Did the prosecution in the Zimmerman trial "throw the case?"

[Renew Deal]

There are people that feel that the prosecution has either not given their best effort or has even attempted to lose the case. There are others that have stated that the prosecution is doing the best with what they've got. What is your opinion on this? The poll is time limited because I'm sure opinions will change after the verdict.

21 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Time expired
	The prosecution did the best with what they had. (Tried to win)
	16 (76%)
	The prosecution tried to lose on purpose
	5 (24%)
	Not sure
	0 (0%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[NYC_SKP]

1. I had not heard this.

From the little I've seen, I think they did a better job.

[Renew Deal]

2. It seems that people have been....

more supportive in the last few days. Earlier in the week and last week people had doubts.

[arely staircase]

3. has there been a verdict? nt

[Renew Deal]

5. No

And that's why it's better to ask now.

[arely staircase]

7. Well If the verdict is guilty the answer is clearly no

If it is not guilty, then it is debatable.

[Renew Deal]

9. Couldn't the prosecution win in spite of their best efforts not to?

(Some of) the cops tried to protect Zimmerman and he was still eventually charged.

[arely staircase]

14. Possible.

Though you have to separate the cops from the prosecutors (who were brought in from somewhere else.)

[OmahaBlueDog]

4. As of 10:15 Central (11:15 Eastern) on Saturday, there was still no verdict

The prosecution obviously gave the jurors something to think about. There wasn't an acquittal inside of two hours (which many had predicted).

[Renew Deal]

6. There could be a verdict at any time today

[arely staircase]

8. are they deliberating through the weekend? nt

[Renew Deal]

10. Don't know

But I know they are there today.

[OmahaBlueDog]

11. Many thought the prosecutor did such a bad job that the verdict would come yesterday

I was one of them. I'm not a big fan of juries being handed cases on Friday afternoons. "Weekend Thinking" often comes into play.

[Quixote1818]

12. I would pay more attention to what a sucessful lawyer thinks. Casey Anthony's lawyer

Said John Guy is "Scary Good".


https://twitter.com/BaezLaw/status/355733459269988352

[Renew Deal]

17. Is he saying Zimmerman is innocent?

[Quixote1818]

41. I don't know, but he sure thinks John Guy is a good trial lawyer

I thought his closing arguments were extremely heart felt and impressive. He moved at least one woman to tears. He is really smooth! You could tell the defense was envious of his delivery and charm.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

13. A trial is not a play/nt

[pipoman]

15. Prosecutors like charging people

if they believe there is a reasonable chance of winning..they didn't charge him until public pressure became unbearable..the prosecutor knew the case was weak. If they 'threw the case' it would almost have to be because they either failed to present evidence or failed to produce witnesses..if there was evidence, in most cases nobody would know except the prosecution and defense, in this case however there were so many reporters no stone has gone unturned in the investigation..we would know..if a witness or witnesses were ignored by the prosecution we would know that too because they would be on every channel...no, I believe the prosecution was reluctant to press this case because there was too little there..

[Renew Deal]

18. One way to "throw the case" is by overcharging

And they have been accused of that. The investigator recommended manslaughter.

[pipoman]

23. Yeah, true, the prosecutor would have been strung up

if he would have charged him with anything less than murder. Wasn't he indicted by a grand jury?

[premium]

28. No, the special prosecutor

opted not to convene a GJ and instead filed 2nd Murder charges.
I suspect she bypassed the GJ because of fear of a No Bill ruling.

[ChiciB1]

16. Some Posted This Before & I Asked...

Could this be possible? Several people answered this way... Only if they want to get disbarred!

[Renew Deal]

19. Overcharging is a way to throw a case

And they don't get disbarred. Also, putting on defense friendly witnesses is another.

[TorchTheWitch]

20. they didn't do nearly as a good a job as they could have

And they had plenty to work with. Though Guy and the 3rd prosecutor whose name I still haven't figured out did a good job, but Bernie in particular was a mess. Though the jurors may have found him silly and even a buffoon at times, at least that's not something that's really annoying or would reflect badly on the case itself. Though de la Rionda is supposed to have a long and distinguished record in my eyes he just belly flopped on this case in a number of ways that at least thankfully his second and third chair were good enough to mostly clean up.

Despite the job that prosecution did as a whole, I think they still made the lies clear and that the evidence speaks for itself for at least manslaughter. However, they could have done a MUCH better job hitting on every one of the lies, clarifying of points particularly important ones. They (meaning Bernie) did unfortunately waste time and energy arguing things that did not matter like who was on top and who the screams sounded like they belonged to. It never mattered which one was one top, and the only way for the jurors to be able to decide who the screams belonged to was not what it sounded like but the fact that the screams abruptly stopped after the gunshot and that though they were continuous Zimmerman claimed that he was being smothered and therefore wouldn't have been able to scream.

