When "Neighborhood Watch" Gets Out of Hand

[GPK]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/17/us...s.html?_r=1&hp

[3kings]

Originally Posted by GPK

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/17/us...s.html?_r=1&hp

Kevin, please stop.

We don't need facts or stories about the case, Riot will tells us what we should think.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by GPK

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/17/us...s.html?_r=1&hp

I wonder if that had anything to do with why he wasn't charged. The police department was known for multiple problems, the current chief was brought in specifically to fix them (why the town supported him through this, I'm sure)

Maybe they didn't charge Zimmerman because they just didn't have the manpower and capability to go forward well.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by GPK

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/17/us...s.html?_r=1&hp

what a mess. seems imo that based on all the evidence i've read about (and obviously you only know what's given) that perhaps the police dept 'pre-judged' for lack of a better word what had happened when they arrived at the scene...that it was felt from the beginning that they weren't actually investigating a crime, and so things weren't done as well as they should have been. a lot of assuming went on, between thinking zimmerman was on foot (why wasn't that asked?), assuming martin didn't belong in the neighborhood, assuming he was trespassing....way, way too much assuming.

as all this has gone on, there have been plenty of surprises along the way. shoddy investigative work, too much info released to the media at various points along the way, you have charges filed that appear to be in response to the public outcry, and perhaps not in response to what's been found in an investigation...in other words, a clusterf*ck of epic proportions. seems to me the police mishandled the case from the very first moment, that it's certainly too late now to remedy that situation, and that they probably are wasting their time at this point in having filed charges because you only do so if you feel that you have a good case. i don't think they do at all at this point.
going to be hard to find an untainted jury pool, the investigation is full of holes, you have the law of stand your ground.....
like i said weeks ago, this guy will most likely walk. whether he is guilty of murder or not, i doubt they'll be able to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt all things considered. it's a weak case, apparently brought only to settle down all the people screaming for charges to be filed. and probably explains why they didn't convene a grand jury; i doubt one would have recommended moving forward.

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by GPK

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/17/us...s.html?_r=1&hp

On the one hand, I have read that there may have been some inconsistencies in Zimmerman's story. On the other hand, your article says Zimmerman passed a lie detector test.

"The police conducted a lie-detection procedure, known as voice stress analysis, on Mr. Zimmerman that he passed, and they had him re-enact the encounter with Mr. Martin back at the Retreat the day after the shooting."

[OldDog]

Originally Posted by Rupert Pupkin

On the one hand, I have read that there may have been some inconsistencies in Zimmerman's story. On the other hand, your article says Zimmerman passed a lie detector test.

"The police conducted a lie-detection procedure, known as voice stress analysis, on Mr. Zimmerman that he passed, and they had him re-enact the encounter with Mr. Martin back at the Retreat the day after the shooting."

Then, too, there is this

"One witness, though, provided information to the police that corroborated Mr. Zimmerman’s account of the struggle, according to a law enforcement official."

and this

"He was handcuffed and taken into “investigative detention” at Sanford police headquarters, where he was read his Miranda rights and answered questions without a lawyer present. Investigators described him as unhesitatingly cooperative."

Interesting.

Thanks for the link, GPK.

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by Rupert Pupkin

On the one hand, I have read that there may have been some inconsistencies in Zimmerman's story. On the other hand, your article says Zimmerman passed a lie detector test.

"The police conducted a lie-detection procedure, known as voice stress analysis, on Mr. Zimmerman that he passed, and they had him re-enact the encounter with Mr. Martin back at the Retreat the day after the shooting."

Rupert, lie detector tests are not admissible in court, because they are incredibly inaccurate. All they do is measure levels of stress. Ted Bundy passed a lie detector with flying colors. I don't even know why they're still administered.

http://www.jacksonvillecriminaldefen...t_results.html

(I am not comparing Zimmerman to Ted Bundy; I'm just citing him as someone who was later convicted of having committed a horrific crime but passed the polygraph test as an example of why the polygraph tests are not useful)

That NYTimes article makes me despair for law enforcement in Sanford. They really come across like the Keystone Kops.

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by GenuineRisk

Rupert, lie detector tests are not admissible in court, because they are incredibly inaccurate. All they do is measure levels of stress. Ted Bundy passed a lie detector with flying colors. I don't even know why they're still administered.

http://www.jacksonvillecriminaldefen...t_results.html

(I am not comparing Zimmerman to Ted Bundy; I'm just citing him as someone who was later convicted of having committed a horrific crime but passed the polygraph test as an example of why the polygraph tests are not useful)

That NYTimes article makes me despair for law enforcement in Sanford. They really come across like the Keystone Kops.

Yes, you are correct. Lie detectors tests are not admissible in court and they are not 100% accurate. However, they are pretty accurate. The research shows they are accurate around 80-90% of the time. That is why law-enforcement uses them all the time. They aren't a sure thing but they work very well.

[Riot]

How are they going to find a jury for this trial? It'll be like OJ all over again if they let these leaks keep happening. ABC has to own somebody somewhere!