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| Eric Holder condemns self-defence laws in wake of Zimmerman acquittal | Eric Holder condemns self-defence laws in wake of Zimmerman acquittal |
| (2 months later) | |
| Eric Holder, the US attorney general, launched an attack Tuesday on self-defence laws he said encouraged more violence, and used George Zimmerman's acquittal over the murder of Trayvon Martin as a backdrop to call for a deeper debate about issues of race and gun controls. | Eric Holder, the US attorney general, launched an attack Tuesday on self-defence laws he said encouraged more violence, and used George Zimmerman's acquittal over the murder of Trayvon Martin as a backdrop to call for a deeper debate about issues of race and gun controls. |
| Addressing the annual convention of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in Orlando, Florida, close to the town of Sanford where Martin was killed in February last year, Holder insisted it was time to look again at legislation such as the state's stand-your-ground law that eliminated "the commonsense and age-old requirement" that people who felt threatened had a duty to retreat. | Addressing the annual convention of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in Orlando, Florida, close to the town of Sanford where Martin was killed in February last year, Holder insisted it was time to look again at legislation such as the state's stand-your-ground law that eliminated "the commonsense and age-old requirement" that people who felt threatened had a duty to retreat. |
| "These laws try to fix something that was never broken," he said. "We must stand our ground to ensure that our laws reduce violence and take a hard look at laws that contribute to more violence than they prevent. | "These laws try to fix something that was never broken," he said. "We must stand our ground to ensure that our laws reduce violence and take a hard look at laws that contribute to more violence than they prevent. |
| "By allowing and perhaps encouraging violent situations to escalate in public, such laws undermine public safety. The list of resulting tragedies is long and unfortunately has victimised too many who are innocent." | "By allowing and perhaps encouraging violent situations to escalate in public, such laws undermine public safety. The list of resulting tragedies is long and unfortunately has victimised too many who are innocent." |
| The speech by Holder, the country's first African-American attorney general, came at the end of a day of intense debate about the fallout from the Zimmerman verdict. The jury of six women accepted his contention that he had killed Martin, who was 17 and unarmed when he was walking home from a convenience store, in self defence. | The speech by Holder, the country's first African-American attorney general, came at the end of a day of intense debate about the fallout from the Zimmerman verdict. The jury of six women accepted his contention that he had killed Martin, who was 17 and unarmed when he was walking home from a convenience store, in self defence. |
| One of the jurors was forced to abandon a plan to write a book about her experience, after an angry social media backlash. A New York publishing house, Martin Literary Management, issued a statement declaring it had rescinded its offer of co-operation to the middle-aged woman, known only as juror B37, "after careful consideration" in response to thousands of critical messages on Twitter. | One of the jurors was forced to abandon a plan to write a book about her experience, after an angry social media backlash. A New York publishing house, Martin Literary Management, issued a statement declaring it had rescinded its offer of co-operation to the middle-aged woman, known only as juror B37, "after careful consideration" in response to thousands of critical messages on Twitter. |
| The woman gave a television interview on Monday night in which she revealed that the jury was initially split over Zimmerman's guilt, with only three believing he should be found not guilty. | The woman gave a television interview on Monday night in which she revealed that the jury was initially split over Zimmerman's guilt, with only three believing he should be found not guilty. |
| In Orlando, Holder was warmly received by delegates at the NAACP, which have been vocal in their demands since the verdict was announced on Saturday for Zimmerman to face a federal civil rights prosecution. | In Orlando, Holder was warmly received by delegates at the NAACP, which have been vocal in their demands since the verdict was announced on Saturday for Zimmerman to face a federal civil rights prosecution. |
| Holder repeated his promise that Martin's "tragic and unnecessary" death would be fully investigated by the Department of Justice as it determined whether legal action could be taken. | Holder repeated his promise that Martin's "tragic and unnecessary" death would be fully investigated by the Department of Justice as it determined whether legal action could be taken. |
