Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Friday, October 03, 2014

DOJ won’t file civil-rights charges against George Zimmerman for shooting Trayvon Martin

Few people thought they would, right? Holder’s teased friendly audiences from time to time with vague promises that “justice” would be done but even he’s been at pains to note that civil-rights cases are hard to win. I think that, ever since the Rodney King trials, the public has a hazy sense that if a state prosecutor can’t get a conviction in a racially charged case that’s gotten national attention, the feds will swoop in and file their own charges as a fallback option. It’s not a matter of law, it’s a matter of politics: If people are sufficiently angry about the state verdict, the DOJ will do its best to placate them by trying to get a conviction of its own.

Not this time, though.

The federal investigation of Zimmerman was opened two years ago by the department’s civil rights division, but officials said there is insufficient evidence to bring federal charges. The investigation technically remains open, but it is all but certain the department will close it…

“I was watching the whole case pretty closely for two years, and they didn’t do anything except take those 40 statements [from witnesses],” [Zimmerman attorney Mark] O’Mara said. The statements “suggested that George acted in very non-racist ways. He took a black girl to the prom. His best buddy was a black guy. He mentored two black kids. He sought justice for a black homeless man beaten up by a white cop’s son.”…

The difficulty in bringing charges in the Martin case highlights the challenges for investigators in federal criminal civil rights cases. Under federal law for hate crimes, prosecutors would have to show not just that Zimmerman followed Martin because of his race but also that he shot the youth intentionally because he was African American.

More

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Martins parents should have to pay Zimmerman for raising a criminal and unleashing him on society.

Anonymous said...

The parents could pay lots of $ & not miss it. They have amassed millions from their race baiting.. And it continues..

Anonymous said...

Did the feds return his gun?

Anonymous said...

Going to happen in Ferguson too. The 18 year old man was a career criminal! Notice I said man, because at 18 that is what he is, not a little "Teen" as the Media likes to say.

Anonymous said...

White people better wake up and arm themselves a race war is coming.

Anonymous said...

We've forgotten all about George.

Anonymous said...

Zimmerman deserves a medal for ridding society of this criminal trash