# Why hasn't the Neighborhood Watch shooter been arrested? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 12, 2012, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504 "2012-03-12T00:53:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 204
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/4061 "2012-04-14T22:57:40Z")
> [@PatriotX](#): > > If the jury can choose one of the lesser offenses, then why wouldn’t the SA go for the topmost? (1) If you spend time and effort arguing a joke charge, you lose credibility in front of the jury, and lose the opportunity to make a coherent argument for the lesser charge. (2) You lose some lesser offenses. For example, there is a culpable negligence law that allows for up to 1 year in prison. The prosecutor has a far better chance of showing that Zimmerman acted recklessly than that he intended to commit murder. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/4062 "2012-04-14T23:15:42Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > The state has to prove he wasn’t wounded or that he acted in some malicious manor. From what we’ve seen, this shouldn’t be terribly difficult. Zimmerman set the bar high for himself by insisting that Martin inflicted serious injuries upon his nose and his head. If there is no evidence of such injuries in police and EMT records, on top of Zimmerman delaying medical care beyond the time that we’d expect if he indeed had a broken nose, then all the prosecutor has to do is point these details out to a jury and let them reach their own conclusions. No need for her to even spell anything out for them. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/4063 "2012-04-14T23:23:04Z")
> [@you\_with\_the\_face](#): > > From what we’ve seen, this shouldn’t be terribly difficult. Zimmerman set the bar high for himself by insisting that Martin inflicted serious injuries upon his nose and his head. No, Zimmerman only needs to show he was attacked in a manner that was life threatening. That does not equal serious external injuries when describing an attack against someone’s head. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/4064 "2012-04-14T23:26:39Z")
> [@you\_with\_the\_face](#): > > From what we’ve seen, this shouldn’t be terribly difficult. Zimmerman set the bar high for himself by insisting that Martin inflicted serious injuries upon his nose and his head. As far as I am aware, they have all been statements from Zimmerman’s supporters. None of which is admissible at trial because it is hearsay. The only thing that Zimmerman is bound to is whatever he has told police. We don’t have many details on that at this point. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/4065 "2012-04-14T23:28:03Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > No, Zimmerman only needs to show he was attacked in a manner that was life threatening. That does not equal serious external injuries when describing an attack against someone’s head. The point is, if he claims to have received injuries that are not documented by police or medical records, it casts doubt on his entire statement. Of course, the injuries are mentioned in the police report, and by some witnesses who saw Zimmerman in the days after the shooting. Frankly, I’d be astonished if he claims in court to have any injuries that aren’t documented in medical reports. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/4066 "2012-04-14T23:29:30Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > the blanks have to disprove Zimmerman’s story which doesn’t have any blanks. For you, evidently not - you appear to find a few statements that don’t really fit with the evidence a complete story that makes sense to you. Other people not so much. > [@](#): > > The state has to prove he wasn’t wounded or that he acted in some malicious manor. Not a problem. > [@Magiver](#): > > No, Zimmerman only needs to show he was attacked in a manner that was life threatening. And I just don’t see how he can show that with the evidence we know about. Not even close. > [@you\_with\_the\_face](#): > > From what we’ve seen, this shouldn’t be terribly difficult. Zimmerman set the bar high for himself by insisting that Martin inflicted serious injuries upon his nose and his head. If there is no evidence of such injuries in police and EMT records, on top of Zimmerman delaying medical care beyond the time that we’d expect if he indeed had a broken nose, then all the prosecutor has to do is point these details out to a jury and let them reach their own conclusions. No need for her to even spell anything out for them. And there’s a lot more than that to point to that undermines his story. Really hardly anything supports it. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/4067 "2012-04-14T23:34:23Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > The point is, if he claims to have received injuries that are not documented by police or medical records, it casts doubt on his entire statement. Of course, the injuries are mentioned in the police report, and by some witnesses who saw Zimmerman in the days after the shooting. > > Frankly, I’d be astonished if he claims in court to have any injuries that aren’t documented in medical reports. And it has to be more than that. Just having an injury is not proof that his only course of action was shooting Martin. Let’s say Martin whacked GZ in the head and scratched his scalp with a fingernail causing it to bleed. some struggling on the ground, Zimmerman pushes Martin off and stands up, showing the gun. Does he need to shoot Martin? Is that necessary at that point? What about if there’s no standing, he just pulls out the gun and Martin sees it, and grabs his arm to prevent Zimmerman pointing it at him, all the while screaming as we know he did: Help! Help!. Why does martin need to shoot him at that point? Merely having an injury is hardly proof that killing Martin was justified. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/4068 "2012-04-14T23:34:35Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > The point is, if he claims to have received injuries that are not documented by police or medical records, it casts doubt on his entire statement. Of course, the injuries are mentioned in the police report, and by some witnesses who saw Zimmerman in the days after the shooting. > > Frankly, I’d be astonished if he claims in court to have any injuries that aren’t documented in medical reports. All he has to show is evidence of being struck in the head consistent with his testimony to the police. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/4069 "2012-04-14T23:34:59Z")
