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| George Zimmerman: a wannabe cop 'sick and tired' of criminals, court hears | George Zimmerman: a wannabe cop 'sick and tired' of criminals, court hears |
| (2 months later) | |
| George Zimmerman was a wannabe cop who profiled his victim Trayvon Martin as a criminal then "silenced" him with a gun he considered his "equaliser," a prosecutor said on Thursday in closing arguments at the neighbourhood watch leader's murder trial in Florida. | George Zimmerman was a wannabe cop who profiled his victim Trayvon Martin as a criminal then "silenced" him with a gun he considered his "equaliser," a prosecutor said on Thursday in closing arguments at the neighbourhood watch leader's murder trial in Florida. |
| Acting as a vigilante who was "sick and tired" of criminals coming into his Sanford gated community, Zimmerman made and acted upon wrong assumptions, state attorney Bernie de la Rionda said. | Acting as a vigilante who was "sick and tired" of criminals coming into his Sanford gated community, Zimmerman made and acted upon wrong assumptions, state attorney Bernie de la Rionda said. |
| "To quote the defendant, 'these fucking punks', 'these assholes, they always get away'. He uttered it under his breath and that in itself indicates ill will and hatred," he said, referring to a recording of a non-emergency call Zimmerman made to police on the night of February 26 last year. | "To quote the defendant, 'these fucking punks', 'these assholes, they always get away'. He uttered it under his breath and that in itself indicates ill will and hatred," he said, referring to a recording of a non-emergency call Zimmerman made to police on the night of February 26 last year. |
| "He followed him, he tracked him, because in his mind this was a criminal. He went over the line. He assumed things that weren't true and [acted] instead of waiting for the police. | "He followed him, he tracked him, because in his mind this was a criminal. He went over the line. He assumed things that weren't true and [acted] instead of waiting for the police. |
| "Why does this defendant get out of his car if he thinks that Trayvon Martin is a threat? Because he's got a gun, he's got the equaliser, he's gonna take care of it, he's a wannabe cop, it's his community and he's not going to put up with it." | "Why does this defendant get out of his car if he thinks that Trayvon Martin is a threat? Because he's got a gun, he's got the equaliser, he's gonna take care of it, he's a wannabe cop, it's his community and he's not going to put up with it." |
| Zimmerman, 29, admits killing the unarmed Martin, 17, but denies second-degree murder on the grounds of self-defence, arguing it was the younger man who initiated their fatal confrontation. | Zimmerman, 29, admits killing the unarmed Martin, 17, but denies second-degree murder on the grounds of self-defence, arguing it was the younger man who initiated their fatal confrontation. |
| The episode sparked civil rights protests when Zimmerman, of mixed white-Hispanic parentage, was not arrested or charged with killing the black teenager for 44 days. | The episode sparked civil rights protests when Zimmerman, of mixed white-Hispanic parentage, was not arrested or charged with killing the black teenager for 44 days. |
| The all-female jury of six is expected to retire on Friday afternoon to consider its verdict. | The all-female jury of six is expected to retire on Friday afternoon to consider its verdict. |
| After presenting what many analysts believe to have been a weak case over three weeks, de la Rionda delivered a powerful closing statement that played up Martin as an innocent victim. The teenager was, he said, walking back to the house of his father's fiancée to watch a basketball game with his step-brother. | After presenting what many analysts believe to have been a weak case over three weeks, de la Rionda delivered a powerful closing statement that played up Martin as an innocent victim. The teenager was, he said, walking back to the house of his father's fiancée to watch a basketball game with his step-brother. |
| "A teenager is dead. He is dead through no fault of his own. He is dead because another man made assumptions," he said. | "A teenager is dead. He is dead through no fault of his own. He is dead because another man made assumptions," he said. |
| "Trayvon Martin was there legally, he had not broken in, sneaked in or trespassed. He went to a 7-Eleven. What was his crime? He bought Skittles and some kind of watermelon iced tea. He was minding his own business but apparently this defendant decided he was up to no good." | "Trayvon Martin was there legally, he had not broken in, sneaked in or trespassed. He went to a 7-Eleven. What was his crime? He bought Skittles and some kind of watermelon iced tea. He was minding his own business but apparently this defendant decided he was up to no good." |