| "The NAACP and its members are deeply and rightly concerned about this case, as passionate civil rights leaders, engaged citizens and most of all as parents," he said. | "The NAACP and its members are deeply and rightly concerned about this case, as passionate civil rights leaders, engaged citizens and most of all as parents," he said. |
| "The Department of Justice will consider all available information before determining what action to take. But independent of the legal determination, I believe this tragedy provides yet another opportunity for our nation to speak honestly and openly about the complicated and emotionally-charged issues that this case has raised." | "The Department of Justice will consider all available information before determining what action to take. But independent of the legal determination, I believe this tragedy provides yet another opportunity for our nation to speak honestly and openly about the complicated and emotionally-charged issues that this case has raised." |
| Recalling stories from his own childhood, he spoke of the progress that still needed to be made in race relations in the US. | Recalling stories from his own childhood, he spoke of the progress that still needed to be made in race relations in the US. |
| "Years ago, some of these same issues drove my father to sit down with me, to have a conversation about how, as a young black man, I should interact with the police, what to say and how to conduct myself, if I was ever stopped or confronted in a way I thought was unwarranted," he said. | "Years ago, some of these same issues drove my father to sit down with me, to have a conversation about how, as a young black man, I should interact with the police, what to say and how to conduct myself, if I was ever stopped or confronted in a way I thought was unwarranted," he said. |
| "I'm sure my father felt certain at that time that my parents' generation would be the last to have to worry about such things for their children. Since those days our country has indeed changed for the better. | "I'm sure my father felt certain at that time that my parents' generation would be the last to have to worry about such things for their children. Since those days our country has indeed changed for the better. |
| "Yet for all the progress we have seen, recent events demonstrate that we still have much more work to do and much further to go. The news of Trayvon Martin's death last year and the discussions that have taken place since then reminded me of my father's words." | "Yet for all the progress we have seen, recent events demonstrate that we still have much more work to do and much further to go. The news of Trayvon Martin's death last year and the discussions that have taken place since then reminded me of my father's words." |
| Holder said he had spoken with his own 15-year-old son, "not to burden him with the baggage of eras long gone, but to make him aware of the world he must still confront." | Holder said he had spoken with his own 15-year-old son, "not to burden him with the baggage of eras long gone, but to make him aware of the world he must still confront." |
| "This is a sad reality in a nation changing for the better in so many ways," Holder added. "I am determined to ensure that the kind of talk I had with my son isn't the only conversation we engage in as a result of these tragic events." | "This is a sad reality in a nation changing for the better in so many ways," Holder added. "I am determined to ensure that the kind of talk I had with my son isn't the only conversation we engage in as a result of these tragic events." |
| He addressed the protests that followed Zimmerman's acquittal, which, apart from a small number of arrests in California, were largely peaceful. "In the days leading up to the weekend's verdict, some predicted and prepared for riots and waves of civil unrest across the country. Some feared that the anger of those who disagreed with the jury might overshadow and obscure the issues," he said. | He addressed the protests that followed Zimmerman's acquittal, which, apart from a small number of arrests in California, were largely peaceful. "In the days leading up to the weekend's verdict, some predicted and prepared for riots and waves of civil unrest across the country. Some feared that the anger of those who disagreed with the jury might overshadow and obscure the issues," he said. |
| "The people of Sanford and for most part thousands of others across America, rejected this destructive path. They proved wrong those who doubted their commitment to the rule of law and across America diverse groups of citizens are instead overwhelmingly making their voices heard through rallies and vigils designed to provoke responsible debate. | "The people of Sanford and for most part thousands of others across America, rejected this destructive path. They proved wrong those who doubted their commitment to the rule of law and across America diverse groups of citizens are instead overwhelmingly making their voices heard through rallies and vigils designed to provoke responsible debate. |
| "Those who act in a contrary manner do not honour the memory of Trayvon Martin," Holder said. | "Those who act in a contrary manner do not honour the memory of Trayvon Martin," Holder said. |
