More on the Trayvon Martin case
In police work, the investigation of cases like the shooting of Trayvon Martin begin with a presumption of innocence for all parties involved in the incident, whether they are alive or dead, and the matter must be diligently investigated; something to keep in mind if you are ever caught up in a self-defense shooting. It appears that the Sanford Police Department came to the correct initial conclusion when they made the decision to not charge George Zimmerman with a crime.
When the state brought in the showgirl prosecutor during the heat of rebellion, at the height of a mob call for a speedy conviction absent any request for a speedy trial—or even a hearing, it was obvious that the strategy was that of providing a controlled release of the truth in order to vent the explosive rhetoric that was generated by the press and others. The patent rush to judgement of George Zimmerman however had the distinct odor of Fish.
The facts of the case were sketchy at first, but there was enough data, such as the transcript of Zimmerman's phone call to the police and eyewitness reports, to support 'educated' conjecture, for anyone experienced in these matters, about what really happened. That conjecture is slowly being verified with the release of more facts.
According to NBC News, the multipage autopsy says that Martin was "killed by a penetrating gunshot wound to the chest," with the entrance wound "located on his left chest 17 inches below the head. The single bullet passed directly from the front to the back, through his lungs, creating perforations." The only injuries to Martin are from the gunshot and to one knuckle, "a quarter-inch to one-eighth inch abrasion on the fourth finger in the ring area."
The gunshot wound entrance was from a bullet fired from "intermediate range," or two to four inches, "a soot ring abrasion and a two-inch by two-inch area of stippling" on his body.
Trace evidence supports Zimmerman's and most of the "eyewitness" claims.
It was also reported that THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) was found in Martin's blood. THC is the main active ingredient in the psychotropic drug cannabis, or marijuana. It was reported that Martin had been expelled from school for possessing paraphernalia. Studies support the fact that marijuana use leads to sociopathic behavior. We'll never know for sure if that was what prompted Martin's behavior, but it's certainly a possibility.
It's possible that Florida's "stand your ground" law may yet be invoked in this case. In any case, there has been much debate about the legal concept of "stand your ground" laws in general. I'll say again that I believe "stand your ground" law to be good law because it puts the burden where it belongs—and it protects innocent people from having to defend themselves from unmerited civil litigation. It would be a pity to see good law suffer because of an impetuous reaction to this, or any other, incident.
-fl