Hypothesis

The Chicago Tribune reports new evidence in the Trayvon Martin case.  As some already know, a 911 caller phoned police in time for a recording of screaming.  (Audio available at the news link - of both the screams and Zimmerman's voice on the phone.)  Some of the debate has centered around whose voice was heard - Trayvon's or Zimmerman's.

Well, a leading voice expert in the field of forensic voice identification has now determined that it was NOT Zimmerman's voice.  (He can't compare it to Trayvon's voice because he has no recording of Trayvon.  But obviously, if there are only two people in question, and it's not one, it's the other.)

Also, Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez have an interview here with the attorney for the Trayvon Martin family.  She states that a key witness is the girl Trayvon was speaking with on the cell phone, and while Zimmerman was following him, and Trayvon was trying to get away from him.  At some point, suddenly in their conversation, she hears Trayvon say, "Why are you following me?" Then she hears scuffling - and the line goes dead, according to phone records, one minute before the police reportedly show up.

I know a lot of people are talking about the case online, and this blogger certainly doesn't have all the reported facts.  But here is my layperson's hypothesis, for what it's worth, and taking into account the witness who recently came forward - and saw Zimmerman kill Trayvon from his window.

I am guessing that Zimmerman came up behind Trayvon suddenly - and from there - everything happened very fast.  Basically, he jumped Trayvon while he was talking on the phone - not a threatening activity - and certainly not threatening to ask someone why they're following you as you look up from a cell phone conversation.  And at that point - up close - with Trayvon 6 feet tall - he had heard Trayvon's voice - not fully deepened - he had seen his face - and he knew he was a tall and gangly kid, unable to effectively do much with what nature was providing him so rapidly.  In short, he jumped him, in part, because he knew he was young and weaker.  He quickly and accurately calculateed in his deranged, racist mind that he *could take him* - as the expression goes.  Trayvon struggles to some extent, and screams for help, but he's just a kid and he's no match for this grown man and very husky and strong looking one, at that.

Zimmerman may - or may not - have injured himself in the scuffle - but if he is, it's nothing significant.  Certainly he doesn't appear injured by the witness' window account - and he sees his face clearly because he walks towards his window and into the light - for example, he sees that Zimmerman is Hispanic - and he doesn't touch his nose - allegedly broken - he looks very worried and he does something many people do when they're worried - he touches his forehead.  Not his nose which should be in excruciating pain.  Not the back of his head bashed on a sidewalk - and he is not stumbling around as if he has a semi or full concussion - which I would think you would have if your head was repeatedly bashed into the sidewalk.  Besides, there's isn't enough time for this to happen.  And the witness doesn't see this at all.  He hears loud voices as if something is wrong - perhaps he hears the confrontation during the cell phone conversation? - then sees them on the lawn.  Plus, the funeral home reports that the youth's knuckles didn't show any signs of punching when they prepared his body for burial.

Another tragic point in this sequence is that - under Florida's law at this point - Trayvon is the one protected by the "stand your ground" laws.  Whether he did or didn't have a gun, he is the one who would have had a right to kill Zimmerman in self-defense.  Yet all these stand-your-ground proponents do not defend Trayvon's right to deliberately and even just injure Zimmerman, if he was injured at all, and by the youth.  In fact, the police chief taken off the case previously defended Zimmerman's imagined right to go after Trayvon, and later, turned around, criticized Trayvon's right to stand his ground with Zimmerman, if that was even what Trayvon did.

And it does not appear to be the case.  Scuffling is established since the friend hears it before the line disconnects - but that seems to be Trayvon being jumped - and the man at the window hears loud voices as if something isn't right - then walks to the window, opens it, and sees what appears to be two men tangling on the lawn - though when Zimmerman gets up - he sees that it is a boy lying face down, dead, in the grass. 

Again - I haven't read everything about the case - but it sounds to this blogger like Zimmerman has Trayvon completely pinned face-first on the lawn, pulls out his gun (or it was already out) - and reaches under Trayvon's body, in order to shoot him at point blank range through the heart while he has him restrained and knows that the police are on the way.  From the internet photograph everywhere, clearly he's a husky and very physically strong man.  That's not manslaughter;  that's murder.

It is my understanding that a gun fired at point blank range is a key piece of evidence for forensics experts.  So the fact that police sent Zimmerman on his way with a murder weapon -- or even minimally  -- a potential murder weapon -- is just incredible -- that his gun wasn't confiscated.  Obviously, the police would know this.  On top of that, they don't even get the phone records - the attorney for the Trayvon Martin family has to pay for an investigator to obtain the records.