> [@you\_with\_the\_face](#): > > From what we’ve seen, this shouldn’t be terribly difficult. Zimmerman set the bar high for himself by insisting that Martin inflicted serious injuries upon his nose and his head. Where? Can you point me to a Zimmerman statement about his injuries? I haven’t seen one. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/4070 "2012-04-14T23:37:36Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > All he has to show is evidence of being struck in the head consistent with his testimony to the police. Are you anticipating that in the EMT report? Since he did not seek immediate medical attention, I am not sure what else he can present to support his claims. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/4071 "2012-04-14T23:38:59Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Are you anticipating that in the EMT report? I do. Can you tell me what you expect to see in Zimmerman’s testimony about his injuries? ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/4072 "2012-04-14T23:42:36Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Are you anticipating that in the EMT report? Since he did not seek immediate medical attention, I am not sure what else he can present to support his claims. I understand that he received some medical attention at the scene when the police arrived, but I’m not looking through the whole of this thread to find the cite. If that is the case, it will be recorded, and the prosecutor will have seen the report. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/4073 "2012-04-14T23:45:53Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > Merely having an injury is hardly proof that killing Martin was justified. **Stoid** , for the 87 millionth time, no-one has to prove that the killing was justified. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/4074 "2012-04-14T23:46:09Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > I do. Can you tell me what you expect to see in Zimmerman’s testimony about his injuries? I expect it will be very different than his initial claims, now that we have contradicting testimony from eyewitnesses. I suspect he got punched, but I doubt he will stick with the broken nose or head slammed on the sidewalk. I do think there probably was a struggle for the gun, which was entirely justified as Martin fought for his life. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/4075 "2012-04-14T23:51:53Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I expect it will be very different than his initial claims Can you give me a link to where you’re getting “his original claims”? I haven’t seen any. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/4076 "2012-04-14T23:53:06Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I expect it will be very different than his initial claims, now that we have contradicting testimony from eyewitnesses. I suspect he got punched, but I doubt he will stick with the broken nose or head slammed on the sidewalk. I do think there probably was a struggle for the gun, which was entirely justified as Martin fought for his life. blood on his face and back of his head. It doesn’t take much of a pummeling to the head to fear threat of one’s life. for the 87 millionth time, it doesn’t require a pool of blood. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2012, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/4077 "2012-04-15T00:01:32Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > Done and done, described multiple times. Actually no. Nothing has been proven for the purposes of coming to a verdict at this point, regardless of what you have personally analyzed. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2012, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/4078 "2012-04-15T00:02:30Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > blood on his face and back of his head. It doesn’t take much of a pummeling to the head to fear threat of one’s life. for the 87 millionth time, it doesn’t require a pool of blood. But it does require a preponderance of the evidence. If the EMT report contradicts his claim of a bloody nose and a head wound, his attorney will not assert those claims, I guarantee you. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2012, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/4079 "2012-04-15T00:07:46Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > But it does require a preponderance of the evidence. If the EMT report contradicts his claim of a bloody nose and a head wound, his attorney will not assert those claims, I guarantee you. Police report by the policeman who was first on the scene: “Zimmerman was also bleeding from the nose and back of his head.” I guarantee you the EMT report will show bleeding from the nose and back of his head. There was absolutely no reason for the police officer to risk his career by lying on the official police report. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2012, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504/4080 "2012-04-15T00:10:07Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > I guarantee you the EMT report will show bleeding from the nose and back of his head. I gurantee you the EMT report will show his nose was not broken, and there was no bleeding from the back of his head. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504.md?page=203) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-the-neighborhood-watch-shooter-been-arrested/615504.md?page=205)