I think the fact that the police chief in the Zimmerman/Martin case stepped down, only temporarily,

[applegrove]

shows us that the police think there is more to come. I think the police are giving Zimmerman a rope long enough to hang himself. They are hoping he gives differing accounts of the night Trayvon died. So they can improve the odds of convicting him.

[CAPHAVOC]

1. Thank you for your sanity.

Never irritate a co-operating suspect. The more they say the better for your case if they are guilty. People do not realize the damage they are doing. More worried about the chance of a wrongful acquittal than a wrongful conviction. Even in my own family. My lovely Niece thinks it is up to the defendant to prove his innocence. She is so clueless. Never has been taught about real civil rights.

[applegrove]

2. Oh I think Zimmerman is guilty of manslaughter. I think he was having fantasies. I think he wanted

a confrontation. I speculate that because Trayvon had a phone he was talking into, skittles and an iced tea in his hands he didn't look like he was packing (someone with a gun would keep one hand free). I think Zimmerman got a confrontation and then he killed that kid. Manslaughter at the very least.

[Ecumenist]

3. Thank you, Applegrove. I agree that give an idiot enough rope and he'll hang himself.

Every time team zimmy gets on TV and spouts yet another lie that doesn't match the last lie they told, it places another loop around his neck.

[robinlynne]

4. I doubt anything they say on tv can be used in a court of law. It is all just hearsay.

[COLGATE4]

18. No, it isn't 'hearsay' if it's used to impeach

some of his other statements. It's only hearsay if it's introduced to prove the fact alleged. If he told the cops 'X' and then goes on TV and says it was 'Y', that can be used to impeach his testimony and show he's a liar. That's not hearsay.

[robinlynne]

20. HE is not saying a word. He has a lawyer. the father and brother adn "friend" can say whatever they

want. If I say on tv that you told me X, it doesn't matter. It is hearsay. The only thing which is not hearsay are words spoken or written by Zimmerman.
What other people say he said means nothing.

[COLGATE4]

22. Robinlynne. I apologize - I incorrectly read your

post. You are right that Z isn't saying anything (at least on TV) so whatever the talking heads say has little value in court.

[CatWoman]

6. the pattern I see

the more that is revealed/leaked/released, the more they run onto the airwaves attempting to shape Zimmerman's actions/re-actions to fit the facts.

Think about it.

[Ecumenist]

8. I have posted time and time again about how their stories keep mutating to fit what the latest

(Or should I say rebut) the latest 'REAL EVIDENCE" is leaked.

[JDPriestly]

10. Actually, it is pretty certain in this case that Zimmerman killed

Trayvon Martin. What some people (including me) question is whether Zimmerman killed in self-defense. Usually in California, the prosecutor has to prove (and the standard of proof is very high) that the defendant committed the crime. Then the defendant has to prove his defenses.

I don't know how this "shifting" of the burden of proof works with the Stand Your Ground law.

But normally, your niece is in a sense right. Here, Zimmerman certainly shot Trayvon Martin -- but does Zimmerman have a defense? That is the question. I just do not know how Florida law works with regard to this.

[CAPHAVOC]

12. Unfortunately

She thought this in all cases. Not just the so called stand your ground. I have work to do. But ironically it may be the SYG law that is what gets Zimmerman. Applied to Treyvon. It is possible the State could prove that Trayvon hit him because he thought Zim was going for a gun. Zim claims he was going for his cell phone. Just a hunch. This is complicated. Not as simple as people think. But the Defendant is never required to prove anything. They can choose to if they want. The burden is on the State. Even in California. My fear is the outrage over the possibility of a wrongful acquittal due to "legal innocence." It harms the fight against wrongful convictions that plague the very people who are the most vocal. Once convicted it is next to impossible to unravel. An occasional wrongful acquittal is the price that has to be paid.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

5. I think he stepped down because he thought it would bring some "breathing room"...

...when, in fact, the heat in the kitchen just got hotter.