Where was the body reported to be found?  Was it found on the lawn where the witness saw it from the window?  Or somewhere else?

I don't see that information on a google.

I don't want to get too esoteric here -in what should obviously be an empirically based investigation - but the window witness, from his phone interview, sounds like what some fourth way psychologists call "an intellectually centered person" in a system dividing observers into 3 basic categories - "intellectual," "emotional," and "physical" (or motor oriented). 

To make this clearer, picture yourself driving in a car - which is a motor activity - like typing - but with other faculties coming into play.  You may have a predominating tendency to handle stress from 1 of the 3 categories mentioned.  A child suddenly steps in front of your vehicle.  A motor oriented reaction immediately brakes.  An emotionally oriented individual immediately feels - before reaching the brake - "OMG there's a child stepping in front of my car!".  In an intellectually geared individual (which may or may not have anything to do with formal education) thinks first -- for example -- "Oh wow, there's a child stepping in front of my car."  Before the physical response of stepping on the brakes kicks in or an emotional one.

One isn't better than another - though in this car example - a motor oriented person may react faster, with seconds making a difference.  The point to this blogger, is that the witness' description of events in terms of his own reactions is what made his story quite credible.  If someone is lying, they don't generally have this level of self-reflected description in their story.  At the very least, it seems to me, the witness is describing what he saw or believes he saw.  He is an intellectually centered observer.  That doesn't make him more credible.  It's his description of himself under stress that does.

In other words - he sees Zimmerman get up.  He sees the boy now, not another man.  He looks at Zimmerman and THINKS to himself:  "I just watched him kill him."  It's a very shocking experience, I would imagine, to see someone murdered from your apartment window.  Then Zimmerman actually turns and starts walking in the direction of his window - very frightening - but his face becomes visible in the light.

Not only did this gentleman see him kill Trayvon.  He sees him kill him in a way that goes well beyond manslaughter, in my book.

And taking what I say, of course, with a grain of salt.  This is something for a jury to decide with all the relevant facts - which I do not have.  But a lot can happen in a minute.  A lot can pass through a person's mind in a minute - and sound like it's taking more time to the listeners simply because they're describing everything to you.  It might take them 1/2 hour to tell the story, and with the entire range of their experience - but literally, 60 seconds or 2 minutes or whatever had passed.  The window witness tells a story to Anderson Cooper that happened much more rapidly than the time it took for him to relate the story on television.  Which is of course why observed events are also distorted by witnesses, as well.

As far as this blogger is concerned, in the meantime, Zimmerman should be charged and arrested.  He should have been charged and arrested a long time ago.  What is taking the new D.A. so long?  The new voice analysis is out, also showing he lied, he's is still at large, and the investigators still haven't confiscated his gun - although by this time, any evidence pertaining to how the gun was used would be destroyed.  Which the police would know when they sent him off with his gun, wouldn't they?  I would also guess - they still haven't temporarily removed from duty - these initial police officers at the scene, even though it is clear that they have violated a lot of principles of sound, commonsensical police work - and this should be looked into.

And what else I would like to know - is what else the window witness saw.  We hear everything up until Zimmerman walks towards his window into the light.  What did he observe after that?  Did he watch the police arrive?  What happened next?

To some extent, we know what happened because the new video shows Zimmerman in custody within minutes of Trayvon's death.  What did this individual see?

Trayvon

Amy Goodman interviews Benjamin Jealous, President of the NAACP, concerning the murder of 17 year old Trayvon Martin.  Mr. Jealous is calling for the killer's immediate arrest and the Sanford, Florida police chief's ouster.  Over a million people have signed a change.org petition here, calling for prosecution.

The Los Angeles Times has reported in the last six hours that Sanford police chief Bill Lee has temporarily stepped down under mounting pressure.  CBS reports that Trayvon's parents state that they are not satisfied with the temporary removal of Bill Lee and want the killer, Ronald Zimmerman, arrested, and a conviction for the murder of their child.  MSNBC is currently reporting that Florida governor Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi are appointing a new prosecuter to investigate the case. 

For futher background, Ms. Goodman has this article, Walking While Black: The Killing of Trayvon Martin.  She writes,

NAACP President Ben Jealous, recounting a mass meeting in a Sanford-area church Tuesday night, quoted a local resident who stood up and said, “‘If you kill a dog in this town, you’d be in jail the next day." Trayvon Martin was killed four weeks ago, and his killer is still walking the streets.' 

