Sanford police freeze plan to return George Zimmerman's gun

[kpete]

Source: Los Angeles Times

The Sanford Police Department froze its plan to return Zimmerman's gun Thursday after the FBI put a hold on evidence in the case, Sanford police spokesman Capt. James McAuliffe told the Los Angeles Times.

The FBI's request signals that the Justice Department is proceeding with its civil rights investigation into Zimmerman's killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

McAuliffe said the gun, a 9-millimeter semiautomatic, won't be returned until the department completes its investigation and had no further need for evidence in the case.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-sanford-police-george-zimmerman-gun-20130718,0,7954670.story

[Faux pas]

1. Hope-a hope-a hope-a it's true!

Thanks for posting this.

[heaven05]

2. no biggie

he probably has plenty where that one came from. His supporters will make sure he stays armed and rich. I will NOT stop about this travesty. geez

[kpete]

3. wrong,

This could be VERY big:

signals that the Justice Department is proceeding with its civil rights investigation into Zimmerman's killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-sanford-police-george-zimmerman-gun-20130718,0,7954670.story

[heaven05]

4. ooohhhh

justice at last. Thank god almighty, free at last. NOT!!!!!! Oh and by the way. Nothing is ever going to come of this verdict or will zimPIG ever face justice. NEVER. I know, I know, never say never. Amerikkkan precedent for racist murder is set and reset, time after time. NEVER will Trayvons rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness be affirmed by THIS racist amerikkkan justice system. My opinion only. Period.

[premium]

10. I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you,

even AG Holder said last year that the bar to any civil rights charges is very high, and the DoJ's own FBI investigation of Zimmerman concluded after interviewing his friends, neighbors, and co-workers that there was no proof that Zimmerman was a racist.
Gonna be pretty tough to get past that.

Plus, just about every lawyer, including veteran Federal Prosecutors, veteran defense lawyers, have said that the chances of Federal civil rights violation charges are next to nil.
We can wish all we want, but the stark brutal truth is that it more than likely isn't going to happen, I expect that the DoJ will hem and haw for a few months and then announce on a Friday that there's not enough evidence to move forward with charges.
Remember, the bar for civil rights charges is very high and what will make it even tougher is that Z has already been acquitted in a State trial.
Of course this is only my opinion, but it's from a knowledge of Fed. law.

[marshall]

12. It's essentially up to the public

Public outcry has called for further investigation. Holder has asked the public to give him what they've got, anything at all, that casts Zimmerman in a guilty light.

So far I know they have that female cousin who said he molested her beginning when she was 6 and he was 8, and she also says his mother once proudly declared that she was a racist.

Who know what other nuggets are pouring in?

[premium]

13. His mother being a racist is irrelevant,

the DoJ is going to have to show that Zimmerman shot Trayvon because he had a hatred toward Trayvon because of his race, what evidence has been presented that this was a racially motivated shooting?

Not even the Martin family believed it was about race.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2013/07/02/quotcrackingquot_the_racial_code_in_zimmerman_trial_310842.html

"It's not about racial profiling," said lawyer Daryl Parks about the murder trial of George Zimmerman. "We never claimed this was about race."

They only changed their mind after the not guilty verdict.

Also, there's Angela Coery saying that this was never about race. In her own words from TalkLeft.

http://www.talkleft.com/story/2013/7/13/223234/654/crimenews/Angela-Corey-Doublespeak

Corey: This case was never about race or the right to bear arms. We all strongly believe in the constitutional right to bear arms. But Zimmerman profiled Trayvon as a criminal. And if race was a factor in his decision to profile, we brought that out.

Plus the FBI's own investigation.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/12/us-usa-florida-shooting-idUSBRE86B1AD20120712

(Reuters) - FBI interviews with dozens of friends, coworkers and neighbors of George Zimmerman found no evidence that the accused murderer of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin was a racist, according to new documents released on Thursday.

Given all this, I just don't see Federal charges forthcoming. I hope I'm wrong, but my instinct and knowledge of Federal law tells me I'm right.

We shall see.

[wordpix]

11. emphasis on "could be"

[jonthebru]

14. Exactly what I thought upon reading this.

He will have his choice, like a kid in a candy store!

[Iliyah]

5. Why the State of Florida

did not have a rebuttal and/or their own gun expert is beyond me. They allowed Z's account of what happen instead of debunking them.

[PatrynXX]

6. media had it wrong again

I thought he had his gun days ago.

[Igel]

16. No.

The media and many others said he was entitled to have his gun back once the not-guilty verdict was on. He was, until the DOJ put a hold on it as part of an investigation.

No report that I saw said he had actually claimed it. It might be that the DOJ notified the Sanford PD at once but didn't announce it. (Okay, that seems unlikely, but maybe they wanted to have the info dribble out to keep it in front of the reporters for longer.) It might be that GZ didn't get around to claiming it or that he has no intention of claiming it.

I claimed the gun that killed my father (it was his), but only to keep my mother from claiming it. The PD would eventually have contacted her to return it, she might have said "yes", and that would have been entirely unacceptable.

[Baclava]

7. Florida shop offers free gun to George Zimmerman

DeLAND, Fla. - A Volusia County gun shop has offered a free gun to George Zimmerman...offering a free firearm to Zimmerman after hearing media reports that he could not obtain his Kel-Tec PF-9 from authorities.

"Upon receiving your confirmation that he is well within his legal rights to concealed carry, our company would like to offer Mr. Zimmerman a free firearm.

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/gun-shop-offers-free-gun-to-george-zimmerman/-/1637132/21034476/-/n4goenz/-/index.html

-----------------------

I wonder what the NICS background check will show

[premium]

8. It'll show that he's not prohibited from owning or possesing a firearm. nt.

[spin]

9. Exactly. (n/t)

[Zoeisright]

17. Ah, yes, the "responsible" gun owners.

Until they aren't. Fuck them.

[Mr. David]

19. Not anymore. Indictments will be handed down next week

Civil rights violation and felony homicide enhanced by hate crimes.

[truthisfreedom]

15. Looks like this is right on track to define George's life.

[cstanleytech]

18. Anyone know what are the chances of a conviction though at the federal level for Zimmerman

considering what we know atm?

[Mr. David]

20. Slim to none, but they haven't left town YET...

I think with the newfound evidence, it will be revealed that Zimmerman did in fact commit premeditated murder, and will be charged accordingly.

Plus the civil rights of Mr. Martin was clearly in violation.