blake 3:17
12th April 2012, 00:40
Trayvon Martin shooter charged with 2nd-degree murder
The Associated Press Posted: Apr 11, 2012 11:29 AM ET
A special prosecutor assigned to the Trayvon Martin case has charged neighbourhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman with second-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of the 17-year-old.
George Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. (Associated Press)
Prosecutor Angela Corey announced the charges at a news conference in Jacksonville, Fla.
"The team here with me has worked tirelessly working for answers in Trayvon Martin's death," said Corey, who emphasized that the charges were not made due to mounting public pressure.
"There is a reason cases are tried in a court of law, not in a court of media."
Zimmerman's shooting of the unarmed black teenager Feb. 26 brought demands from black leaders for his arrest and set off a furious nationwide debate over race and self-defence that reached all the way to the White House.
The 28-year-old Zimmerman, whose father is white and whose mother is Hispanic, said the teenager attacked him. Martin's family argued Zimmerman was the aggressor.
Zimmerman's arrest was delayed partly because of Florida's "stand your ground" law, which gives people wide leeway to use deadly force without having to retreat in the face of danger. Florida is among 21 states with such a law.
Corey said a great deal of information on this case has been circulating that never should have been released.
"There's been an overwhelming amount of publicity in this case," she said, adding that she worries it will be difficult to find an impartial jury.
P.O.V.: Do you think George Zimmerman can get a fair trial? Have your say here.
"It is regrettable that so many facts and details have been released and misconstrued."
Corey said that two of her top prosecutors — Bernie de la Rionda and John Guy — would be leading the investigation, which she defined as a truth-seeking mission.
"It was less than three weeks ago that we told those sweet parents we would get answers to all of their questions no matter where our quest for the truth led us," said Corey, who repeatedly stressed the importance of a fair and impartial trial.
"When we charge a person with a crime, we are equally committed to justice on their behalf as we are on our victim's behalf."
Slain teen's parents urge calm
previous1 of 13expandnext
The parents of Trayvon Martin, Sybrina Fulton, right, and Tracy Martin hold hands as they watch a news conference in Washington with special prosecutor Angela Corey in Sanford, Fla., announcing charges against George Zimmerman on Wednesday, April 11, 2012. (Evan Vucci, Pool/AP)
Trayvon Martin's parents expressed relief over Corey's decision to charge the man who killed their son.
They watched Corey's announcement on television in a room at the Washington Convention Center.
As soon as Corey uttered the words "second-degree murder," his father, Tracy Martin, and his mother, Sybrina Fulton, grasped hands. Their attorney, Benjamin Crump, placed his hands over theirs. Fulton smiled slightly at the news.
They appealed for their supporters, as well as Zimmerman's supporters, to remain calm in response to the prosecutor's decision.
"We've always said that we want peaceful resolution, no matter what side you're on," Martin said.
"We don't want them to stop the protest and the rallies, we just want to make sure that they remain peaceful," said Fulton.
"We're going through the process the right way, the proper way. We just ask that everybody that supports us do the same thing. Even the ones who don't support us, we want to make sure that they protest in a peaceful manner."
Earlier Wednesday Fulton said if she could speak directly to George Zimmerman, she would allow him a chance to say he is sorry for what happened.
"I would probably give him an opportunity to apologize," Fulton told The Associated Press in an interview.
"I would probably ask him if there were another way that he could have settled the confrontation that he had with Trayvon, other than the way it ended, with Trayvon being shot."
Her voice trailed off, and tears welled in her eyes. She expressed faith that the justice system would work as it should.
Martin offered several questions that he would like to ask Zimmerman about the sequence of events that led up to Trayvon's death, but in the end said he would want to know, "Was it really worth it?"
"The question I would really like to ask him is, if he could look into Trayvon's eyes and see how innocent he was, would he have then pulled the trigger? Or would he have just let him go on home?" Martin said.
Lawyers drop case
On Tuesday, Zimmerman's lawyers announced they were withdrawing from the case because they hadn't heard from him since Sunday and didn't know where he was. They portrayed his mental state as fragile.
Trayvon Martin, who was killed in February, poses in an undated photo. (Martin family/Associated Press)
"He is largely alone. You might even say he is emotionally crippled by virtue of the pressure of this case," said one of the lawyers, Hal Uhrig.
The case has drawn the interest of the highest levels of the Obama administration, with the Justice Department's civil rights division opening its own investigation.
Tensions have risen in recent days in Sanford. Someone shot up an unoccupied police car Tuesday as it sat outside the neighbourhood where Martin was killed. And a demonstration by college students closed the town's police station Monday.
Six weeks ago, Martin was returning to the home of his father's fiancee from a convenience store when Zimmerman started following him.
Zimmerman told police dispatchers he looked suspicious. At some point, the two got into a fight and Zimmerman used his gun.
Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/04/11/trayvon-martin-parents.html
The Associated Press Posted: Apr 11, 2012 11:29 AM ET
A special prosecutor assigned to the Trayvon Martin case has charged neighbourhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman with second-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of the 17-year-old.
George Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. (Associated Press)
Prosecutor Angela Corey announced the charges at a news conference in Jacksonville, Fla.
"The team here with me has worked tirelessly working for answers in Trayvon Martin's death," said Corey, who emphasized that the charges were not made due to mounting public pressure.
"There is a reason cases are tried in a court of law, not in a court of media."
Zimmerman's shooting of the unarmed black teenager Feb. 26 brought demands from black leaders for his arrest and set off a furious nationwide debate over race and self-defence that reached all the way to the White House.
The 28-year-old Zimmerman, whose father is white and whose mother is Hispanic, said the teenager attacked him. Martin's family argued Zimmerman was the aggressor.
Zimmerman's arrest was delayed partly because of Florida's "stand your ground" law, which gives people wide leeway to use deadly force without having to retreat in the face of danger. Florida is among 21 states with such a law.
Corey said a great deal of information on this case has been circulating that never should have been released.
"There's been an overwhelming amount of publicity in this case," she said, adding that she worries it will be difficult to find an impartial jury.
P.O.V.: Do you think George Zimmerman can get a fair trial? Have your say here.
"It is regrettable that so many facts and details have been released and misconstrued."
Corey said that two of her top prosecutors — Bernie de la Rionda and John Guy — would be leading the investigation, which she defined as a truth-seeking mission.
"It was less than three weeks ago that we told those sweet parents we would get answers to all of their questions no matter where our quest for the truth led us," said Corey, who repeatedly stressed the importance of a fair and impartial trial.
"When we charge a person with a crime, we are equally committed to justice on their behalf as we are on our victim's behalf."
Slain teen's parents urge calm
previous1 of 13expandnext
The parents of Trayvon Martin, Sybrina Fulton, right, and Tracy Martin hold hands as they watch a news conference in Washington with special prosecutor Angela Corey in Sanford, Fla., announcing charges against George Zimmerman on Wednesday, April 11, 2012. (Evan Vucci, Pool/AP)
Trayvon Martin's parents expressed relief over Corey's decision to charge the man who killed their son.
They watched Corey's announcement on television in a room at the Washington Convention Center.
As soon as Corey uttered the words "second-degree murder," his father, Tracy Martin, and his mother, Sybrina Fulton, grasped hands. Their attorney, Benjamin Crump, placed his hands over theirs. Fulton smiled slightly at the news.
They appealed for their supporters, as well as Zimmerman's supporters, to remain calm in response to the prosecutor's decision.
"We've always said that we want peaceful resolution, no matter what side you're on," Martin said.
"We don't want them to stop the protest and the rallies, we just want to make sure that they remain peaceful," said Fulton.
"We're going through the process the right way, the proper way. We just ask that everybody that supports us do the same thing. Even the ones who don't support us, we want to make sure that they protest in a peaceful manner."
Earlier Wednesday Fulton said if she could speak directly to George Zimmerman, she would allow him a chance to say he is sorry for what happened.
"I would probably give him an opportunity to apologize," Fulton told The Associated Press in an interview.
"I would probably ask him if there were another way that he could have settled the confrontation that he had with Trayvon, other than the way it ended, with Trayvon being shot."
Her voice trailed off, and tears welled in her eyes. She expressed faith that the justice system would work as it should.
Martin offered several questions that he would like to ask Zimmerman about the sequence of events that led up to Trayvon's death, but in the end said he would want to know, "Was it really worth it?"
"The question I would really like to ask him is, if he could look into Trayvon's eyes and see how innocent he was, would he have then pulled the trigger? Or would he have just let him go on home?" Martin said.
Lawyers drop case
On Tuesday, Zimmerman's lawyers announced they were withdrawing from the case because they hadn't heard from him since Sunday and didn't know where he was. They portrayed his mental state as fragile.
Trayvon Martin, who was killed in February, poses in an undated photo. (Martin family/Associated Press)
"He is largely alone. You might even say he is emotionally crippled by virtue of the pressure of this case," said one of the lawyers, Hal Uhrig.
The case has drawn the interest of the highest levels of the Obama administration, with the Justice Department's civil rights division opening its own investigation.
Tensions have risen in recent days in Sanford. Someone shot up an unoccupied police car Tuesday as it sat outside the neighbourhood where Martin was killed. And a demonstration by college students closed the town's police station Monday.
Six weeks ago, Martin was returning to the home of his father's fiancee from a convenience store when Zimmerman started following him.
Zimmerman told police dispatchers he looked suspicious. At some point, the two got into a fight and Zimmerman used his gun.
Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/04/11/trayvon-martin-parents.html