| Benjamin Jealous, the president of the NAACP, said he was hopeful that its demands for a federal trial would be met. "What matters here are the facts and the legal standard. We believe there are enough facts to meet the legal standard, and that the US Justice Department should bring criminal civil rights charges," Jealous told the Guardian before Holder spoke. | Benjamin Jealous, the president of the NAACP, said he was hopeful that its demands for a federal trial would be met. "What matters here are the facts and the legal standard. We believe there are enough facts to meet the legal standard, and that the US Justice Department should bring criminal civil rights charges," Jealous told the Guardian before Holder spoke. |
| Any decision is likely to take months. | Any decision is likely to take months. |
| Protests continued around the US in the wake of the verdict, with 14 arrests at demonstrations that turned violent in Los Angeles late on Monday. In New York, demonstrators chanted: "Trayvon dead, Zimmerman free, this is not democracy," and carried pointedly worded banners that read: "Trayvon was lynched". | Protests continued around the US in the wake of the verdict, with 14 arrests at demonstrations that turned violent in Los Angeles late on Monday. In New York, demonstrators chanted: "Trayvon dead, Zimmerman free, this is not democracy," and carried pointedly worded banners that read: "Trayvon was lynched". |
| Meanwhile juror B37 appeared to express regret for pursuing a book deal. The woman, one of the six female jurors who on Saturday acquitted Zimmerman, a neighbourhood watch leader, released a statement acknowledging the "depth of pain that exists among the general public over every aspect of this case". | Meanwhile juror B37 appeared to express regret for pursuing a book deal. The woman, one of the six female jurors who on Saturday acquitted Zimmerman, a neighbourhood watch leader, released a statement acknowledging the "depth of pain that exists among the general public over every aspect of this case". |
| The woman said she had only realised the sensitivities surrounding the three-week trial, during which the jury was sequestered, after returning home. She said she now realised that writing the book, which she intended as "a respectful observation of the trial from my and my husband's perspectives" was no longer the direction in which she wanted to go. | The woman said she had only realised the sensitivities surrounding the three-week trial, during which the jury was sequestered, after returning home. She said she now realised that writing the book, which she intended as "a respectful observation of the trial from my and my husband's perspectives" was no longer the direction in which she wanted to go. |
| With her face blacked out, she appeared in a television interview on Monday night, revealing that only three members of the six-woman panel had initially voted to acquit Zimmerman. Two thought he was guilty of manslaughter, and one believed he was guilty of the original charge, second-degree murder. | With her face blacked out, she appeared in a television interview on Monday night, revealing that only three members of the six-woman panel had initially voted to acquit Zimmerman. Two thought he was guilty of manslaughter, and one believed he was guilty of the original charge, second-degree murder. |
| The woman said that she and fellow jurors believed that Martin threw the first punch in the fatal confrontation, leaving Zimmerman in fear of his life. That, she said, was the determining factor in why the three changed their minds. | The woman said that she and fellow jurors believed that Martin threw the first punch in the fatal confrontation, leaving Zimmerman in fear of his life. That, she said, was the determining factor in why the three changed their minds. |
| She insisted that justice had been served. "George Zimmerman is a man whose heart was in the right place, but just got displaced by the vandalism in the neighbourhood … he wanted to catch these people so badly that he went above and beyond what he really should have done," she told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Monday night. | She insisted that justice had been served. "George Zimmerman is a man whose heart was in the right place, but just got displaced by the vandalism in the neighbourhood … he wanted to catch these people so badly that he went above and beyond what he really should have done," she told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Monday night. |
| "It just went terribly wrong," she said. "Things just got out of hand. I think he's guilty of not using good judgment." | "It just went terribly wrong," she said. "Things just got out of hand. I think he's guilty of not using good judgment." |
| The panel deliberated for more than 16 hours before all of them accepted that Zimmerman acted in self-defence, she said. | The panel deliberated for more than 16 hours before all of them accepted that Zimmerman acted in self-defence, she said. |
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