'With his gun,' adds Ms. Goodman, as Mr. Zimmerman's gun was not taken away either.

Courtesy of the Christian Science Monitor

AP Photo/HO, Martin Family Photos

Trayvon Martin, 1995-2012

On Wednesday, thousands took to the streets of New York City, livestreamed by Tim Pool, chanting "We are Trayvon Martin!"  Thousands reportedly marched in different locations, one group effectively eluding several attempts by police to "corral" or "capture" demonstrators - including on the Brooklyn Bridge - and by rapidly switching directions as a *unified mass* and continuing to march and voice their outrage.

In the Democracy Now! video and video posted at the LA Times website, Trayvon's mother speaks to protesters, stating, "Our son did not commit any crime.  Our son is your son.  I want you guys to stand up for justice and to stand up for what is right.  This is not about a black and white thing.  This is about a right and wrong thing."

For Justice For Everyone

In the video below, Benjamin Jealous, President of the NAACP, speaks about pressing forward with federal civil rights charges in the case against George Zimmerman.  

The NAACP Department of Justice petition is back online here if you haven't signed yet.  That petition quickly gathered 275,000 signatures in the first evening, the hits so numerous that the website shut down;  now that it is back up and running, last official reports put signings at over 1 million. 

One of the jurors in the Zimmerman case has now given an Anderson Cooper interview (part one here, part two here) talking about, incidentally, among other things in the case, plans to write a book about it.  This juror was decidedly in favor of Zimmerman's acquittal, describing Trayvon Martin's killer as a man "with a heart in the right place."

Mr. Jealous speaks about that interview, the exclusion of African American jurors, as well as the preclusion of any evidence of or discussion about racial profiling by the court - including evidence of racial profiling by Zimmerman (for example, a cousin reportedly told police that Zimmerman had a history expressing racist sentiments;  the jury wasn't allowed access to this information) - and the impact of those decisions on the outcome of the jury's verdict.  The interviewed juror said that 3 jurors were originally in favor of a guilty verdict, with two in favor of manslaughter and one in favor of 2nd degree murder.  Yet they were swayed to an extremely different verdict, and in relatively short period, 16 hours.  (With the juror saying they didn't discuss race issues at all during that period - and that she didn't see race playing any role in Zimmerman's perceptions as neighborhood watchman.)  Mr. Jealous touches on these points, along with what he describes as a highly effective defense strategy consisting of, basically shutting out the entire context of the incident, and bringing everything to bear on this so-called lawn tussle.  Creating a tunnel vision jury, in a manner of speaking, blogger-wise.



In another video below, Jaisal Noor reports on nationwide protests against the verdict, speaking to demonstrators in Baltimore where organizers called for 3 days of protests decrying the acquittal.  Protesters talked about similar cases, being parents, a teacher or a child affected by the court outcome, as well as racial profiling, gun laws, Trayvon's right to self-defense, and being there "for all the Trayvon Martins."

One African American mother standing with her sons, described the outcome as “a step backward” for the nation.  Eventually unable to hold back her tears while speaking to the reporter about the injustice of the verdict, she declared, “it’s going to take the People, the citizens of the United States of America to get past this.”  

 

Many demonstrators expressed fears and concerns about Zimmerman still carrying his gun, along with a perceived message sent by the court system that it was now “open season on black boys.”  Another mother at the Baltimore demonstrations stated, “the verdict set a precedent for anyone with hate in their heart to go out and methodically set up a situation where they can kill someone and then call it ‘self-defense.’”  Pointing to her Justice 4 Trayvon protest sign with a photograph of Trayvon along with 3 other young men of color, the demonstrator continued, “These three young men are my sons.  And they are Trayvon Martin. […] And that’s why I’m here.  For justice.  For everyone.”

*Photo credit/Via Baltimore Brew/Photographer: Fern Shen/Children from Chesapeake, Virginia protest the verdict in Baltimore. 

7.16.2013 Update

4 other jurors have signed a statement submitted to press through the court saying that the juror who provided an interview to Anderson Cooper spoke only for herself, and did not speak for them.  

Hoodie

A police officer as a real peace officer, on the side of The People ...

Courtesy of SeattlePI.com

Photographer:  Joe Dyer

Seattle Police Department Det. D. Cookie Bouldin protests

the shooting death of unarmed Florida teenager Trayvon Martin.

