Didnt it feel like there were two trials going on? Zimmerman & Martin's?

[DearAbby]

The prosecution was defending Trayvon Martin, who, as of yesterday was considered a criminal, not by any evidence that was produced. Even the Defense had to go on the ASSUMPTION Trayvon was a criminal. A pumped up scary looking criminal.

No child deserves to die like a criminal with his face down and arms spread out, as if a hardened dangerous criminal, without one shred of evidence.

In order for the jury to come back with a not guilty verdict, they would have to ASSUME and convict Trayvon Martin of some crime befitting the way he died. Maybe we can claim some future crimes prevented because of his death. Without one witness, or one bit of evidence. He died because he was born a black male.

Stand your ground laws are a potential danger for minorities, this has to end.

[MotherPetrie]

1. It sure did.

[Igel]

3. If you think you're defending yourself, you think there's something to defend against.

You fear your life's at risk, the prosecution has to show that it's beyond reasonable doubt that your life was not at risk. It's all about GZ, but to evaluate whether his view is reasonable you have to include TM.

Then the defense has to come along and undermine that evidence. If they can show that it's not just reasonable doubt that GZ was justified in thinking his life was at risk--if they can show that yes, his life really *was* at risk--so much the better.

No need for TM have done anything illegal at any point. It's not a zero-sum game. There could be two people innocent of any legal wrongdoing, there could be two people guilty. Or one of each. It's a simplistic world where every death has to be caused by somebody's intentional wrongdoing, where people are either innocent or guilty with nothing in between.

What you get here, though, is everybody making the trial about TM. It's important here that TM be not only not charged and not guilty, but innocent, and that's tied people in pretzels. He ran and approached. He attacked defending himself and was entirely passive. He did his best to get home and he had no reason to get home. He was on top and he was on the bottom. He has no grass stains on his knees and the grass stains on his knees happened when he was shot and fell. Heck, even minor details are lost.

It's probably to late to make the trial about GZ. That train has not only left the station, it's nearing its destination.

[Honeycombe8]

4. No. The victim's actions are of necessity a major part of the trial and proving the guilt

of the defendant, in any murder trial of this sort.

I didn't see any character assassination, treating TM's memory as a criminal, or anything like that. Everyone in Court was very respectful to TM and his family, from what I saw.

I don't know what you're referring to, though. I didn't see every minute of the trial. What testimony treated TM like a criminal?

[countingbluecars]

5. It appears you missed

quite a few minutes of the trial.

[Nevernose]

6. Calling the pretty blonde neighbor to testify about her home invasion

I understand the legal justifications the defense used. I think they were wrong, but at least I understand them.

It still seemed mostly an excuse to portray Trayvon as a potential home invader.