was so intimidated by TM why did he get out of his safe car to follow him?

This Flori-duh prosecuting team didn't want to win this case badly enough. Heaven knows how badly those yokels will botch the Dunn-Davis murder!

woolldog

(8,791 posts)

11. The prosecution mentioned all those things, FYI. nt

Reply to TheDebbieDee (Reply #4)

Sun Jul 14, 2013, 11:25 PM

Jul 2013

TheDebbieDee

(11,119 posts)

12. Well, the jurors either had their fingers in their ears when this was pointed out or

Reply to woolldog (Reply #11)

Sun Jul 14, 2013, 11:38 PM

Jul 2013

the jurors just didn't CARE! Maybe they were in a hurry to acquit to get back to their suburban homes and satellite television!

Bragi

(7,650 posts)

5. Prosecution?

Reply to boston bean (Original post)

Sun Jul 14, 2013, 09:13 PM

Jul 2013

Florida didn't want to lay the charges, and it appears the prosecution was deliberately lame, so the fix was in. I hope the feds now do the right thing.

PoliticAverse

(26,366 posts)

6. Zimmernam invoked his right not to testify. Courts have found you can't use that right selectively,

Reply to boston bean (Original post)

Sun Jul 14, 2013, 09:13 PM

Jul 2013

for example you can't testify in your own defense and answer all your own attorney's questions and
then refuse to answer any cross-examination questions from the Prosecution by invoking your rights.

If the defense were able to show a tape of a Zimmerman interview but prosecutors weren't able to
cross examine Zimmerman this would represent an attempt to get around that rule.

See:
Brown v. United States - 356 U.S. 148 (1958)
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/356/148/