The defense fortunately was terrible. O'Mara came off as a condescending smarmy snake oil salesman that was ridiculously transparent and West came off as a ghastly annoying bully. They repeatedly angered the judge, and jurors notice such things. Jurors also don't like being talked down to as though they're stupid and don't like seeing witnesses talked down to that way either... particularly female jurors who have been talked down to and marginalized as inherently stupid all their lives. I have no doubt that whatever each juror thinks of the case itself that they despise both defense counsel, and in some degree that always rubs off on their client. O'Mara in particular made many amateur mistakes. The longer he went on and on pointing out every little smudge, dink and speck on on Zimmerman's face and head the more he made it clear that his injuries were insignificant. He also made the colossal mistake of continually interjecting possible reasons for every little detail that had nothing to do with what his client claimed and were very often contradictory. This served to only highlight Zimmerman's lies and only served to make even more ridiculous the more ludicrous ones. Saying "couldn't this have been what happened" when it's not what your client said what happened and is even contradictory to what your client said happened ain't helping your client.

And O'Mara's standing up and tucking in his shirt by jamming his arm down his pants to the elbow was disgusting especially when he kept doing it while not wearing his suit jacket. Gross, but at least not as gross as the defense attorney in the Arias case constantly shoving his finger up his nostril on national tv. I don't think I'll see anything that will out-gross that. Now hear this gentlemen: when on national tv and especially in a court of law in front of a jury don't do gross things like shove your finger up your nose or tuck in your shirt by jamming your arm down your pants up to the elbow, and for heaven's sake don't do it standing up with your front facing a jury especially a jury full of women.

[DrDan]

21. .

[FarPoint]

22. If it were not for atty John Guy...(Costner)

the prosecution would resemble 2nd year law students. He was the most sincere, passionate attorney of all combined including the defense team. John Guy was real.

[ChiciB1]

24. Yes, His Opening & Closing Marks Where

extremely good. But let's not forget, and I hate to use this analogy because it mat carry now weight. BUT, as you put in parens (Costner) meaning his looks are a plus.

In this country, and perhaps everywhere, if you don't have "looks" you had better damn sure have a great personality. Which side had which?

I do know it shouldn't matter given the severity of this case, but TALK ME DOWN as I over use that statement!

[FarPoint]

25. I placed Costner in ()

because I was not sure of his first name. I work during the day and only get DU updates and evening cable news for my information. I recall many referred to him as Costner.

Your theory does not apply this time. I was impressed with his sincere passion and clarity of his message.

[ChiciB1]

27. Ok, It's Kevin Costner...

But I also agree with your assessment, in every way. Even though I've heard so many pundits talking about how poorly, or rather their impressions of how prosecution didn't "drive home" various points.

I've tried not to take what they say so seriously, but many times I have had to listen because I didn't watch the trial as closely as many.

[FarPoint]

29. No silly...

I didn't know attorney Guy's first name, which I now know is John... so I referred to him as the blogger do as "Costner".... That said...yea...Kevin Costner is easy on the eyes.

John Guy is indeed...scarry good as an attorney. He is definitely a closer.

[ChiciB1]

31. OOOOOOOKaaaaay, Gotcha

Trying to clean my house and running back & forth to PC to check updates. So obviously I should take a little more time, and I'm a bit but also too!



L8R

[FarPoint]

32. I'm a bit hyper today myself...

sorry to be pesty-anal-like....it's all about me really...........All is good. Can't wait for the damn verdict!

[ChiciB1]

35. ME Too... And Just An Added Note

Sometimes, people call me "spark plug!" Hyper is part of my personality, it can be a downer for others at times, but have always been told... I KNOW HOW TO PARTY!

Just saw the pic of Trayvon, how can this not have some affect on jurors??? Little Georgie needs some kharmic pay back no matter what! Of course I know that one picture can't decide it, but it sure packed a punch. So many more innocents have met the same fate, and it would be nice to think that this would generate some real change. Probably not though.

JMHO

[FarPoint]

36. You are soooo cool..........

Yes....karmic pathway has been ordered and will so be delivered to Georgie and Company very soon.

[cherokeeprogressive]

26. And risk their careers... there is much silliness here.

[DefenseLawyer]

38. Which of those cops are "risking their careers" by mailing it in on the stand?

I'll answer for you: none of them.

[cherokeeprogressive]

39. The question wasn't about cops now, was it? No.

When was the last time a police officer was found guilty of prosecutorial misconduct?

[DefenseLawyer]

40. When was the last time a prosecutor was actually disciplined for prosecutorial misconduct?

But more to your point, give me one example of a prosecutor that was disciplined for doing a half-assed job?

[Duer 157099]

30. None of the above

IMHO they did a half-assed job at best. And I'm no attorney, but I would have certainly done things differently. And probably won, easily.

[tblue37]

33. If the media reports of their case are accurate, they left out so much

essential information and so many obvious arguments that I have to suspect that they tried to do so, but in a way that would not make it too obvious.

[NaturalHigh]

34. No. They just didn't have much of a case.

[DefenseLawyer]

37. I thought most of the police witnesses were in the tank for Zimmerman.

Very similar to when a cop is on trial. They go through the motions, but seem to easily get "tripped up" on cross and concede major points to the defense. "Why yes, Zimmerman did seem very believable, now that you mention it."