Can we have more of hers at Occupy Wall Street?

The officer was simultaneously working at - while joining in - at a Sunday afternoon Seattle protest decrying the Sanford, Florida police department's handling of the shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin.  The Stranger reports in new information that Trayvon was murdered while serving a suspension sentence by his school district for possessing a plastic bag with trace amounts of marijuana.  Shedding new questions, I would think, on school suspension policies, not anything else.  The officer pictured above in a hoodie carrying Skittles is described as a beloved peace officer in the Seattle community. 

For those just tuning into this story, Trayvon was wearing a hoodie and carrying an ice tea and skittles he had just purchased at a convenience store when he was killed by a self-appointed neighborhood watchman, a Mr. Zimmerman, spewing racist profanity.  (And why protesters are dressed in hoodies carrying the same items.)  Mr. Zimmerman was not arrested and he was even released by police still in possession of the murder weapon.  Last this blogger heard, he was last seen driving out of the Sanford area in a Uhaul, and no one knows where he now wanders with his John Wayne.  In Florida or some other state ..

The march had a huge rainbow crowd of hundreds, all ages, most wearing hoodies.

Courtesy of SeattlePI.com

Photographer: Joe Dyer

Children march in hoodies to protest police handling of Trayvon's murder.

Courtesy of SeattlePI.com

Photographer: Joe Dyer

Sunday afternoon Seattle demonstration decrying police handling of Trayvon Martin killing.

Here is an interesting and enlightening protest sign:

Courtesy of SeattlePI.com

Photographer: Joe Dyer

I wonder what Geraldo has to say about that? 

More terrific and some very moving photographs of the march here at seattlepi.

Another Dark Day For U.S. Justice

Via NY Daily News

Photographer: Kevin Hagen

Trayvon Martin supporters in Sanford, Florida.

Protesters started hitting the streets Saturday and Sunday in a nationwide response to a Florida jury finding George Zimmerman "not guilty" in the shooting death of unarmed African American teenager Trayvon Martin, and what bloggers and tweeters agreed was "another dark day for U.S. justice."

Under Florida law, Zimmerman will even get his gun back - and in a state in which - as Zimmerman walked off scot-free - a Florida mom had been sentenced to 20 years in prison for firing warning shots in the air in response to an abusive husband (a May 2012 article pointed out in a related tweet by CBS).

The NAACP is asking the Department of Justice (DOJ) to prosecute Zimmerman on civil rights charges.  From Huffington Post:

"We are outraged and heartbroken over today's verdict," NAACP President Benjamin Jealous said in a statement. "We will pursue civil rights charges with the Department of Justice, we will continue to fight for the removal of Stand Your Ground laws in every state, and we will not rest until racial profiling in all its forms is outlawed."

Buzzfeed reports a massive instant response to an NAACP petition to the DOJ, with 275,000 people signing in one evening, as well as hoods going up on instagram.  Numerous threads were "a twitter" with Justice For Trayvon supporters.

The Justice Department reportedly confirms that it is indeed looking into the matter to determine "whether federal prosecutors should file criminal civil charges now that Zimmerman has been acquitted in the state case."

Legal analysts and observers have debated the way in which the prosecution and court handled the Zimmerman case - most notably pointing out a lack of diversity among the jurors.  An all female jury was composed of 5 whites and one Hispanic - and no African American men or women.  Also, Zimmerman was never compelled to take the stand and face cross-examination.  In addition, the judge did not allow testimony concerning technical evidence showing the scientific likelihood that recorded 911 screams matched Trayvon's voice.  Hence, the courtroom drama, so to speak, devolved into the subjectively competing testimonies of two mothers, one for the minor victim, the other for the adult killer, each claiming that the cries were her son's. 

Blogger speaking, a judge is supposed to prevent this type of spectacle from becoming the basis for a trial, and especially when there is empirically valid evidence to be admitted  - versus whose mother is the most emotionally compelling - and, to an all female, mostly white jury.  With a number of papers reporting that the jury's decision was going to "come down to" whose screams they *believed* (a very subjective term) were heard that night.

Writers on twitter shared their shock, dismay, and grief, but also a lack of surprise with the American "justice" system. Many wrote words of support and condolence to the Trayvon Martin family, along with words of social and political protest.

Below, CNN video of an interview with Benjamin Jealous, during which he poignantly states, "When they say this is a country with liberty and justice for all, we yearn to be in that place."


