Trayvon Martin case: George Zimmerman quietly pleaded not guilty

[DonCoquixote]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-la-na-nn-zimmerman-not-guilty-plea-20120424,0,769109.story

OK, we saw this coming...if he was smart, he would have taken a plea, and got worked down to some low low charge that means he would be out in time for the GOP convention in Tampa.

OH, I love this quote:

"The Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure allow Zimmerman to enter a not-guilty plea on paper. Kenneth B. Nunn, a law professor at the University of Florida, said the paper plea was probably a minor tactical maneuver on O'Mara's part to reduce the hassles involved with having Zimmerman appear in public.

"Why have him come out of hiding and have another chance for his location to be discovered -- and then have him go in front of the court for something that's meaningless anyway?" Nunn said.

In short, he is being sneaky, and the courts are allowing him to be sneaky.

[MrScorpio]

1. So much for that phony-ass apology of his. nt

[rustydog]

2. He is using the court system to it's full potential..I would too

We still have to put faith in the system.
The sad thing is, the way the ALEC Florida law is written, Zimmie could get away wth cold-blooded murder.

[TransitJohn]

3. Of course we saw this coming, his conviction is anything but a sure thing.

Case was way too fucked up by the keystone cops down there.

[JDPriestly]

4. Too early to plead. I don't think that Zimmerman knows what evidence the prosecution has yet.

[Solomon]

5. I was about to say, Every defendant pleads not guilty

its standard procedure. The plea, if they will be one, comes much later on. Standard procedure.

[Saving Hawaii]

6. Yeah. If you intend to plead down the road, now is not the right time to make a plea.

It's always not guilty to start and you start looking at pleas as you're pushing your trial date.

[DonCoquixote]

7. ok, point taken

Though I still think his apologies and injury claims are rank bs

[-..__...]

8. I would think that's SOP given the seriousness of the charge.

Call the prosecutors bluff and see if they'll offer reduced charges in the form of a plea bargain.

[Solomon]

9. Oh please, the prosecution is not bluffing.

You guys kill me with this "overcharge" business. Prosecutors don't charge "hoping for a plea deal."

Zimmerman is the one hoping for a plea deal.

[DonCoquixote]

10. Florida is dfferent

Namely because, in the Orlando area (not too far from Sanford) a certain lady named Casey Anthony got off a murder rap when everybody thought it was a lock. The prosecutor there left in disgrace as the general consensus was that he should have prosecuted for a lesser charge. The wreckage from that case is still smouldering in the streets, and, sadly, there are many more pro Zimmerman people than there ever were pro Casey people.

Of course, if Casey Anthony has skin the color of Tray Martin, we know she would be on Death Row, but that is a rant worthy of it's own op.