I trust that everyone had a safe and satisfying celebration of the birthday of the greatest nation on earth yesterday, and that no fireworks were left unexpended (if any were left unexpended, deduct 10% from “man-card”–and for Pete’s sake, don’t tell anybody).
Today we will again be covering the Zimmerman Trial live, all day, with streaming video. Continuing commentary will be posted in the Twitter feed of selected contributors below the first video feed, and breaking news will be added at the bottom of this post.
During the lunch recess, or immediately thereafter, we will post a mid-day update. We’ll then follow up with the usual detailed end-of-day wrap up, including video and embedded Tweets, at the usual time in the evening.
ALERT! Court started at 8:40AM, early than expected. Trayvon Martin’s mother, Sabryna Fulton, is currently on the stand. It is anticipated that the State will finish with the last of its witnesses today and rest its case. At that point I expect the defense will submit a motion for a directed verdict, Judge Nelson will deny the motion, and the defense will begin to present its case.
Yesterday I posted up a general review of the trial to date, with some prognostication of how things may role out in the coming days. To take a look at that, click here:
Zimmerman Trial Review– How We Got Here, And Where We’re Going
For all of our prior coverage on day-to-day events in court, as covered here at Legal Insurrection, click here:
ARCHIVE: Zimmerman Trial LIVE coverage all day, every day
For all of our prior coverage on issues specific to the Law of Self Defense as covered at my own blog, click here:
Law of Self Defense Blog: Zimmerman Trial
(NOTE: If you do wander over to the LOSD blog, be sure to come back to Legal Insurrection to comment, as nearly all my time is spent here for the duration of the trial.)
Live Stream Video
WITH COMMENTARY FROM CHANNEL 9 IN SANFORD
[For live-stream video without commentary, see NBC live feed at bottom of this post.]
Twitter Feed:
(My tweets can be identified as coming from @lawselfdefense, or @lawselfdefense2 if I’m in Twitmo–follow both!.)
Tweets from @LegInsurrection/zimmerman-trial
Live Stream Video Alternative
LIVE-STREAM WITHOUT COMMENTARY FROM NBC
Friday, July 5 Commentary
. . .
Andrew F. Branca is an MA lawyer and author of the seminal book “The Law of Self Defense,” now available in its just released 2nd Edition, which shows you how to successfully fight the 20-to-life legal battle everyone faces after defending themselves. July 5, 2013 is the LAST DAY to take advantage of the 30% pre-order discount, only $35, plus free shipping. To do so simply visit the Law of Self Defense blog.
BREAKING: “The Law of Self Defense, 2nd Edition” is now also being carried by Amazon.com, at list price but with a commitment for 2-day delivery. A Kindle version to come within a week or so (I hope).
Many thanks to Professor Jacobson for the invitation to guest-blog on the Zimmerman trial here on Legal Insurrection!
You can follow Andrew on Twitter on @LawSelfDefense (or @LawSelfDefense2 if I’m in Twitmo, follow both!)on Facebook, and at his blog, The Law of Self Defense.
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
How do you locate a dog in Seminole County? Listen for a Bao Rao.
Roflmao
Gee, who’s gonna be a more credible ear witness: drive-by lap dance mac-daddy, or Command Sergeant Major / Deputy Sheriff uncle?
Just as a cat that always lands on its feet,the defense manages to end yet another day on a high note. And this was supposed to be the state’s day.
As someone said up the thread a way, there is some evidence of Divine help for the defense.
George Zimmerman, by all appearances, has a tender heart and has tried to do the right thing, even by Trayvon, by the homeless man, by his wife…he only organized the Neighborhood Watch because his wife felt unsafe due to the home invasion and burglaries as well as the pit bull dogs. He got the gun because of the dogs, not the burglars.
The prosecution is just trying to reinforce the fraudulent Crump/Sharpton narrative. Which has no supporting evidence.
If this idiot judge even thought there was a chance was going to end this case she would not have had defense start it’s case. She should have sent jurors home as soon as the state rested it’s case. They didn’t need to be there for over 2 hours and wait for what turned out to be another 1/2 an hour of testimony.