 



7.14.2013 Update Via Occupy Wall Street:

Live stream of NYC Justice For Trayvon march; at present, one protester estimates 5,000 people.   Marina Portnaya with RT tweeted a huge crowd chanting, at one point, "Off the sidewalks, into the streets!"

 
Live Video streaming by Ustream

Stand By Me

Trayvon Martin is back in the news with the fifth day of the George Zimmerman trial including testimony by Trayvon's childhood friend, 19 year old high school student Raychel Jeantel who described speaking with Trayvon on the phone moments before he was killed by Zimmerman.  Right after the phone was apparently dropped, and immediately before the line disconnected, Ms. Jeantel - who had stayed with her friend on the phone as he was pursued by Zimmerman - heard Trayvon saying, "Get off! Get off!"

Democracy Now! reports below on the 5th day, discussing the prosecution's efforts to discredit the high school student's testimony.



Reuters reports that another witness today, Jonathan Goode, undermined a key component of Zimmerman's defense by stating that he never saw Trayvon slam Zimmerman's head into the concrete. 

At the link here, the attorney for the Martin family, Daryl Parks, speaks to the press alongside Trayvon's parents, Tracy Martin and Sabrina Fulton.

florida

courtesy of reuters slideshow

photo credit:  reuters/pool

george zimmerman in court, april 20, 2012,

for a bail hearing, and for murder in the 2nd degree, 

in the killing of unarmed minor, trayvon martin 

george zimmerman made his first public appearance in court today where florida judge kenneth lester set bail at $150,000 in a two-hour hearing described as "sometimes contentious."  defense requested bail set at $15,000, and prosecutors who opposed his release at all, suggested bail set at a million.

zimmerman made an apology statement to the family, claiming that he didn't know how young trayvon was, and whether or not he was armed, while zimmerman's wife, questioned by the judge by telephone, said that she did not believe her husband was violent.  his wife - who doesn't know that he's violent - is entrusted with contacting authorities if he disappears. 

does the judge think she'll notice if he does? 

the los angeles times reports that

attorneys for the state repeatedly brought up two incidents from Zimmerman's past. The first was an arrest for assaulting an undercover officer during an underage-drinking crackdown; the second was an injunction filed by a former girlfriend who said Zimmerman struck her.

still, said zimmerman's father in more theatre of the absurd, and in another telephone testimony for the hearing - (another family member the court hopes will keep an eye out?) - "I've never known him to be violent at all, unless he was provoked, and then he would turn the other cheek."

bang.

according to the new york times, zimmerman will be released in several days pending arrangement of electronic monitoring. he is only confined to his residence during the evening, and only responsible for contacting authorities every three days.  his attorney even requested permission to leave the state, a matter the florida judge refered to .. their local police department?  for the time being, the judge finally took away zimmerman's gun rights.

benjamin crump, attorney for the trayvon martin family, said the family was "completely devastated" by the bail decision.  he said that tracy martin had tears in his eyes throughout the hearing. 

"And it was devastating that he [zimmerman] got to give a self-serving apology to help him get a bond," said Attorney Crump. "They (the parents) were very outraged at that."

courtesy of the new york times

photographer:  Brian Blanco/European Pressphoto Agency

Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon Martin's parents, attend the bail hearing for George Zimmerman on Friday.   Family attorney Benjamin Crump in the red tie.

reuters reports:

Assistant State Attorney Bernie de la Rionda was limited in his cross-examination of Zimmerman to the apology and prohibited from delving into the facts of the case. But he made a point of locking Zimmerman into his statement that he also told police he "felt sorry for the family" about the death of Trayvon.

Zimmerman also testified he never changed his story in three separate statements to police.

the los angeles times reports that zimmerman's lawyer focused on the state's probable cause affidavit:

The affidavit says Zimmerman "confronted" Martin, after which a struggle ensued. In a likely preview of the defense strategy at trial, O'Mara questioned the use of the word "confronted."

"Do you know who started the fight?" he asked the investigator at one point.

"Do I know? No," Gilbreath said.

"Do you have any evidence that supports who may have started the fight?"

"No" Gilbreath said.

school yards vs murder

excuse me, but was there "a fight"? 

zimmerman's lawyer makes it sound like a school yard altercation with two parties in the wrong. 

not to mention that, even in a school yard altercation, if a bully attacks a student at school and beats him up - is there "a fight," or just a bully who beats someone up?

similarly, but much more serious, of course - we don't have "a fight" - we have a killer and a victim.

there's only one person who commited a crime here:  a grown man (uh - accountable under the law) with a gun - his client, george zimmerman, and in the course of stalking an innocent, unarmed teenager walking home, talking with a friend on the phone, with some skittles and a can of ice tea. 

his client - also disobeying a direct instruction by the police not to follow.

