Juror B37: Skittles comparison 'ridiculous'
In an exclusive interview on AC360, Zimmerman trial Juror B37 told Anderson Cooper she thought defense attorney Mark O'Mara's concrete block prop was more effective than the prosecution's "armed with skittles" description of the deadly confrontation.
"Mark with a concrete block definitely. It's just the Skittles and the Arizona can were ridiculous to even put it up and compare the two."
The juror said she believes Martin tried to slam Zimmerman's head during the fight because a person could be armed with anything. "You could bash somebody's head against a tree, or a rock, or this concrete."
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Post by: Anderson Cooper Filed under: Crime & Punishment • George Zimmerman • Juror B37 • Trayvon Martin |
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When on the phone with police Zimmerman failed to do any of the following:.
1. Not stalk a 17 year old boy for walking in the dark.
2. Tell the police he was actively in pursuit of the hooded 'suspect'.
3. Identify himself as a concealed carry permit holder with a handgun on his person.
Zimmerman was on the phone with police for minutes and yet couldn't tell them he was chasing Martin or that he had s handgun on his hip.
Yet after the shooting I'm expected to believe his account of how the shooting took place?
Ok, America...
You know out of all the articles and comments I have read on this terrible tragedy, the one thing I have never seen brought up is that if TM thought he was being stalked why didn't he call the police.
Or at least call his dad who was nearby...
FACT: If Trayvon Martin had lived – HE would have been arrested for assault.
FACT: Trayvon Martin was in a place that he was legally allowed to be and could reasonably claim he feared for his safety, therefore he could have used and more than likely won the "Stand Your Ground" defense.
TM started the altercation when he attacked. SYG doesn't apply when you are the aggressor.
As a high school teacher and counselor for 28 yrs in an inner city, I feel strongly that TM's inability to control his anger played the key role in his getting shot. After seeing GZ he felt he could physically "beat" him. He could not walk away even after punching and knocking GZ down. He couldn't walk away after hearing the guy screaming for help. He had to bang his head. Why wasn't that enough? It wasn't like GZ robbed him or raped his sister or beat up his mother. He followed him. I realize TM was upset over being profiled and followed. But it did not warrant doing what he did. He just could not control his anger. I saw it every day. Fights, blood even stabbings over the non-ability to walk away. GZ had no option after being punched, knocked to ground, and having his head banged.
Why should he be angry? Seems like he was afraid! The angry one was George Zimmerman. Why should TM not have the same right you Zimmerman orders believe George had. How did the teen. Because he is Black become the adult and the adult, the victim! George Zimmerman, the adult , should have stayed in his car as police directed. Why was an armed adult stalking an unarmed teen. You folk keep going back and forth. I do not believe George Zimmerman. GZ pulled a gun on TM who attempted to get the gun out of his hand and defend his life. GZ can create any story he wants since TM is dead and cannot dispute the account.
GZ was directed by a 911 operator with no authority to stay in the car not a police officer.
racial slurs and his coversation with his friend showed his racism and anger.
Well said Anthony. Truth. Tragic that the incident resulted in death for anyone, white or black, teen or adult...but Trayvon definitely could have avoided it by controlling his anger and using his words. Isn't that what parents teach kids at like age 5? "Use your words"...don't scream, fight, throw tantrums. A simple, "Dude, why you following you me?" would have sufficed.
Ok so let me see if I get this right? TM was minding his own business, making a pop and candy run when Z spots him, stalks him, profiles him as "a trouble maker", and advances on him........now if a kid is being followed, and maybe this had happened before, could it have been that TM was scared simply fought back? He had no way to know that he was dealing with a vigilante that was armed. What happened to TM right to "Stand his Ground"?
Z was instructed by the police to GET BACK into his car, he did not. Also is Z was so fearful for his life that he had to
carry a gun .....what the heck was he doing playing a wanna be cop? Clearly you cannot believe him, he lied about the money he had, he had his wife lie now she is in trouble ..........this whole thing clearly stunk before ever going to court.....Just like OJ he will get his day.........OJ thought he pulled off a good one and look at where he is now. Begging for leniency from the board......wake up America.
I honestly believe by her comments that this woman is racist.
At the very least it shows she is out of touch with reality. Had it been her child I'm sure she would have wanted a different outcome...
Anderson PLEASE interview B-51, B-76, E-6 and Juror E-40! We need to hear how they went from a split 3 / 3 to 6 for acquittal.
Here, here!!! I would DEFINATELY be interested in hearing that!
Why in the world would the prosecutor say Martin was "armed" with Skittles and tea? What a silly and paternalistic attempt at courtroom drama. That image hugely undermined the facts of the case. The more evidence that drips out the obvious that the prosecution team hugely bungled the facts and attempted to formulate an idea that is just not credible. Now I understand better why the jurors ruled the way that they did.
