Americans to protest in 100 cities to press government over Zimmerman. "The killer's lawyer: He will get his gun back and plans to arm himself again.

Editor's Comment

Trayvon Martin (left) and Trayvon's killer,
George Zimmerman (right)

There were six women on the jury that acquitted George Zimmerman of second degree murder and manslaughter - in the State of Florida. The court did not release the racial makeup of the jury, but the reporters who covered jury selection indicated that 5 were white and based upon appearances, the sixth "may be Hispanic." So it appears that there was not a single Black African-American on the jury. A 2012 study from Duke University published in the Quarterly Journal of Economics investigated the effect of jury selection and racial composition on trial outcomes. The study found that black defendants (81%) are significantly more likely than whites (66%) to be convicted when there are no potential black jurors in the pool.

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Source: Duke University

Aside from the issue of racism in jury selection, return to the facts of the case which we reported March 19, 2013. Had the roles been reversed and a black man killed a 17 year old unarmed white boy returning home from a candy store in Florida last year what do you think the verdict would have been? A friend of mine here in Venezuela recently told me, "the verdict to acquit George Zimmerman gave whites the license to murder blacks in the United States." Zimmerman's lawyer told ABC News that he will get his gun back and that he intends to arm himself again."

- Les Blough, Editor
Axis of Logic

Americans angry at the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the death of black teen Trayvon Martin walk onto the 10 Freeway stopping highway traffic to protest the acquittal, in Los Angeles, California July 14, 2013.

Americans are expected to hold rallies in 100 cities across the United States to press the government over the acquittal of George Zimmerman, who shot and killed unarmed African-American teenager Trayvon Martin last year.

"People all across the country will gather to show that we are not having a two- or three-day anger fit. This is a social movement for justice," civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton said.

Trayvon Martin was shot dead on his way home from buying candy. Killer not prosecuted.
Axis of Logic, 3/19/2012

The rallies will be held in front of federal court buildings next Saturday in cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and New York.

Sharpton said that "there is also a blatant civil rights question of does Trayvon Martin and the Trayvon Martins of this country have the civil right to go home."

The vigils are going to be followed by a conference next week in Miami to draw a plan to address Florida’s “stand-you-ground” law, he noted.

According to the law, people will have wide altitude to use fatal force if they fear death or bodily harm.

Last week, a jury in Sanford, Florida said that Zimmerman’s fatal shooting of 17-year-old Martin was justified, acquitting him of second-degree murder and manslaughter.

Since then, numerous protests have been held across the US, with several civil rights groups and activists urging the US Department of Justice and Attorney Gen. Eric Holder to file federal civil rights charges against Zimmerman.

Under federal hate crime laws, Zimmerman could receive a life sentence if charged and convicted.

The Justice Department said it is looking into Martin’s death to decide if federal prosecutors will file criminal civil rights charges against Zimmerman.

Meanwhile, the murderer’s lawyer told ABC News that he will have his gun back and that he intends to arm himself again.

AT/AGB

Source: Press TV