If George Zimmerman were on trial, which evidence about the shooting could a jury hear?

[Amerigo Vespucci]

If George Zimmerman Were on Trial
Which evidence about the shooting of Trayvon Martin could a jury hear?
By Emily Bazelon|Posted Monday, April 2, 2012, at 4:55 PM ET

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/crime/2012/04/if_george_zimmerman_goes_on_trial_for_killing_trayvon_martin_what_could_the_jury_hear_.html

1. The 911 calls reporting Martin’s shooting. Yes, the calls would be admitted at trial—911 calls are always important in cases like these. I still want to know whether voice recognition software can tell us whether it is Martin’s or Zimmerman’s voice we hear pleading for help on the calls. So far, experts have said they don’t think the voice on the call is Zimmerman’s.

2. The police surveillance video of Zimmerman taken after the shooting. At first glance, the video seems to belie Zimmerman’s story that Martin slammed his head against the ground, leaving him seriously hurt. But Zimmerman’s father said the video was taken after medics cleaned up his son, and ABC today released enhanced digitalization that, according to one of its reporters, shows what “appear to be a pair of gashes or welts” on Zimmerman’s head.

3. The account of the funeral director who prepared Martin’s body for burial. He told CBS that he “could see no physical signs that there had been a scuffle or there had been a fight. You know, on the hands, I didn’t see any knuckles bruised, and that is something we would have covered up if it had been there.”

4. The account of Martin’s girlfriend. She was on the phone with him in the minutes before he died (and , unbelievably, the police hadn’t interviewed her as of late last week, according to the Martin family’s lawyers). The girlfriend says Martin told her, "I think this dude is following me," momentarily thought he’d lost Zimmerman, and then said: "He is right behind me again. I'm not going to run, I'm going to walk fast." The girlfriend claims she next heard another voice say, “What are you doing around here?” to which Martin answered, “Why are you following me?" She then heard Martin get pushed and sounds as if his phone was hitting the ground.

[DocMac]

1. The 911 tape that the neighbor woman called.

It was said on cnn today that an expert was able to filter all the background noise away, including the woman that made the call about the screams for help. This expert matched Zimmerman's voive from the other 911 calls and has claimed that in no way was Zimmerman the person yelling for help.

This is all I need to know!

[Ecumenist]

3. Amen, DocMac and welcome to DU, BTW

Right Tameetcha! hope to read many more of your opinions and posts

[DocMac]

5. Thank you so much.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

10. Other experts have pointed out that without exemplars, that while probable it is not a lock

[DocMac]

11. No, it's not a lock.

But if several specialists can agree that the person screaming for help was Trayvon, it's a big step forward.

I can't get past the fact that the screaming stopped as soon as the gunshot was heard.

[Skittles]

2. what I don't understand is

where are the photographs of Zimmerman's supposed injuries and the supposed contusions that would be on Trayvon's hands if said injuries existed???

[ProgressiveProfessor]

9. State Attorney's Office has them and anything else probative

[Kablooie]

20. There were none. He was never arrested.

and once he said it was self defense the police must stop any further processing of information regarding the case according to Fla. law and walk away.

[Skittles]

21. but they didn't PROVE it was self defense

it looks like they just TOOK HIS WORD on it

[Kablooie]

22. photos would prove him a lier so they probably don't exist.

[Skittles]

23. CORRECT

[Life Long Dem]

4. Who knows what evidence the investigation will turn up.

The FBI were knocking on doors today asking what anyone saw. I don't think the cops even did that.

So who knows how many more witnesses can turn up.

[DocMac]

6. I'll tell you what will turn up.

A man who thinks that he was protecting the neighborhood saw something. He saw what looked like a black man that he did not recognize. He goes on to say that this guy MUST be on drugs or something.

Even though he was advised to not engage the man, he does anyway. The man (knowing he was followed) feared the person who approached him. Maybe he didn't see that Zimmerman had some authority to do so and saw him as a threat. Whatever scuffle broke out. once Trayvon saw the gun, he started screaming for his life.

I'm willing to bet $50 that this is what happened.

[_Orion]

14. FBI involved?

If the FBI is involved, does this mean that this case is a hate crime now?

[HooptieWagon]

17. Hate crime or civil rights violation.

They might be just sniffing around to see if either apply. Or they may be investigating the PD.

[HooptieWagon]

7. Girlfriends testimony would be limited

She cant testify what Trayvon said, that is hearsay. She can testify what she said to him and what she heard as far as a scuffle, and of course she can be cross examined by the defense. Time of the call can be submitted as evidence. Of course, if there is a recording of the call, that can be admitted, but I doubt one exists.

[_Orion]

12. 7. Girlfriends testimony would be limited

Not sure, but, why would Zimmerman's account can be accepted, but not hers? -- I believe Trayvon's girlfriend account is just as valid as Zimmerman's.

[ScreamingMeemie]

15. Exactly

And welcome to DU! Looking forward to getting to know you!

[HooptieWagon]

16. Zimmermans account can only be accepted

If he gives it on the witness stand himself. No way his lawyers permit that. All the accounts of his story from family and "friends" is inadmissable, since its hearsay. Thus the family using the media to get their lies out.

[marble falls]

24. She most certainly can testify about a conversation she was a part of or witness to , .....

she can't testify about a conversation she wasn't a part of or witness to.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

8. Only that which was germane and with a clear chain of custody

That would include key documents still being withheld including the EMS report and the autopsy report.

I do not expect CCTV video to be used, since there should be better evidence available including still photos and the clothes themselves.

The mortician observations will be superseded by the autopsy report.

The media is in some cases overusing what it has, making up what it doesn't have, and ignoring what the State Attorney is withholding. Then again, its not like they have any requirement to post/print the truth.

[marble falls]

25. The mortician can testify about what he saw, he can only be "superceded" by the coroner in the .....

the jury room or impeached on the stand. He would be a witness in what he saw if not the significance of what he saw. A lot of coroners are not medically trained or forensically trained. In Texas I know of coroners who are the sheriff or judge of the county or even a mortician.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

26. My point was that there will be better than the mortician's post autopsy observations

Even in those states where the Coroner is elected without regards to medical qualifications, the autopsies are normally performed by a pathologist.

[marble falls]

27. Maybe yes, maybe no. Here in Texas in both Houston and Dallas .....

autopsies have been thrown out of courts by impeachment through defense experts. The mortician is qualified to testify regarding the condition of a victim's corpse. And the coroner/pathologist can be asked to qualify in re-direct. And the jury will decide where the truth stands. Questionable police procedure can fairly be expected to taint at least to some degree the coroner/pathologist testimony and an unbiased testimony from a mortician can be expected carry a bit more gravitas in that situation.

[_Orion]

13. Anonymous Witness

5. Anonymous witness mentioned that the scuffle occurred on the grass, and not on the concrete sidewalk.

6. If Zimmerman shot Trayvon from that close, how come there is no blood spatter on him. There should have been from being that close, and Trayvon being on top.

[HooptieWagon]

18. Some of the evidence the police failed to collect.nt

[magical thyme]

19. Zimmerman's clothes would be evidence

for one side or the other, depending on what is or isn't found on it. Also if the bullet was found, then the bullet will be evidence.