The prosecution had no case where they could prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Zimmerman was not exercising self defense. Their only case was a bunch of suppositions that ignored the evidence, so their only chance to win was to use what is normally a defense strategy of playing to emotions and ignoring or twisting the facts of the evidence.
Mr. Kenneth, That's the point. It sounds ridiculous doesn't it...but that's all he had. The truth hurts especially if it were your kid!!!
Why has nobody brought up the fact that skittles, tea, and robitusson make up a drug concoction?
Your town meeting last night was outstanding. You and your guests were uniformly thoughtful and i felt that I gained an important perspective on race and profiling. In fact, Congratulations on the way that you have covered the entire Zimmerman case. In your interview with the juror, you asked a lot of very important questions in a non judgmental way that solicited a lot of information. The subsequent analysis of the interview was also excellent. You cut through the hysterics of a lot of other programming with substantive content. I never comment on television shows, but this is the exception. Props to you and your staff.
It is difficult to listen to Juror B37. Her answers made no sense. That she saw Zimmerman as being the victim is baffling to me and makes me wonder where "her heart" is. It is difficult as well to listen to O'Meara. I know he was there to "win" for his client but not sure in doing so that he had to convict Trayvon Martin. would have a hard time living with myself, my God and my conscience if I was him. I do hold the prosecution team responsible for this huge loss. During the trial, I was stunned at the lack of competence of the prosecuting attorneys. George Zimmerman was absolutely wrong in what he did. He will have a miserable life from here on out. Wish it would bring some comfort to the situation to know at least that is the price he will pay but it will never change the fact that a teenage boy going to the local Minit Mart buying Skittles and tea is followed on his way and feels threatened, winds up being murdered, is somehow the aggressor and George Zimmerman has no culpability. This is so frustrating and so sad.....
well said
Considering how reluctant they were to even arrest and charge him in the first place, I can't help wondering if perhaps the prosecutors deliberately torpedoed the case.
The original prosecutor was removed and now that we have seen the ridiculous witch hunt this trial was, he has been fully vindicated. Angela Cory however should be disbarred and arrested for what she has done. She has violated Florida law by even charging George Zimmerman in this death.
I thought from the beginning that the prosecution would lose, based on the zimmerman injury photos, and the testimony from the first aid responders. The police dept's attempts to drop the case also indicated a weakness in the case, and something that the cops said early on, that Zimmerman's story wasn't changing, and no facts contradicted his version, made me think the prosecutors would have a hard time of it. The cops seemed to sense early on that it was all about the last 10 seconds of the event, rather than how they got there.
I couldn't agree more with you Jeanne, that's exactly how I see it. Makes no sense to me how a man with a gun can chase someone at night, start a confrontation, gets his butt kicked and than kills that person and calls it self defense. My only question to the Jurors is, Had it been your son, would you still find the defendant not guilty?
Juan, it is painfully obvious you did not read the police transcript of the call and are only going on the talking points of the racist pundits. GZ never stalked TM, it was the other way around. GZ went back to his vehicle after a dispatcher told him 'we don't need you to do that' when GZ said he was following TM. Hey, GZ lost visual contact AND STAYED ON THE PHONE with the dispatcher. TM doubled back and confronted GZ.
Jeanne: The prosecutors were completely competent. They looked weak because they had no facts that favored their theory of the case.
The point here is to stay objective. If you consider all of the facts of the case, it's just not that simple. Morally, I believe GZ got the ball rolling in the events that led to TM death, but there is good reason to doubt that GZ intended to take his life (there goes the possibility of 2nd degree murder) and with the evidence at hand, he could not be convicted of enough negligence to be convicted of manslaughter. I'm right there with you and believe this is very unfortunate, but I'm also the type of person that would rather let 9 guilty people go to make sure I didn't lock up anyone that's innocent and I believe the legal system agrees with me, hence innocent until proven guilty.
I agree...the saddest thing about this whole thing is that this young boy Treyvon M, was not able to give his side of the story, how he was followed, how he was defending HIMSELF! How his role of self defense was played out here, and lost his life doing so! Zimmerman clearly was told to back off, if he ever felt his life was in danger why did he proceed! WHY?
I completely agree JJ. It is a good question you bring up, If GZ was afraid why did he get out of his car that he was told to stay in and engage TM? I GZ was out looking for a fight that night.
GZ did defend himself. TM attacked him...the only provocation was that he was being followed. He was the one bashing GZ's head against the concrete and punching his face. NOT the other way around! That is attacking, NOT defending himself. He got shot because he felt he could beat up GZ w/ impunity. GZ was innocent of all charges, and charges were only brought because of political interference.
I also agree with you Jeanne and Juan. Had George Zimmerman not been armed and stalking TM that night TM would still be alive. I can't fathom the terror TM must have felt that night being followed by GZ. If only TM had lived and could have spoken for himself.
Just curious. Do you feel TM had culpability? TM did attack GZ and was beating him. GZ did not shoot TM just because he was walking home from the store.