I think the perception among the powers-that-be in Sanford was that there was a call for a juman sacrifice, and Lee's half-assed "temporary" exit was what they felt comfortable offering. I don't think they saw things going this far or they would have flat-out fired his ass.

[applegrove]

7. People expected him to quit on that day he just stepped down. Powers that be would only

agree to that if the investigation was ongoing and the police were just trying to build a good case on Zimmerman.

[snagglepuss]

9. The ony person who can fire him is the city manager Norton Bonaparte who is black.

I have to wonder whether his being black and the chief being white factored into his decision not to fire the chief.

[robinlynne]

23. seesm to me he would need to build a case first. you can't just fire the chief of police.

Or any public wroker. you need to prove first why.
if the real evidence is all looked at; several people will be fired, I hope.

[HooptieWagon]

11. Zimmy wont be changing his story.

He wont be saying anything, per lawyers orders. Havent you noticed that all the people yakking are friends and family, not Zimmy? They cant be charged with perjury, and testimony is only heresay. End of story. Zimmy wont be giving any more statements to anybody.

[magical thyme]

13. Agreed.

I fear the continued leaking of evidence is doing more damage to the prosecution's case than the defense, and not because it doesn't make it increasingly clear the Zimmerman was the aggressor from the start.

It may render more evidence unusable in court and make it harder to find a jury. Plus they tip off the defense as to where the prosecution is headed.

This may be a deliberate strategy on the part of the defense. First, try to spin it to see if it will all go away, using 3rd party "hearsay" that isn't usable in court. Failing that, keep pushing the opposition to show their hand too early.

We don't need to see any more leaked evidence in advance. Keep up the pressure, yes. But don't give away the case before trial. That's where the biggest danger lies, imo.

[HooptieWagon]

14. Well, before the triall the prosecution has to give the defense all the evidence they have

In the discovery process. Defense doesnt have to do anything, its up to the State to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt. However, it will be interesting to see if the defenses strategy changes after reviewing the evidence against Zimmy. Two things of which Im certain, all the lying Zimmy defenders wont be called as witnesses, Since their testimony is so easily discretited. And no way does Zimmys lawyer let him make any further statements to the police, media, nor does he take the stand.

[magical thyme]

16. my idea is is that the defense is forcing the prosecution's hand early

increasing the chance of tainting prosecution evidence and the jury, etc., while giving up nothing themselves. Most of the lying Zimmy defenders that we've heard from are hearsay, so not admissible anyway. And the rest have been easily rebutted with video, phone records, EMT reports, etc. But the Trayvon witnesses are eye witnesses. Speaking out now, and making a public record of what they saw and heard, will enable the defense to trip them up on questioning if their stories aren't *exactly* what they have put on record.

There is a difference between a last minute document dump and early revelations that allow time for rebuttal witnesses and hole poking.

Because the defense doesn't have to prove anything doesn't mean they don't have a job to do. Anything they can do in advance to eff up the prosecution, I expect they will do.

[slackmaster]

15. I think he stepped down so that his boss, who just happens to be black, would take over

[applegrove]

19. That makes sense too.

[magical thyme]

17. Isn't the entire SFD under federal investigation right now?

I would think that he stepped down until Holder's investigation clears him....or doesn't, in which case he's fired.

[Junkdrawer]

24. Bill Lee stepped down because he was caught LYING - Big Time....

The Miami Herald reports that the Sanford Police Department, at the conclusion of its Trayvon Martin investigation, recommended that the prosecutor file charges against the shooter George Zimmerman. Angela Corey, the special prosecutor now assigned to the case, confirmed the report:

....

This new information directly contradicts the public statements that Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee (who has now “temporarily” stepped down) made on March 12, the day he turned the case over to the state attorney. He claimed that, at the time, there was not enough evidence to charge Zimmerman with a crime and arrest him:

....

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/03/28/453675/sanford-police-recommended-charging-zimmerman-with-martins-death/

Given all the new information that has come forth, the repeated suggestion that the Sanford Police have some clever plan to catch Zimmerman in a lie is hilarious.

[applegrove]

25. Did not know he lied. We shall soon find out though.