# George Zimmerman - In the news again **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 31, 2014, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480 "2014-07-31T13:26:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 21
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2014, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/401 "2014-08-07T17:09:42Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Wow, he never fucking learns, does he? Another incident with the cops: > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gDX2anG6nE&t=1m30s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gDX2anG6nE&t=1m30s) That’s not Zimmerman. It’s a guy in a custom-built Batmobile, [wearing a Batman costume.](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newsvideo/weirdnewsvideo/9177439/Batman-and-his-Batmobile-pulled-over-by-police.html) > [@](#): > > The Batman look-alike was later identified as Lenny Robinson, a Baltimore businessman who dresses like Batman to entertain sick children at local hospitals. > > Mr Robinson told police he had been on his way to Georgetown University Hospital. ---
**Author:** ![Human\_Action](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@Human\_Action](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Human_Action)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2014, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/402 "2014-08-07T17:19:19Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > How many times did Z call the cops to alert them to the presence of a unidentified _white_ teenager, walking around and looking at houses in a suspicious manner? Ever? You can view Zimmerman’s 911/NEN call history [here](http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/327330-george-zimmerrman-911-call-history.html), courtesy of the Sanford PD. In most of them, the race of the subject isn’t specificed (a lot are in reference to things like reckless driving, where the driver wasn’t observed, or things like pit bulls wandering around, or garage doors left open). Looking at the sub-set where there is a subject whose race is specified, most but not all are black. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/403 "2014-08-19T16:58:59Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Announcement: In case anyone thought otherwise, nobody’s accusing Zimmerman of having broken the law. But the fact that he is right back at it again (playing wannabe superhero Punisher guy) after that last shit storm, shows just how fucking stupid he really is. And for the record, I still think he was guilty as hell. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/404 "2014-08-19T17:22:57Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > But the fact that he is right back at it again (playing wannabe superhero Punisher guy) after that last shit storm, shows just how fucking stupid he really is. > And for the record, I still think he was guilty as hell. If he was, the state of Florida failed to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. And his parents let their deadline for suing him pass without suing him for wrongful death – that’s a case they only needed to win by preponderance of the evidence. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/405 "2014-08-19T17:29:07Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > And his parents let their deadline for suing him pass without suing him for wrongful death – that’s a case they only needed to win by preponderance of the evidence. I’m curious as to why you would raise this? Are you trying to claim that since they didn’t sue him, that means there was no case or that it couldn’t be proven by a preponderance of evidence? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/406 "2014-08-19T18:01:34Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > I’m curious as to why you would raise this? Are you trying to claim that since they didn’t sue him, that means there was no case or that it couldn’t be proven by a preponderance of evidence? No. There are fifty-seven different reasons that may have motivated them not to sue. Perhaps they couldn’t afford it and no one would take a contingent fee risk on a judgement-proof Zimmerman. Maybe they just wanted to put the horrible mess behind them. And fifty-five others. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/407 "2014-08-19T18:12:43Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > No. There are fifty-seven different reasons that may have motivated them not to sue. Perhaps they couldn’t afford it and no one would take a contingent fee risk on a judgement-proof Zimmerman. Maybe they just wanted to put the horrible mess behind them. > > And fifty-five others. Then why raise it? ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/408 "2014-08-19T18:32:39Z")
It was a Q&A session. Part 1 - > [@SteveG1](#): > > But the fact that he is right back at it again (playing wannabe superhero Punisher guy) after that last shit storm, shows just how fucking stupid he really is. > And for the record, I still think he was guilty as hell. Part 2 - > [@Bricker](#): > > If he was, the state of Florida failed to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. > > And his parents let their deadline for suing him pass without suing him for wrongful death – that’s a case they only needed to win by preponderance of the evidence. > [@Hamlet](#): > > Then why raise it? **SteveG1** stated that he thought GZ was guilty as hell. **Bricker** responded that TM’s family had let the deadline pass for suing GZ. AFAIK, Martin’s sketchy past and his racial taunts of GZ would have been made a part of a civil suit against GZ. Martin’s family would have little chance of winning such a suit. IMHO, of course. And a loss could have hurt the Martin families foundation’s funding if it became public knowledge that TM was a racist. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/409 "2014-08-19T18:49:27Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > **SteveG1** stated that he thought GZ was guilty as hell. > **Bricker** responded that TM’s family had let the deadline pass for suing GZ. Exactly. The clear implication, the reason that Bricker raised that they hadn’t sued Zimmerman, was to counter SteveG1’s assertion that Zimmerman was guilty. Which seems to be your point also. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bruce\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/410 "2014-08-19T19:30:46Z")
