# 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:** 73
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/1441 "2020-02-24T18:15:05Z")
[George Zimmerman is self-damaging](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/11/21/shellie-zimmerman-george-zimmerman-katie-couric/3668633/): > [@](#): > > The estranged wife of George Zimmerman said Thursday she thinks her husband has unraveled since he was acquitted in the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin. > > “I don’t know who George is anymore,” Shellie Zimmerman said on Katie Couric’s show, Katie. After his murder trial, he became unpredictable and “a pacing lion.” > > “I like to think I married a person who was a good person, and going through the past year and a half, I don’t know how that changes a person, or how a person’s spirit breaks, but it certainly seems that’s what happened to him.” > > Later, she said: “He does seem like a ticking time bomb.” ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/1442 "2020-02-24T19:38:30Z")
> [@LAZombie](#): > > You’re almost as smart as Trayvon’s girlfriend. Almost. > > JEANTEL: Yes. Definitely after I say may be a **rapist, for every boy, for every man,** every – who’s not that kind of way, seeing a grown man following them, would they be creep out? So you have to take it – as a parent, when you tell your child, when you see a grown person following you, run away, and all that. > > Would you go stand there? You going to tell your child stand there? If you tell your child stand there, we’re going to see your child on the news for missing person. > > Jeantel also addressed the **gay rapist theory** later in the interview: > > RACHEL JEANTEL: “People need to understand, he didn’t want that **creepy ass cracka** going to his father or girlfriend’s house to go get – mind you, his little brother is there. Mind you I told you, I told Trayvon, [Zimmerman] might have been a rapist.” > > Trayvon was almost 6 feet tall, 17 yo, and a violent person. For young children, you are correct. For older boys who can viewed as men, they need to deescalate these situations. _So_ typical. Instead of acknowledging your pathetically unrealistic scenario is also just plain bad advice, you try to weasel out by posting something that has absolutely nothing to do with my reply. And, of course, you don’t cite your source, because then you’d have to acknowledge it came from a laughably biased, unreliable website. You’re not convincing anyone of anything here, and your lame-ass attempts to take potshots at people aren’t working, but you go right ahead and live in your ugly little fantasy world. I’m going to return to conversing with people who aren’t raving lunatics. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/1443 "2020-02-24T21:29:10Z")
**DirkHardly** , you seem to be speaking from a position of privilege. If you are a black male of any age, or a female of any age or color, knowing that someone is following you is cause for concern and, yes, fear for your personal safety even if the follower doesn’t do anything physically threatening. This is especially true if it is after dark and there are no other people around. If there is any interaction, the fear level _will go up_. A lot. Zimmerman had a gun. Trayvon was unarmed. I don’t see how Trayvon (or anyone else in that situation) \*wouldn’t \*have a reasonable fear for his life. I certainly would have. As the saying goes, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. We only have Zimmerman’s word for how things went, and he has a series of excessively violent incidences in his life that he provoked. Lastly, whether Buttigieg and Warren were implying Zimmerman’s guilt or not, the fact remains that despite being declared not guilty _of a crime_, he is still directly responsible for Trayvon’s death. I do not see how stating this truth, even if it is only implied, can be defamatory (although I concede that IANAL and the law can get damned twisty). ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/1444 "2020-02-24T21:42:00Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > Lastly, whether Buttigieg and Warren were implying Zimmerman’s guilt or not, the fact remains that despite being declared not guilty _of a crime_, he is still directly responsible for Trayvon’s death. Which the Retreat at Twin Lakes homeowners association evidently agreed with, having settled the wrongful death suit out of court. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/1445 "2020-02-24T21:55:47Z")
In a perfect world. Zimmerman would be the one in the ground right now. He is a no good piece of shit, who goes around looking for and creating trouble. Hopefully he will be feeding the worms some time soon. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/1446 "2020-02-24T22:15:17Z")
A week from tomorrow is Super Tuesday and it’s a strong possibility that Warren or Buttigieg or both will withdraw. I predict that if this happens, Zimmerman will try to claim partial credit. ---
**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:** [February 24, 2020, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/1447 "2020-02-24T22:25:49Z")
I’ll just note that Zimmerman’s attorney is none other than birther Larry Klayman, who is apparently also his attorney in his lawsuit against the family of Trayvon Martin and the prosecutors in his case. Klayman has been publically censured (and is currently appealling his suspension of 90 days) by the DC Bar. He’s held his own “grand jury” to indict Robert Mueller. He’s been reprimanded by the Florida state bar. The disciplinary committee of the DC Court has also recommended he be suspended for 33 months for attempting to have sex with one of his clients. He’s also has (unsuccessfully) sued Obama for being born in Kenya, Hillary Clinton for Benghazi, both of them for instigating a “Race war”, Robert Mueller, and others. He’s represented a slew of right wing idiots, including Jeremy Corsi, Joe Arpario, and Roy Moore. Klayman is a loser, unethical, a bad attorney, a failure and, a professional right wing headline chaser. I expect this lawsuit to go the way of most of his other lawsuits. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/1448 "2020-02-24T22:32:26Z")
