George Zimmerman to be charged in Trayvon Martin shooting, law enforcement official says

[Lucy Goosey]

Source: Washington Post

Florida special prosecutor Angela Corey plans to announce as early as Wednesday afternoon that she is charging neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in the shooting of Trayvon Martin, according to a law enforcement official close to the investigation.

It was not immediately clear what charge Zimmerman will face.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/george-zimmerman-to-be-charged-in-trayvon-martin-shooting-law-enforcement-official-says/2012/04/11/gIQAHJ5oAT_story.html

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So, this looks like a good development - I hope the anonymous law enforcement official is right about this.

[TheWraith]

1. No surprise at all.

This has been pretty much the inevitable outcome ever since this case got beyond the local police attempting to cover it up.

[Cali_Democrat]

2. Now the question is: where is the child killer that kills unarmed kids carrying skittles, iced tea?

Where the hell is he?

[crunch60]

29. I always thought Zimmerman was a flight risk. Maybe in Peru?

[Mira]

3. I hope so too, because I'm out looking for him n/t

[savalez]

4. Heard it on the ED show!

[goclark]

5. Do you think he leaked the information

to calm the Troubled Waters or ???

[bathroommonkey76]

6. A Florida jury will

let him go just like Casey Anthony.

[snooper2]

8. Maybe they will have a prosecutor that can do a good job

this time

[Blaze Diem]

13. My thoughts also..Cuz they "weren't there to actually see him kill Trayvon"

...'but but but, its all just circumstantial evidence'

Please let this be justice for Trayvon Martin..there was absolutely zero for little Caylee

[obamanut2012]

27. The jury was correct in teh Anthony case

The prosecutor should have never charged her with DP murder. A responsible DA should have been able to get Casey Anthony 15-30.

You know Corey is thinking about the Anthony case, and is being very careful of the charge, especially since this case is a tinderbox ready to go off.

[Cosmocat]

31. Right, two totally different situations

they had almost nothing to prosecute Anthony with.

I get them trying, but they had nothing.

This case is pretty fricken clear.

[Boabab]

44. They presented enough evidence to convict Anthony

but the jury didn't care about the details, and only wanted to go home as soon as possible.

Also, the death penalty shouldn't have been introduced, although the jury still had the option to convict on lesser charges. The jury just didn't take their duty seriously.

[Cosmocat]

46. No way

Not even close.

They literally had NO evidence connecting her to it past highly marginal hair in the trunk of her car, and she was denying it.

Not even close to get a first degree murder conviction.

And, BS on the jury and their duty stuff, what few have spoke have said they knew she did it, but by their oath they simply did not have the evidence to convict.

It is a true tragedy that the women won't see justice for what she did, but she simply was not PROVEN guilty in court.

Here, Zimmerman admits he shot the kid, they have the 9-1-1 tapes providing VERY clear evidence of how it played out, witness testimony, and they are going for second degree murder.

These cases are so dissimilar they defy comparison.

[savalez]

7. Announcement to be at 6PM EST.

[Iliyah]

9. I'm not going to believe it

until I hear it from the prosecutor.

[anti-alec]

10. First degree murder - with depraved indifference

should be the correct charge.

Do NOT let Zimmerman get away with manslaughter - that is an insult to the Martin family.

He gets to stay in prison forever or face the needle. That is his choice. He is not fit for society.

[Lucy Goosey]

14. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think it can be 1st degree murder

My understanding was that doing away with the grand jury was a signal that the charge wouldn't be first degree murder, because a grand jury is required for that charge in Florida. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, though.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

19. It can't be 1st degree murder without the grand jury.

What they did say, just a few moments ago on MSNBC, is that if the process begins and it looks like 1st degree charges are in order, that petition can be brought to the grand jury.

Today, it's going to be second degree murder or manslaughter, most likely.

[Ruby the Liberal]

39. They are still smarting from the Casey Anthony overreach.

I think they will go with a lesser charge and let the jury up it with instructions (if that is doable down there)

[crunch60]

30. I think your correct. Ed clarified that on his show last night. Need grand jury for 1st degree.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

17. It won't be first-degree murder; that offense has to be charged

by grand jury indictment and we already know there won't be a grand jury. Charging lesser offenses such as second-degree murder and manslaughter will make it easier to get a conviction.