Well, it’s a pretty valid point. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/411 "2014-08-19T20:22:02Z")
FWIW I read it the same way as **Hamlet** - that despite **SteveG1** ’s belief, Zimmerman’s guilt could not be proven either beyond a reasonable doubt, nor even by a preponderance of the evidence. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/412 "2014-08-19T20:45:54Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > Then why raise it? I guess I was trying to say, Hamlet, that the unsatisfying conclusion of the criminal trial is all we’ll ever have. There’s not going to be a civil trial; there’s not going to be a long-lost videotape. The guilt or lack thereof of George Zimmerman in the death of Trayvon Martin is just going to remain a matter of intensely held opinion, with no resolution, forever. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/413 "2014-08-19T20:55:48Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > I guess I was trying to say, Hamlet, that the unsatisfying conclusion of the criminal trial is all we’ll ever have. There’s not going to be a civil trial; there’s not going to be a long-lost videotape. > > The guilt or lack thereof of George Zimmerman in the death of Trayvon Martin is just going to remain a matter of intensely held opinion, with no resolution, forever. That’s true no matter whether or not there was ever a civil suit. How does pointing out that no civil suit against Zimmerman has been filed illustrate at all that there’s not going to be a resolution? I took it as Shodan and Bruce Wayne did, that you wanted to pretend that the lack of suit meant he could not be proven guilty. I don’t see why you’re changing gears now. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/414 "2014-08-19T21:51:53Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > That’s true no matter whether or not there was ever a civil suit. How does pointing out that no civil suit against Zimmerman has been filed illustrate at all that there’s not going to be a resolution? If there had been a civil suit, we might have had more resolution. I found the civil suit in the OJ Simpson murders to be a bit of resolution. I accept what \*\*Bricker \*\*is saying. I think a civil trial would have been another indicator on the court’s ability to pin him more closely on the not guilty/guilty continuum. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/415 "2014-08-19T22:08:56Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > That’s true no matter whether or not there was ever a civil suit. How does pointing out that no civil suit against Zimmerman has been filed illustrate at all that there’s not going to be a resolution? > > I took it as Shodan and Bruce Wayne did, that you wanted to pretend that the lack of suit meant he could not be proven guilty. I don’t see why you’re changing gears now. Because I didn’t mean what you thought I meant. And why would I? Fifty-seven reasons, remember? If they had filed suit and won, there might have been at least an OJ-style resolution. That’s not going to happen. The Zimmerman Question will remain unresolved, unless George offers up a deathbed recantation of self-defense. That’s all I meant to say. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/416 "2014-08-19T22:11:33Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > That’s true no matter whether or not there was ever a civil suit. How does pointing out that no civil suit against Zimmerman has been filed illustrate at all that there’s not going to be a resolution? > > I took it as Shodan and Bruce Wayne did, that you wanted to pretend that the lack of suit meant he could not be proven guilty. I don’t see why you’re changing gears now. Proven guilty where? In what court of law? Maybe you’re thinking of the court of public opinion? Many members of the public still believe that TM has a can of ice tea with him when he was shot. That was, and still is, not true. The Martin foundation chose to give up their last chance to drag Zimmerman into court. I suppose it could be assumed that the Martin family and their plethora of lawyers had decided to give GZ a break but I doubt that would have been a deciding factor. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bruce\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/417 "2014-08-20T17:44:28Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > I took it as Shodan and Bruce Wayne did, that you wanted to pretend that the lack of suit meant he could not be proven guilty. I don’t see why you’re changing gears now. My one sentence post may have been misleading and I apologize, but I am in agreement with Bricker. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/418 "2014-08-22T09:15:39Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Many members of the public still believe that TM has a can of ice tea with him when he was shot. That was, and still is, not true. Haha, now I remember, \*you \*were that one obsessed with \*incessantly \*pointing out that TM did NOT, in fact, have a can of Arizona Iced Tea… instead, he had a can of Arizona Fruit Punch! :eek: Duhduhdummmm! :eek: 😕 Man, what a freakshow those threads were. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/419 "2014-08-22T16:12:27Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > Haha, now I remember, \*you \*were that one obsessed with \*incessantly \*pointing out that TM did NOT, in fact, have a can of Arizona Iced Tea… instead, he had a can of Arizona Fruit Punch! :eek: Duhduhdummmm! :eek: > > 😕 Man, what a freakshow those threads were. You’re still confused. It was Arizona Watermelon flavored drink. The media repeated the ice tea lie continually from the day of the shooting and even the prosecutor repeated that lie at the trial. Little wonder that the prosecutor couldn’t prove it’s case. ---
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/420 "2014-08-22T17:11:54Z")
Yes, I remember the defense attorney’s famous admonition to the jury: “If it’s not iced tea, you must set George free!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480.md?page=20) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480.md?page=22)