| Zimmerman, he said, was "caught in numerous lies" and exaggerated the circumstances of the encounter and his own injuries to convince police he had done nothing wrong. He said the fact there was no blood or DNA under Martin's fingernails should make the jury question Zimmerman's account of a violent brawl and of Martin straddling him and smashing his head on a concrete pavement. | Zimmerman, he said, was "caught in numerous lies" and exaggerated the circumstances of the encounter and his own injuries to convince police he had done nothing wrong. He said the fact there was no blood or DNA under Martin's fingernails should make the jury question Zimmerman's account of a violent brawl and of Martin straddling him and smashing his head on a concrete pavement. |
| "He silenced Trayvon Martin but even in silence his body provides evidence as to this defendant's guilt, that this defendant is lying about what happened," he said. | "He silenced Trayvon Martin but even in silence his body provides evidence as to this defendant's guilt, that this defendant is lying about what happened," he said. |
| "If he was really having his head bashed in, why isn't his jacket all torn up or at least scratched up, if he was being picked up over and over? Where did all of the defendant's blood go? | "If he was really having his head bashed in, why isn't his jacket all torn up or at least scratched up, if he was being picked up over and over? Where did all of the defendant's blood go? |
| "The defendant claims he was the only one yelling out there. If he's yelling, and if he's down, and he's got all this blood and he's swallowing the blood, how does he get to do all that?" | "The defendant claims he was the only one yelling out there. If he's yelling, and if he's down, and he's got all this blood and he's swallowing the blood, how does he get to do all that?" |
| De la Rionda addressed the appearance of several witnesses, including that of Rachel Jeantel, a friend who said she was on the phone to Martin just before he was shot. During often incoherent testimony, she said he told her he was being followed by a "creepy-ass Cracker," a derogatory racial term. | De la Rionda addressed the appearance of several witnesses, including that of Rachel Jeantel, a friend who said she was on the phone to Martin just before he was shot. During often incoherent testimony, she said he told her he was being followed by a "creepy-ass Cracker," a derogatory racial term. |
| "She is not a very sophisticated person and not the most educated, but she's a human being and she spoke as best she could," he said. "Maybe her language was a little colourful but did she speak the truth? She was the person that was speaking to the victim." | "She is not a very sophisticated person and not the most educated, but she's a human being and she spoke as best she could," he said. "Maybe her language was a little colourful but did she speak the truth? She was the person that was speaking to the victim." |
| Paraphrasing Martin Luther King Jr, he added: "I had a dream that today a witness would be judged not on the colour of her personality but on the content of her testimony." | Paraphrasing Martin Luther King Jr, he added: "I had a dream that today a witness would be judged not on the colour of her personality but on the content of her testimony." |
| De la Rionda urged the jury to rely on three things as they considered their verdict, the testimony and physical evidence, the law that judge Debra Nelson will read to them and their "God-given common sense." | De la Rionda urged the jury to rely on three things as they considered their verdict, the testimony and physical evidence, the law that judge Debra Nelson will read to them and their "God-given common sense." |
| "You will come back with a verdict that speaks the truth, a verdict that is just, and that verdict would be that this defendant is guilty of murder in the second degree," he said. | "You will come back with a verdict that speaks the truth, a verdict that is just, and that verdict would be that this defendant is guilty of murder in the second degree," he said. |
| The panel will consider two charges, second-degree murder, which carries a sentence of at least 25 years, and manslaughter, with a penalty of up to 30. | The panel will consider two charges, second-degree murder, which carries a sentence of at least 25 years, and manslaughter, with a penalty of up to 30. |
| Nelson rejected an attempt by the state to introduce a charge of third-degree murder based on child abuse. Defence lawyert Don West denounced the proposal, introduced during morning discussions over instructions for the jury, as "a trick". | Nelson rejected an attempt by the state to introduce a charge of third-degree murder based on child abuse. Defence lawyert Don West denounced the proposal, introduced during morning discussions over instructions for the jury, as "a trick". |
| "Just when I didn't think this case could get any more bizarre, the state is alleging child abuse?" he said. "This is outrageous. It's outrageous the state would seek to do this at this time." | "Just when I didn't think this case could get any more bizarre, the state is alleging child abuse?" he said. "This is outrageous. It's outrageous the state would seek to do this at this time." |
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