Window

Anderson Cooper phone interviews another witness who has come forward, having seen Trayvon Martin's death from his window.  He sounds very credible.  His account places Zimmerman and Trayvon well on a lawn, and far from the sidewalk where Zimmerman claims Trayvon punched him and banged his head on the cement.  From this eyewitness account, Zimmerman shoots Trayvon while he's lying on top on him, and the teenager is lying face down in the grass.  When Zimmerman gets up, he does not appear injured, and Trayvon is motionless, with the witness describing himself as thinking something like, "I've just watched this man kill him."  The video of the interview is below.  Another video has since emerged showing Zimmerman in police custody.  This video substantiates the witness' description of Zimmerman as uninjured, the window account and video at odds with a police report stating that Zimmerman was bleeding from his nose and the back of his head.  In addition, the mother of a 13 year old witness is now asserting that the police pressured her son to provide more details than he was actually able to recall.

Justice For Trayvon

Will there be justice for Trayvon Martin?

NBC reports that the special prosecutor Angela Corey (appointed by Florida Governor Rick Scott) will announce criminal charges against George Zimmerman in the killing of minor Trayvon Martin late this afternoon, Eastern Time.  What the nature of those charges will be remains to be seen.  Although Zimmerman stalked Trayvon (which is evidence of premeditation in the opinion of this blogger), first degree murder is ruled out because she decided not to take the case to the Grand Jury.




Will there be justice for Trayvon? 

The answer to my question is in another question:  what kind of country do I live in?

Skittles

 

Via CBS Photostream

Photographer: Gary W. Green

A crime scene technician for the Sanford Police Department shows the jury in the George Zimmerman murder trial the bag of Skittles Trayvon Martin was carrying home when he was killed.

News organizations Thursday reported prosecutors in the George Zimmerman trial blasting the defendant's self-defense claim in closing arguments on behalf of second degree murder charges.  The jury could also find Zimmerman guilty of manslaughter, with the maximum sentencing for manslaughter, 30 years - and the maximum for 2nd degree murder, life.  They could also find him "not guilty" for killing the teenager, letting him walk.  The defense is scheduled to make its closing arguments on Friday.

The prosecutor called Zimmerman a liar who should be held accountable for his actions as a wannabe policeman.  "A teenager is dead," said Bernie de la Rionda.  "He is dead through no fault of his own.  He is dead because another man made assumptions."

Young Trayvon Martin was on his way home with a bag of Skittles and ice tea to watch a sports show with family and friends.  He was followed by a self-annointed neighborhood watchman named George Zimmerman who found him suspicious for no justifiable reason.  Zimmerman phoned the police who told him not to follow Trayvon, yet Zimmerman continued to follow the teenager, and eventually, killed him minutes from his destination by shooting him at point blank range through the heart.  During the incident, Trayvon was talking on the phone with a childhood friend who stayed with him on the line as he described being followed by this (then unknown) individual, and as he fled home in fear.

How Can We Smear Thee

Let us count the ways when justice is hiding.  Think Progress reports here on that campaign against Trayvon Martin, including a discussion of the empty plastic bag blogged earlier with pot traces.  TP asserts this information was selectively leaked by the Sanford Police Department in an attempt to ruin the teenager's reputation, a story also (and obviously) irrelevant to the murder of a minor walking home with skittles and ice tea to watch sports on television. 

From Huffpost:

The Sanford Police Department insisted there was no authorized release of the new information but acknowledged there may have been a leak.  City Manager Norton Bonaparte Jr. said it would be investigated and the person responsible could be fired.

Martin family attorney Benjamin Crump said the link between the youth and marijuana should have no bearing on the probe into his shooting death. State and federal agencies are investigating, with a grand jury set to convene April 10.

"If he and his friends experimented with marijuana, that is completely irrelevant," Crump said. "What does it have to do with killing their son?"  

The state Department of Juvenile Justice confirmed Monday that Martin does not have a juvenile offender record. The information came after a public records request by The Associated Press.

"They killed my son and now they're trying to kill his reputation," said Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon's mother.

Meanwhile, the Sanford Police Department still has not charged and arrested George Zimmerman - which is what their job is supposed to be in an alternate universe.

