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Could Zimmerman Be Charged With A Hate Crime?

Pinkie

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This is the federal law:

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/249

This is an editorial on the possibility:

Samuel Bagenstos, a law professor who worked in the Obama Justice Department, says "a crucial question in determining whether the Shepard-Byrd statute applies is going to be whether Zimmerman acted with discriminatory intent."

In the 911 call released by the police department, Zimmerman seems to disregard an order to let law enforcement handle the situation.

During the call, the dispatcher asks Zimmerman, "Are you following him?"

When Zimmerman says that he is, the dispatcher replies, "OK, we don't need you to do that."

Just before that exchange — approximately 2 minutes and 20 seconds into the tape — Zimmerman appears to mutter a racial epithet under his breath.

That remark could give the Justice Department a hook into the case, says Bagenstos.

"If, in fact, Zimmerman was saying a racial epithet right before the shooting, that's going to be a very important piece of evidence," Bagenstos says.

Some people think Zimmerman muttered a profanity — but nothing racially disparaging. His father told reporters that Zimmerman is Latino and has lots of black friends.

But Swarns of the NAACP says she has no doubt about Zimmerman's remark. "Obviously in the last 24 hours the enhanced audiotapes have come out," she says. "And we can all hear what sounds very clearly to be a racial epithet being used by Mr. Zimmerman before the shooting."

http://www.npr.org/2012/03/21/149058384/was-trayvon-martins-killing-a-federal-hate-crime
 
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Could Zimmerman Be Charged With A Hate Crime?


Hate crime? NO.


Murder? YES!!!
 
The FBI has already covered GZ's ass on this.

Hate crime laws suck anyway.
 
What has the FBI done on the Zimmerman case?

I don't think the FBI have come out and said that he has been investigated and found NOT guilty of any hate crime. It seems to be in limbo for now.
 
I don't think the FBI have come out and said that he has been investigated and found NOT guilty of any hate crime. It seems to be in limbo for now.

This will likely be the most investigated murder in recent years. I can't see the FBI adding value here.

My question was more theorectical, not actual. What interested me was, there seems to be a belief that a single racial epithet spoken shortly before the attack would be enough to sustain a hate crime charge.
 
The FBI has already covered GZ's ass on this.

Hate crime laws suck anyway.

stop trying to take my stance on this. stay in your stupid lane of conspiracy theories. you know you wanna call it that.
 
What I hear at that time on the tape is Zimmerman saying under his breath. "Fu*&ing Punks".

How is that racial? Without determining his intent behind the phrase I don't see how that can me considered a racially charged remark. On it's own this phrase is 100% race neutral.
 
This will likely be the most investigated murder in recent years. I can't see the FBI adding value here.

My question was more theorectical, not actual. What interested me was, there seems to be a belief that a single racial epithet spoken shortly before the attack would be enough to sustain a hate crime charge.

Don't know.. Its not high on my list. If Zimmerman is a racist, its the least of his problems.
 
What I hear at that time on the tape is Zimmerman saying under his breath. "Fu*&ing Punks".

How is that racial? Without determining his intent behind the phrase I don't see how that can me considered a racially charged remark. On it's own this phrase is 100% race neutral.

He says effing Goons or Coons.. There is no "unks" sound..
 
What I hear at that time on the tape is Zimmerman saying under his breath. "Fu*&ing Punks".

How is that racial?

I heard "Fkn Cnns!" that's racist.

Without determining his intent behind the phrase I don't see how that can me considered a racially charged remark. On it's own this phrase is 100% race neutral.

It was murder no matter what he said anyway.
 
If it is a hate crime, it's still a murder (justifiable or not).

I thought this was interesting because the evidence suggested to support a hate crime charge is so thin, not because I actaully wanted the feds to take the case.
 
I think it was a hate crime.
Don't you hate it when someone is trying to drive your head thru the sidewalk.
 
The Feds already investigated, and no hate crime charges are being filed. What does this tell you?
 
I think it was a hate crime.
Don't you hate it when someone is trying to drive your head thru the sidewalk.

That never happened, Darroll.

Watch George's video reenactment.. This time he reeled and stumbled for 13 feet before he fell down and Tayvon sat on him... All the while Trayvon was still holding on to his cell phone.. Then he shimmied on his back another 30 feet before he shot Trayvon whereupon Trayvon dropped his cellphone.

The funny part is that during GZ's daramatization, he looks up startled that there is a small knobby tree in his way.
 
I heard "Fkn Cnns!" that's racist.



It was murder no matter what he said anyway.

Nope....

1 Clean your ears

2 It was self defense and justifiable use of deadly force
 
Wait for the trial. Zimmerman may walk, but he still got due process.

Talk about what? The fact that everyone around him says he is not a racist? That the Feds did not charge him with a hate crime?
 
That never happened, Darroll.

Ad yet witness 6 originally indicated he did and Z ended up with wounds to teh back of his head that probably required stitches... Maybe it was just part of the stigmata. Yeah, that must be it.
 
Ad yet witness 6 originally indicated he did and Z ended up with wounds to teh back of his head that probably required stitches... Maybe it was just part of the stigmata. Yeah, that must be it.

No they didn't.. There were NO witness statements about George's injuries except from the EMTs and his doctor.. They were very minor.
 
No they didn't.. There were NO witness statements about George's injuries except from the EMTs and his doctor.. They were very minor.

And as you just learned last month (and apparently forgot pretty quickly) the EMT indicated the wounds would probably require stitches (and that Z's nose was broken) - so, no.. those are not "very minor".

And witness 6, as you have already learned and forgotten just as quickly, originally indicated that Z's head was getting hit into the concrete. He was even kind enough to inform Serino how much that hurts, in case Serino has never had it happen.

I really don't get why you can't recall these things. Do you have any ideas from when you transcribed for the psychiatrist?
 
And as you just learned last month (and apparently forgot pretty quickly) the EMT indicated the wounds would probably require stitches (and that Z's nose was broken) - so, no.. those are not "very minor".

And witness 6, as you have already learned and forgotten just as quickly, originally indicated that Z's head was getting hit into the concrete. He was even kind enough to inform Serino how much that hurts, in case Serino has never had it happen.

I really don't get why you can't recall these things. Do you have any ideas from when you transcribed for the psychiatrist?

You can lead a horse to water....
 
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