ABC News has been given a photograph that might make the difference between life in prison and a walk. For weeks, we have been discussing the case and the application of the Stand Your Ground law. As discussed earlier, I think the case was over-charged and I remain doubtful of a conviction. This picture will likely be the single most important piece of evidence in the case. It shows Zimmerman with significant blood on the back of his head — an image that supports accounts from the scene and will be used to corroborate Zimmerman’s account of a struggle with Trayvon Martin where he feared serious bodily injury. [UPDATE: Zimmerman granted bond].
Unlike the photos of Zimmerman at the police station, this photo was taken a few minutes after the fight. Zimmerman’s shaved head could prove Godsend for Zimmerman. Had he had longer hair, the injury would have not appeared so stark.
The photo shows both cuts and a contusion — injuries that would normally be defined as serious bodily injury by many courts in torts cases where head injuries are treated as inherently potentially serious. The original police report said that he was bleeding from the nose and head and that his clothes looked like he had been in a fight. Zimmerman claims that it was Martin who jumped him, punched him, and pounded his head on to the concrete sidewalk.
The prosecutors can still argue that they do not contest the fight but that Zimmerman started it. However, with this photo, the charge of second-degree murder appears even more excessive and undermines Special Prosecutor Angela Corey’s claim that she was not affected by the political pressure to charge Zimmerman. I can understand a manslaughter charge, even with the photo, but no reasonable prosecutor would consider the second-degree murder charge as based on this evidence. Corey clearly must have seen this photo and the reports before her charging of Zimmerman.
The photo should also assist Zimmerman in his efforts to get bail.
Zimmerman, 28, is still being held on charges of second-degree murder of Martin, 17. In my view, a denial of bail would be an abuse and unwarranted given the fact that Zimmerman cooperated at the scene and voluntarily turned himself in.
Source: ABC
“Since [narcissists] deep down, feel themselves to be faultless, it is inevitable that when they are in conflict with the world they will invariably perceive the conflict as the world’s fault. Since they must deny their own badness, they must perceive others as bad. They project their own evil onto the world. They never think of themselves as evil, on the other hand, they consequently see much evil in others.”
― M. Scott Peck
WHY WAS CHEORGE SO SUSPICIOUS OF TRAYVON MARTIN?
From abc News, looks like the detective Serino is lawyering up:
In an unusual move, the lead detective in George Zimmerman’s murder trial, has hired Jose Baez, who gained fame when he successfully defended Casey Anthony against charges that she’d murdered her 2-year-old daughter, to represent him.
Chris Serino, a former Sanford, Fla., police major crimes investigator, ignited controversy when he filed an arrest affidavit weeks after the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, despite insufficient evidence to make a case.
Baez, whose name had already popped up as a possible attorney to represent Zimmerman, confirmed to ABC News that he would now represent the controversial investigator Serino as depositions get under way.
Serino was reassigned to the overnight shift soon after video and audio interrogation tapes were released last summer that revealed he had doubts about Zimmerman’s version of events in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin last Feb. 26.
Zimmerman, a former neighborhood watch captain, said Martin was acting suspicious and soon became confrontational when Zimmerman encountered him walking through the subdivision where Zimmerman lived. In audio tapes recorded three days after the shooting, Zimmerman claimed he was attacked by Martin and shot him in self-defense.
But in the Feb. 29 recordings, Serino openly doubted the story.
“You ever hear of Murphy’s Law,” asks Serino. “This person was not doing anything bad. You know the name of the person that died?”
“Tavon,” responds Zimmerman. “Trayvon,” Serino shot back. “Trayvon Martin” responds Zimmerman. “Trayvon Benjamin Martin. … He was 17. … A kid with a future,” said Serino. “In his possession we found a can of ice tea and a bag of Skittles. And $40 in cash. Not the goon.”
Serino then questioned the extent of Zimmerman’s injuries, telling him that despite the broken nose and two lacerations on the back of his head, his injuries did not seem consistent with someone involved in a life-or-death struggle.
“You wanted to catch him. You wanted to catch the bad guy,” said Serino, aggressively.
Serino later recommended that manslaughter charges be brought against Zimmerman, but Seminole County State’s Attorney Norm Wolfinger rejected the request, citing a lack of concrete evidence. The initial lack of an arrest in the case led to widespread protests, and propelled the case into the national headlines. In April, special prosecutor Angela Corey, appointed by Florida Gov. Rick Scott, charged Zimmerman with second-degree murder.
Serino and several other Sanford police officers will soon be giving sworn statements to the Zimmerman legal team. Mark O’Mara, Zimmerman’s lead attorney, said that public pressure — not evidence — helped lead to charges being filed in the case.
The Zimmerman defense team is building evidence for an immunity hearing at which they’ll likely invoke Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” self-defense law, and argue that Zimmerman killed Martin in self-defense. If the case is not dismissed, the trial is set for June 10.
Bettykath, I didn’t see this comment until just now. I don’t know what happened about the cell phone and the photo. I think the picture was taken by Osterman and it was his cell phone. BOTH prosecution and defense are keeping everything about the picture IN PECTORE. To me, this means that the real story about the picture(s) and about George’s head might lead to inferences that neither the defense NOR the prosecution want the press or the public to make. I believe the prosecution is defending the Police Department while the Defense is defending the defendant. That’s my ever so cynical educated guess. Remember O’Mara said, back when ABC first revealed the bloody head picture, that he wasn’t sure “if or how” that picture would be used by the defense. LLMPapa has released a YouTube video seemingly showing how the thing was photoshopped. And a police officer allegedly photographed George’s head and then accidentally left the photograph on his computer or something for several days? Doesn’t sound right to me.
Malisha,
So the photo is a fake. Including the cell phone?