Judge Nelson let the jury decide. You would expect them to have been tired and wanting to go home.
But they weren’t. They wanted to hear from the defense. That might mean the jury is REALLY hacked off at what must seem like the State’s trickery with Dr. Bao’s testimony. I’ll bet the jury is angry at the State now. They feel deceived.
BDLR can whine all he wants to the judge that he didn’t know about Bao’s change in testimony. The jury wouldn’t buy that for a second. They assume in a case of this high profile BDLR must have his stuff together, that he knows what Bao is going to say.
To the jury it must look like BDLR is trying to pull a fast one.
They are angry.
Now they have heard two very positive witnesses from the defense and they get to go home for a weekend and chew this whole thing over. They are going to be pissed that their long weekend was messed up.
By Monday they will probably be itching to acquit. They are looking forward to MOM and West tearing the State a new one.
I’d say that is VERY true. The fact that they all said, in unison, that they wanted to hear from the defense, is very telling. They are NOT pleased with the prosecution, and frankly, I don’t think they are any too pleased with the judge, either.
He DID try to pull a fast one.
He wanted the ME to display some histrionic skills talking about how much pain and suffering TM went through. The trick did not fly and Dr. Bao’s testimony ended up as the major clusterfvck that it was.
Not disagreeing about the jury being pissed off, but my understanding is the jury doesn’t actually get to go home. They get to go back to their hotel rooms where the TV, phone, and internet have been taken away. They only get a few minutes a night to talk to their loved ones while being monitored by the bailiffs. It could just be that the jury wants to get the trial finished as soon as possible so they can go home.
MOM to hold press conference. Same link.
With apologies to Joe Pesci:
George: Maybe if you had put on a better argument, you could have gotten the case thrown out!
Mark: Hey George. You’re in Flo-f’in’-rida. Your name sounds white. You killed a black boy who looked cute 5 years ago. There is NO WAY this is not going to a jury.
If judge doesn’t rule for defense that means she believes Bahadoor, Rachel Jeantel, Dr. Rao and Dr Bao and not LEO’s, Jenna Lauer, and John Good. If thats the case she has less credibility than BDLR et al.
Corey and Crump were probably in the back of the courtroom waving their hands and shaking their heads NOoooooooo!
Nelson insists that the jury make the final decision so the mob will target six women, not one judge when the aquittal riots start.
That’s what I think – the judge and the State’s prosecutors. They dont have a case and they know it. They want to be able to blame the juror for an acquittal.
The more I hear and read, the more of a joke the legal system in Florida becomes. I found this through Drudge.
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/07/05/ME-admits-changing-opinion-on-Martins-death
Seriously? These guys make the Keystone Cops look like consummate professionals. Is it the water? Is everyone distracted by the beach atmosphere?
And for a freakin’ button!
Way to exasperate a jury.
I’m surprised they just didn’t ask Tracy to pick the lock.
If you follow the series Dexter, its starting to seem a whole lot more believable that someone who is on the inside working with all these clowns could get away with murder… repeatedly.
Heh… MOM yet again manages to end the day with favorable-to-defense testimony echoing in the jury’s ears.
Judge unwittingly aided him . Bet that stings in Coreyville.
But it wasn’t planned. It couldn’t have been, because the jury called the shot at the last minute.
Even the judge’s decision to proceed worked for the defense.
What a great slate of witnesses so far for George.
Bet there are more coming up.
(this gives the other side a long weekend of well-deserved dread, poor sleep, anxiety…imagine the strain on poor Ms. Jeantel in trying to remain sober and coherent another 3 days.)
Oh, I doubt Dee Dee is still focused on the events in Sanford. She’s back in MIA getting her drank/smoke on.
So this went to trial because Obama and Holder wanted a highly visible show trial to avert riots and chaos and preserve faith in whatever. They will get neither, no matter the outcome. Whites and Hispanics are gagging at this spectacle of injustice and have lost faith. And has it averted a riot? The black community is not accepting any facet of the defense case, shutting out the facts. Another vote black situation.
