George Zimmerman Trial

The case of Trayvon Martin & George Zimmerman is tragic in every sense of the word. A boy was killed. The man who killed the boy will be subjected to scrutiny
for the rest of his life. Trayvon Martin will not get to live his life and his family must go on living without their beloved son. George Zimmerman's life will never be normal again, but he still has the opportunity to live and make something of himself, where Trayvon does not. All parties involved have had their lives turned upside-down in this case of wrongful death and public outrage due to the racial undertones and media outcrying for justice.

After following the case and evaluating the evidence presented to the public, clearly George Zimmerman must be punished. The question is how much?
Zimmerman acted in an irresponsible manner that contributed to the death of Trayvon Martin. As a neighborhood watchman, he was performing a civic duty by keeping a close eye on the streets and houses in his area. But Zimmerman crossed the line when he followed and stalked Trayvon Martin throughout the Sanford, Flordia community. Zimmerman followed Martin in his car, dialed the non-emergency dispatch to inform them what he was doing, then proceeded to get out of his car to continue following Martin into the yards of the housing. Zimmerman disregarded the order from the Dispatcher to "stop following the person," and that the proper authorities were on the way to investigate further.

The Defense for Zimmerman is this: He was attacked, beaten up and acted in self defense to save his own life. Pretty thin. But then again the evidence has shown Trayvon Martin was on top of Zimmerman during the confrontation. Evidence has shown the injuries Zimmerman suffered during the fight. Eyewitness accounts during the trial have proven to a great extent that though Zimmerman was following Martin, it was Trayvon whom engaged Zimmerman physically.

It appears the Defense has proven Reasonable Doubt to the charge of 2nd Degree Murder. Police interviews and Investigative experts have ripped this case apart to prove Zimmerman did not act with mal-intent. The Evidence has shown this is a case of a decent citizen overstepping his boundaries to assist in the protection of his neighborhood. However, the actions of George Zimmerman, while not malicious according to evidence, were still unlawful. He should not have been following Trayvon Martin. He should have stopped his pursuit exactly when he was instructed to do so by the Dispatcher. Had Zimmerman listened to the directions of the Law Enforcement Dispatch, Martin would still be alive and that is where George Zimmerman must reap what he has sown.

If I were on this jury, my decision would be George Zimmerman is Guilty of Manslaughter and must serve 5 to 10 years incarceration. Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin because he put them both in vulnerable positions. If someone is following you, you are immediately put into a state of mind of self preservation and protection. Trayvon, according to evidence, acted in a way that most people would deem perfectly reasonable to protect himself. Zimmerman, according to evidence, believed he was following a criminal so I wouldn't be surprised if the Court's punishment is even more severe than 5 to 10 years. 

It's a horrible tragegy and my heart goes out to the Martin family. Hopefully people can learn from this to let Law Enforcement do their jobs. It's not a bad thing to be a Neighborhood Watchperson, but you must know where to draw the line. And carrying a firearm in public is always a dangerous proposition when one looks to be an aggressor in pursuits & confrontations.