Below is a new rap song written for Trayvon by Jasiri X (based on "No Church in the Wild" by Jay-Z & Kanye West), and in a performance and protest hosted by the House of the Lord Church in Brooklyn, New York.  You can read Jasiri X's lyrics at the youtube link and also see another video version here where Jasiri walks listeners through events that evening directly in the gated community neighborhood where Trayvon was killed.

trayvon

democracy now! discusses the trayvon martin case, back in the news with a voluminous release of police documents.  the first video includes audio of a heartbreaking interview with trayvon's childhood friend - speaking with him on the phone while he was being followed by george zimmerman.  she describes trayvon as scared and too out of breath to continue running.

the second video includes discussion with benjamin jealous, president of the n.a.a.c.p. and audio of other witnesses.

Poetry

From MTSU and Imperial Lighthouse Productions - I Am Trayvon Martin - a poem and film tribute to Trayvon Martin.  Zimmerman written and portrayed by Tilmon Keaton;  Trayvon written and portrayed by Ryan Carson.  Jasmine White as Trayvon's girlfriend.  Filmed and edited by Jairus Burks and Ramon Johnson.

What Racial Profiling Looks Like

Scriptonite has the following video well-portraying the influence of racial profiling on people's perceptions of events in her blog piece on the Trayvon Martin case.



In the video, three young actors - one white male, one African American male, and one blonde female - separately go through motions of "trying to steal" the same locked-up yet abandoned bicycle in a local park. 

Residents pretty much ignore the shenanigans of the white male and white female, with a few pedestrians making inquiries and even offering to help the young woman in a couple of instances.  When the black male youth tries to do the same thing, however, one person after another objects, with an angry crowd starting to gather, some snapping photos for evidence, and one man phones 911, as collective outrage erupts. 

(Don't try this yourselves without major planning, back-up, and protection.)

The point being, the pedestrians' perceptions of the exact same incident change drastically with the race and gender of the individual in question.  They see the African American male youth as engaging in an objectionable crime, yet the white male and female youths - engaged in the exact same behavior - are seen as doing nothing that out of the ordinary - even understandable in a few instances - since the bike has been left for days.  

Of course, in the case of Trayvon Martin, as opposed to this recorded social experiment, Trayvon wasn't doing anything that could be construed as the least bit illegal.  He was simply walking home from the store after purchasing some candy and an ice tea.

But he was a young African American male, so he was perceived by George Zimmerman as a "hoodlum" and "thug," although his actions were fully innocent and he was a very nice young person - some have tweeted he was also an honors student.

This is what racial profiling looks like, even among the most ordinary people who don't have any known unusual inclinations towards using guns and violence.  So now imagine racial profiling by someone more off-balance than these otherwise good folk (and by even just a little bit) out strolling on a sunny day in the park.  

(Now imagine handing that individual a gun.)

Livestream

Occupy Wall Street crowds presently marching in the nighttime streets of New York City with livestream coverage via Tim Pool reporting thousands outraged over the Florida police handling of a deadly shooting of an unarmed teenager, Trayvon Martin.  The identified killer has not been arrested. 

At the time of this posting, protesters were heard loudly chanting, "We are Trayvon Martin!"  and "Whose street?  Our street!"  Shortly before, marchers headed on to Brooklyn Bridge chanting, "Whose bridge?  Our bridge!"  NYPD followed them with paddy wagons, when the demonstration suddenly shifted direction and went another way.  Tim Pool reports that the protesters shifted directions several times very effectively as a unified large crowd, successfully eluding a number of attempted police interventions.



OWS also reports arrests at Union Square - where OWS appears to be relocating - with police telling demonstrators they are not allowed to have banners.

A couple of hundred energetic demonstrators marched yesterday as well, and via 1 Police Plaza, demanding Police Commissioner Brian Kelly's resignation, and in response to widespread incidents of police brutality and excessive force at the 6 Month Anniversary Celebration for OWS.

Also - Jason Leopold at Truthout is obtaining DHS documents on Occupy Wall Street the reporter previously requested through the Freedom of Information Act - still uploading now as the documents come in from the Department of Homeland Security.  Truthout is also seeking documents under the F.O.I.A. from the F.B.I. and N.Y.P.D.

Walk For Dignity

Juror B29 steps forward in an interview, stating that she was the person who wanted a second degree murder conviction and thinks that George Zimmerman got away with murder.  Trial observer and attorney Seema Iyer says that, based on the juror's interview, she thinks the juror did not understand that she could have held out for a hung jury, if necessary.  