> [@DirkHardly](#): > > Second, implying that someone is guilty of a felony, like criminal homicide, is per se defamation in Florida (along with a whole lot of other jurisdictions). That means the malice and damage to reputation is presumed and need not be proven as separate elements of the claim. Plus, it’s so very much worse when the person allegedly defamed has actually been acquitted of the alleged felony since that means that according to the government they are innocent as a matter of fact. > . Wait, so publicly claiming that a jury decided wrong in declaring a defendant not guilty is defamation? OJ Simpson should be making a killing. (well a second one). ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/1449 "2020-02-24T22:58:18Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > Wait, so publicly claiming that a jury decided wrong in declaring a defendant not guilty is defamation? OJ Simpson should be making a killing. (well a second one). Actually, it seems that expressing sadness about the death of a person makes one guilty of defamation. And doubly so if you express your feelings that racism is a bad thing. Zimmerman is a self-important jumped up little shithead. And his “lawyer” is an ambulance chasing nutcase. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/1450 "2020-02-24T23:06:26Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I predict that if this happens, Zimmerman will try to claim partial credit. Maybe, but zero fucks will be given in any event. Anybody likely to care or agree with anything that asswipe says already daily swallows a flood of bullshit from the CFSG. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/1451 "2020-02-24T23:13:14Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > I’ll just note that Zimmerman’s attorney is none other than birther Larry Klayman, who is apparently also his attorney in his lawsuit against the family of Trayvon Martin and the prosecutors in his case. Klayman has been publically censured (and is currently appealling his suspension of 90 days) by the DC Bar. He’s held his own “grand jury” to indict Robert Mueller. He’s been reprimanded by the Florida state bar. The disciplinary committee of the DC Court has also recommended he be suspended for 33 months for attempting to have sex with one of his clients. > > He’s also has (unsuccessfully) sued Obama for being born in Kenya, Hillary Clinton for Benghazi, both of them for instigating a “Race war”, Robert Mueller, and others. He’s represented a slew of right wing idiots, including Jeremy Corsi, Joe Arpario, and Roy Moore. > > Klayman is a loser, unethical, a bad attorney, a failure and, a professional right wing headline chaser. I expect this lawsuit to go the way of most of his other lawsuits. Aww, you left out one of the best ones, > [@](#): > > {…} Klayman did not dispute the fact that he is suing his mother, Shirley Feinberg. He claims his mom won’t pay him back $50,000 he spent on private nurses for her mother, his grandmother, Yetta Goldberg, who died last August at 89. He did not want this suit to become public, but the Clintonites, he asserted, learned about it and leaked word to Newsweek. {…}[RIGHT][CITE](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/1998/06/nut-watch.html)[/RIGHT] CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/1452 "2020-02-24T23:20:30Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > Aww, you left out one of the best ones,CMC fnord! Wasn’t he the numb-nuts behind Operation: American Spring? (OG knows, I lose track of these guys…) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/1453 "2020-02-24T23:24:13Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > Aww, you left out one of the best ones He’s [Arnold Ripner](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/BarneyMiller) come to life! ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/1454 "2020-02-25T00:20:56Z")
> [@CaptMurdock](#): > > Wasn’t he the numb-nuts behind Operation: American Spring? (OG knows, I lose track of these guys…) No. > [@](#): > > Conservative activists including Jim Garrow, Erik Rush and Paul Vallely are pushing a rally called Operation American Spring demanding the overthrow of President Obama. Of course, in November, Larry Klayman held a similar rally calling for Obama’s ousting that he hoped would draw millions of people, but only drew about one hundred Tea Party activists. {…}[RIGHT][CITE](https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/another-far-right-rally-to-overthrow-obama-that-will-definitely-work/)[/RIGHT] and, > [@](#): > > Larry Klayman predicted that his rally calling for the overthrow of President Obama would draw “millions to occupy Washington D.C.” and that those millions would “occupy parks, sidewalks, public areas” until the president leaves office. In the end, no more than a hundred people showed up for today’s big event. {…}[RIGHT][CITE](https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/larry-klayman-rally-to-overthrow-obama-draws-slightly-fewer-than-the-millions-expected/)[/RIGHT] CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/1455 "2020-02-25T05:46:36Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > Wait, so publicly claiming that a jury decided wrong in declaring a defendant not guilty is defamation? OJ Simpson should be making a killing. (well a second one). Third, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/1456 "2020-02-25T07:00:50Z")
