timmah said:
Even with Manslaughter as the primary charge, if the jurors believed that Zimmerman legitimately feared for his life at the moment he shot Trayvon (which it appears they did), he still would have walked as that would classify as legal self defense under the law. The prosecution might have had a slightly better shot at a conviction, but the cards would still have been stacked against them based on the evidence. There's a reason the police didn't want to charge him in the first place, the case against him was always very weak when you look at the laws on the books. |
If this case was manslaughter as a main charge, it wouldn't have taken this long to come up with a verdict, guilty or innocent. Look up the legal definition. The state had nothing on Zimmerman so they threw manslaughter and child abuse at the court since a lesser charge of it was on the table, but it was too little too late. Im talking legal gameplans here...in the end as innocent or guilty as you believe him to be its all about the playbook. There were prosecutors across the country yelling dumbass at the State of Florida. You see....you're arguing for voluntary manslaughter which much like second degree murder has the burden of proof of malicious intent.
If you look at the definition of manslaughter, there are like two types of manslaughter and two subtypes. Zimmerman's type is what is known as involuntary manslaughter under the subtype culpable negligence. Its a lesser offense than voluntary, but it would be a very strong case.
American law is about the way you play the system. If you have a good lawyer, they can play it. Thats all I am saying.