Also, in the video below, discussion about a 5 day Walk For Dignity march against the much-referenced 20 year Florida conviction of an African American woman, Marissa Alexander - and for firing warning shots into her ceiling to defend herself against an abusive former spouse.  She tried to use Stand Your Ground laws, but the jury found her guilty after deliberating for 12 minutes with Angela Corey, who prosecuted George Zimmerman, handling the prosecution of Ms. Alexander's case, as well.   

Walk For Dignity is calling for Marissa Alexander's release, Justice for Trayvon Martin, and the resignation of Angela Corey.  The march started in Jacksonville and culminates in Sanford, with activists representing a coalition of civil rights voices including, among others, the New Jim Crow Movement, Project South, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, the Coalition for Justice for Trayvon, and Southerners on New Ground.

Imagine

Playing For Change does Imagine.  Dedicated to Trayvon Martin and the Trayvon Martin family.   
 

Bermuda Triangle of Justice

Laugh To Not Cry takes on the state of Florida with The Bermuda Triangle of Justice.  Like my favorit wabbit, she also suggests giving this state the heave-ho into the Atlantic.



The "Angry Trayvon" murder game LTNC mentions was released by Trade Digital Inc.  The game was reportedly removed from the market but a TYT host in the July 11th youtube below says that people are still buying it, and according to the link at the time of this July 24th post, google still hasn't taken it down. 

The revolting video depicts a cartoon image of Trayvon Martin in a hoodie going around the neighborhood and killing people with a large knife.  (I also notice, at least in the selected clip below, that all the murder victims are white.  But racism is getting a little more *sophisticated* these days, so who knows.)  TYT reports Trade Digital reps apologizing "for the inconvenience," and asserting that the game is "by no means a racist game."  As one TYT host (who also predicts a no justice verdict with concurring nods among the college students) comments, "You can't just say it's not racist.  It also has to be not racist."  (And, of course, you are also supposed to take it down from the internet if it's no longer for sale.)

 

Dream Defenders

Courtesy of Tampa Bay Times

Photographer:  Steven Pargett
"Dream Defenders director Phillip Agnew, center in the black T-shirt and hat, addresses reporters during a news conference in Tallahassee on Tuesday, July 23, as activists occupy the state capitol." The group wants a Trayvon Martin Act passed repealing Stand Your Ground and abolishing policies promoting racial profiling and the schools to prison pipeline.  Activists state they will stay until they win, inviting other concerned citizens to join them in the occupation of the Florida state capitol.

Looks like there's hope for the state of Florida after all.  (We may not need Bugs to kick it off into the Atlantic?)  A group of righteous activists called The Dream Defenders are occupying the state capitol in Tallahassee at the offices of Governor Rick Scott "to present a way forward" for the state, demanding that Governor Scott consider and help pass the Trayvon Martin Act to address racial profiling, repeal Florida's Stand Your Ground gun law, and end zero tolerance policies towards minority youth that have led to a schools to prison pipeline. 

Meet some of the Dream Defenders in the video below:


 

Here too:



Below, listen to a Roland Martin interview with Dream Defenders Executive Director Phillip Agnew, and from about two days ago in Florida.  

Currently, the group has been occupying at the state capitol for about 9 days and 17 hours (with a time count at their website).  Those heading down to join in are told to bring a blanket, sweatshirt, t-shirt/tank tops, underwear, socks, comfortable shoes (gym shoes recommended), toiletries (deodorant, soap, toothbrush, etc.), vitamins, pain reliever (ibuprofen, etc.), muscle rub, phone charger.  



There's a large march and rally planned for tommorow:
 
 
 

The People Speak

A sampling of citizen reporter videos from the nationwide Justice 4 Trayvon Martin protests.  From Detroit:
 



Portland, Oregon:




Seattle marchers with speaker coverage here at Citizen Media.


 

Houston,


 

Minneapolis,

 

New York,

 


A recorded livestream from Washington D.C. in Malcolm X Park:





Chicago,



Speaking at length with a protester at the demonstration in Saint Petersburg, Florida, who pointedly asks, at one point, with respect to the historic injustice of the American court system, "When did evidence ever work?" 


 

Disgraceful behavior of L.A.P.D. captured by citizen reporting, showing police stopping non-violent protesters from continuing to march down the street and beating them with batons,