Obama won Florida. Mission accomplished.
This is now really a race war between Hispanics and blacks. The two groups despise one another.
Puts the POS in a tough position what with amnesty and all.
If this self defense claim doesn’t work for GZ how can the same/similar set of circumstances work for a LEO undergoing review? Are we now to believe that a LEO is not justified in firing his weapon under similar circumstances?
LEOs are very special people to whom ordinary laws do not apply. They are above the law. How dare you imply that they might be subject to the same standards as “normal” citizens?!
Anyone noticed how each mother identified the screaming on the 911 tape?
Trademarks mother replied only with his full name when asked who it was: “Trayvon Benjamin Martin.” to me, that sounds so impersonal, like with rehearsed confidence.
But compare that with Zimmerman’s mother, whose reply sounded more personal and spontaneous: “it was my son, George.”
OMG, did you just call Martin “Trademark”. LOL. Was that Freudian or intentional?
Lol, intentional. 🙂
In a just universe, Nelson would rule for a directed verdict of acquittal.
But this is the show trial of the year. The PRESIDENT got involved, pimping for Trayvon.
The media storm has been BRUTAL, with the black community demanding, D*E*M*A*N*D*I*N*G, justice.
There was no way she would grant the motion.
No, she wants this tar-baby off her hands. Bend over backwards to the prosecution to appease the black community. If they acquit, it won’t be her fault.
If appealed, the ones who overturn it will get the heat, not her.
There is NO WAY IN THE
Looks like the evening news shows are going to play Sybrina’s and Jahavaris’ testimony as to the screams and completely ignore Mrs. Zimmerman and Uncle Jorge as if they never happened.
You are sooo wrong.. CNN pundits took the time to come right out and say, (in so many words), that Uncle Jorge’s story about hearing the screams strained credulity. One of them even snickered a bit.
Fox News showed Mrs. Zimmerman, but they didn’t show his uncle. They should have showed George’s uncle, too.
O’Mara intends to get the Toxicology evidence that Treyvon was stoned, and also Treyvon’s MMA (fighting propensity) evidence admitted next week. Because Bernie opened the door by bringing in George’s past legal studies – “a widening circle.”
Toward the end of the conference, here:
http://www.wftv.com/videos/news/day-18-defense-attorney-mark-omara-holds-news/v5yRd/
I think the Al Shaprtons, Jesse Jacksons and Presidents who look like they could be Travon’s dad want a verdict of not guilty. They want to be able to point to that verdict as proof that blacks are still victims of a racist justice system. That is far more important than the small satisfaction a guilty verdict would bring.
That is why Zimmerman is on trial. Either way, guilty or not guilty, it is a win-win for the race baiters of this country.
I’ve been impressed by what a mensch O’Mara is. A good, classy human being.
After listening to his press interview just now I was just thinking tht too, and was going to note it, but you got there first 🙂
What would have been priceless is if, at the end of Gladys’ testimony, after Judge Nelson said “The witness is excused” – if Gladys would have turned to the Judge and said right in front of the jury, “NOW, may I go and sit behind my son, George?”
Make the judge instruct her right there that, No, since the Prosecution is keeping you under subpoena, you must leave the courtroom.
Or better yet, instead of having her walk right out of the courtroom, have her walk right over and sit in the gallery behind George. Make the judge ask her to leave.
The uncle was an even stronger witness to verify the screams came from George
Has anybody seen this? Sanford Police Department Caught Passing Out WW2 Service Ribbons…
Can you believe that sh*t???
What are the sanctions, if any, for the comments made during the request for acquittal phase?
Is it possible that a good human being can be an effective defense counsel and open ended and honest with the public during press inquiries….yes and it’s Mark O’Mara….
So for us none learned hand folks….
The charge is still 2nd degree murder? Does that stand at this point? The defense made a motion and was denied (of course) so it is 2nd degree or not guilty/acquittal?
Poor George Zimmerman and his family has been through HELL!
What does he do now that politics has ruined his life?