And nobody should ever get the death penalty, no matter who they are -- that's a symptom of a barbaric society. The United States, alone among industrialized nations, shares this uncivilized practice with such bastions of enlightenment as Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Nigeria, Syria and Somalia. Just the kind of company we want to keep.

[gopiscrap]

20. I fully agree with you

on the death pentaly issue!

[ozone82]

40. And Japan n/t

n/t

[primavera]

33. Yeah, but this is Florida

We'll be lucky if he gets charged with more than unsafe storage of a firearm.

[RedCloud]

35. What about premeditated murder?

What if he stalked Trayvon for several blocks so he could kill him?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

42. Premeditated murder = first degree murder.

One of the required elements of the offense of first degree murder is premeditation.

I think it's pretty doubtful - or at least, not easily provable - that Zimmerman originally set out to shoot Martin. It's more likely that he decided he was going be the Big Shot Neighborhood Watch Cop Wannabe and follow, then harass and intimidate him into leaving the area. Then something happened - we don't know exactly what - that made him decide to use his gun. Technically, premeditation can occur in a very short period of time, but proving it under these circumstances will be difficult. The prosecutor has a much better chance of getting a conviction by charging Z with the lesser offenses of 2nd degree murder (intent to kill but without premeditation) and/or manslaughter (intentionally acting in a way that could cause death but without specific intent to kill).

[olddad56]

11. Next they will need to find him.

[csziggy]

21. Kerry Sanders on MSNBC says FDLE is "calm" about where Zimmerman is

FDLE = Florida Department of Law Enforcement

Sanders said the although everyone else seemed panicked about Zimmerman's locations, FDLE personnel did not seem worried.

[Roland99]

23. Just bring Sean Insanity into the police station. He knows

[iandhr]

12. Jury selection will take a very long time...

... and the trial will certainly be in a different venue.

[primavera]

34. I've wondered about that too

With all of the publicity this case has gotten, where on earth could they try this without the jury being already prejudiced?

[amandabeech]

41. I agree.

They will get a change of venue, but to where?

I'm thinking that Zimmerman will have a tough time finding a reasonably unprejudiced jury anywhere in Florida.

I think that a fair trial is the best way to head off problems no matter what the verdict may ultimately be.

[kpete]

15. good

k&r

[Smilo]

16. I was just reading the comments at the WaPo

so many hateful comments and in support of Zimmerman.

I don't understand it.

[Cali_Democrat]

18. This is the United States of America

[patricia92243]

24. I was looking at the comments on Yahoo. Unbelievable. Seems like the media showing pictures of TM

when he was younger is the whole problem as far as these nut-jobs are concerned. They seem to think if TM was ugly, there would be no problem with people thinking it was ok to murder him.

It is truly sickening to read some of these haters.

[asjr]

38. Not just in this case. All those creatures on Yahoo

seem to be offspring of Michelle Bachmann and Rush Limbaugh. Some are vicious.

[kpete]

22. 6 p.m. EDT

More: A law enforcement official tells @NBCNews that announcement of criminal charges against George Zimmerman expected around 6 p.m. EDT
— @BreakingNews via breakingnews.com

[butterfly77]

25. The media is acting like..

this is a verdict in the trial when,he should have been in jail 44 days ago.

[marshall gaines]

26. charge?

MURDER!

[DCBob]

32. Second degree I am presuming.

manslaughter would be too light but they might go for it just to make sure they get a conviction.

[amandabeech]

43. I'm thinking manslaughter for the reasons you suggest.

This is an explosive situation.

I can understand why a prosecutor would be reluctant to bring charges without a very thorough investigation. There are problems with that Florida law that encourages prosecutors to only charge what they are sure they can sell to the jury.

Remember, it's only probable cause to charge, but it's beyond a reasonable doubt to convict. Big difference.

[BootinUp]

28. Here comes da judge Zimmy baby. nt

[RedCloud]

36. Old Sparkey is awaiting Zimmerman.

[onehandle]

37. Don't get excited. Might just be for show. The NRA... I mean, Florida may have a deal with him...

It may not even go to trial.

[BanTheGOP]

45. 2nd Degree Murder!!

[size=14]2nd Degree murder...the highest charge possible!![/size]

[DFW]

47. Why isn't the MSM asking itself. WHY IS THIS NEWS?

You stalk an unarmed teenager and shoot him dead, you get charged with murder.

Why is that not a big DUH?

What have we come to as a nation that this makes national (hell, now worldwide) headlines?