Some of the evidence compiled in the second-degree murder trial of George Zimmerman has been released. It confirms what only the mainstream press, race hustlers, and other agenda-driven parties pretended was still in doubt: Trayvon Martin beat the hell out of George Zimmerman.
ABC News - which once misrepresented a video clip to generate a phony “scoop” claiming that Zimmerman was not visibly injured when he arrived at the Sanford police station - produces a definitive report to the contrary:
A medical report compiled by the family physician of accused Trayvon Martin murderer George Zimmerman and obtained exclusively by ABC News found that Zimmerman was diagnosed with a "closed fracture" of his nose, a pair of black eyes, two lacerations to the back of his head and a minor back injury the day after he fatally shot Martin during an alleged altercation.
(Emphasis mine.) Local television station WFTV also “confirmed that autopsy results show 17-year-old Trayvon Martin had injuries to his knuckles when he died.” These are the type of injuries that would be sustained by hammering someone with strong punches. No such knuckle abrasions have been reported on Zimmerman as of yet.
This is all consistent with Zimmerman’s story of being attacked by Martin before firing the fatal shot, and fits in with the initial police reports. Only a widespread, orchestrated media campaign generated any serious doubt that Zimmerman’s account of the scuffle was accurate.
Still unresolved are certain important details of the encounter between Zimmerman and Martin before violence ensued, but since Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder, this forensic evidence pretty much demolishes the case.
With Florida’s “stand your ground” law taken into consideration, it will be difficult for the prosecution to prove that a man on the losing side of a serious assault had the necessary wanton disregard for human life, particularly if no evidence can be introduced suggesting that Zimmerman is the one who escalated the situation into violence.
The current buzz around the case speaks of prosecutorial attempts to demonstrate that Zimmerman “profiled” Martin – a highly subjective and politicized term – and annoyed him by following him for no good reason. A look at the crime blotter for Zimmerman’s condo development erases the notion that he had “no good reason” to be suspicious of Martin at all. It’s tough to get to second-degree murder from there.
ABC goes on to note that Zimmerman was treated at a family medical practice, apparently did not have a concussion, and refused hospitalization. The point of “stand your ground” laws is to relieve the targets of an assault from having to diagnose the likely extent of their injuries while they’re getting beaten up. Also, Zimmerman said he only employed his firearm after Martin tried to grab it out of his waistband, a detail that will be difficult to prove one way or the other.
ABC also reports that at the time of the shooting, Zimmerman had prescriptions for Adderall and Temazepam, which are both used to treat sleep disorders, and “can cause side effects such as agitation and mood swings, but in fewer than 10 percent of patients.” They don’t mention whether or not he had actually taken these drugs on that particular day, a question the physician would surely have asked. At any rate, the possible influence of a properly administered prescription drug is not going to help second-degree murder charges stick.
The judge should throw out the case, but as I suspect these wildly inflated charges were filed, at least in part, to ensure a long trial that would give everyone time to calm down, that probably isn’t going to happen.