If you want to get technical about it… ---
**Author:** ![LAZombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b38774/32.png) [@LAZombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LAZombie)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/1457 "2020-02-25T13:25:31Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > He already [tried fleeing](https://web.archive.org/web/20130718121422/http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/31/v-fullstory/2725442/what-is-known-what-isnt-about.html) but [Zimmerman wouldn’t let him](https://atlanta.cbslocal.com/2012/03/19/waok-wants-to-know-should-george-zimmerman-be-arrested-for-the-killing-of-trayvon-martin/): “These ASSHOLES. They always get away.” In Zimmerman’s call to 911, Zimmerman exits his vehicle at the 1:41 mark. You can hear the chiming of the “lights on” warning. He takes what sounds like four steps. The audio becomes clean for the remaining of the conversation which ends at the 2:42 mark which indicates Zimmerman was stationary and not following Trayvon. So Trayvon had at least a 60 second head start on Zimmerman. The average person walks 4.6 feet per second. By the time Zimmerman started following Trayvon, a distance of 275 feet or roughly the length of a football field would have been between them if he simply headed home. His home was probably 300 to 350 feet way from Zimmerman’s parked vehicle. The shooting took place 75 feet from where Zimmerman’s vehicle was parked. It would have taken Zimmerman 17 seconds to travel that distance by walking. \*\*So Trayvon must have been lying in wait. \*\* There is no conceivable scenario in which Zimmerman could have caught up to Trayvon or somehow cornered him and chased him back to where the shooting took place if Trayvon had been walking home instead of looking to fight Zimmerman. None of Rachel Jeantel’s testimony indicates Trayvon was lost or disoriented or trapped. > **[George Zimmerman’s 911 Call Before Trayvon Martin’s Death (AUDIO)](https://www.thedailybeast.com/george-zimmermans-911-call-before-trayvon-martins-death-audio)** > > Listen to George Zimmerman’s 911 call before he shot and killed Trayvon Martin. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/1458 "2020-02-25T14:28:56Z")
> [@LAZombie](#): > > The shooting took place 75 feet from where Zimmerman’s vehicle was parked. It would have taken Zimmerman 17 seconds to travel that distance by walking. \*\*So Trayvon must have been lying in wait. \*\* [Where, exactly, does that supposed 17 seconds fit into the established timeline?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_shooting_of_Trayvon_Martin) [quote] [ul][li]6:24:18 PM — As shown by a store CCTV, Martin purchases a bag of Skittles and an AriZona Watermelon Fruit Juice Cocktail (often described in media and at protests as AriZona iced tea.)[7][8][9][10][11][/li][li]6:54 – 7:12 — Martin has an 18-minute cell phone call with a girl reported to be his girlfriend. The call gets disconnected.[10][12][/li][li]7:09:34 – 7:13:41 — George Zimmerman calls the Sanford Police Department (SPD) from his truck; total time of the call is 4 minutes 7 seconds.[13][/li][li]7:11:33 — Zimmerman tells the police dispatcher that Martin is running.[/li][li]7:11:59 — In reply to the dispatcher’s question, “Are you following him?” Zimmerman responds with, “Yes.” Dispatcher: “OK, we don’t need you to do that.” Zimmerman: “OK.”[/li][li]7:12:00 – 7:12:59 — The girl calls Martin again at some point during this minute.[14][/li][li]7:13:10 — Zimmerman says he does not know Martin’s location.[/li][li]7:13:41 — The end of Zimmerman’s call to Sanford police.[14][/li][li]7:16:00 – 7:16:59 — Martin’s call from the girl goes dead during this minute.[14][15] [the precise time surfaced during the trial, the call ends at 7:15:43, 1 minute and 12 seconds before the shot.][/li][li]7:16:11 — First 9-1-1 call from witness about a fight, calls for help heard.[16][/li][li]7:16:55 — Gunshot heard on 9-1-1 call.[17][/ul][/li][/quote] ---
**Author:** ![LAZombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b38774/32.png) [@LAZombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LAZombie)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/1459 "2020-02-25T15:30:21Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > [Where, exactly, does that supposed 17 seconds fit into the established timeline?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_shooting_of_Trayvon_Martin) Logic dictates that if Zimmerman was “chasing” or "“hunting down” Trayvon, the site of the altercation would be far past the location where it did occur. I believe Zimmerman walked to the general area where the fight occurred to see where Trayvon was headed. Trayvon emerged from the shadows and sucker punched Zimmerman. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/1460 "2020-02-25T15:35:40Z")
> [@LAZombie](#): > > Logic dictates that if Zimmerman was “chasing” or "“hunting down” Trayvon, the site of the altercation would be far past the location where it did occur. I believe Zimmerman walked to the general area where the fight occurred to see where Trayvon was headed. Trayvon emerged from the shadows and sucker punched Zimmerman. Trayvon played the old “run and hide” trick eh? What a bastard! Thank god, Zimmerman was able to hunt down and shoot him in defence. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480.md?page=72) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480.md?page=74)