the Progress Report: Trayvon Martin


The Latest on the Trayvon Martin Case

By         ThinkProgress War Room              on May 18, 2012 at 4:59 pm

Ten Pieces of New Evidence

Last night, state prosecutors released a large amount of evidence — including 183 pages of documents and numerous multimedia files — related to their murder case against George Zimmerman. Here are ten notable pieces evidence that were just made public:

1. Two days after Trayvon Martin’s death a woman called the police to say that George Zimmerman has “racist tendencies” and is “fully capable of instigating a confrontation.”

The woman refused to identify herself.

2. PHOTO: Trayvon Martin’s can of Arizona Iced Tea

According to the police, Martin’s body was under the yellow tarp in this photo.

3. The lead police investigator wanted to charge Zimmerman with manslaughter.

“The encounter between George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin was ultimately avoidable by Zimmerman, if Zimmerman had remained in his vehicle and waitied the arrival of law enforcement, or conversely if he had identified himself to Martin as a concerned citizen and initiated dialogue in an effort to dispel each party’s concern.” The lead investigator wanted to charge Zimmerman with manslaughter notwithstanding the fact he believed it was Zimmerman, not Martin, yelling for help on the 911 tapes.

 

4. PHOTO: The gun George Zimmerman used to shoot Trayvon Martin.

5. One witness was “adamant that there was no physical fighting at the time the gunshot rang out.”

6. PHOTO: New picture of George Zimmerman the night of the shooting

7. Trayvon Martin’s father initially said he did not believe his son was the one calling for help on the 911 tapes.

8. Zimmerman’s neighborhood watch program in the community newsletter

“Help keep our community safe…Call George Zimmerman.”

9. VIDEO: Trayvon Martin buys Skittles and an iced tea at 7-11 minutes before his death.

10. AUDIO: Witness says Zimmerman repeatedly bullied him at work, targeted him with racist jokes.

The man, who is not identified by name, says that Zimmerman relentlessly bullied him at work.

Zimmerman, according to the witness, targeted him because he was Middle Eastern. He repeatedly called the man a “fucking moron” and mocked him using the voice of “Achmed the terrorist.” Zimmerman’s stories about the man would involve “bombing,” “I’ll kill your family” and other “jokes” about “Middle Eastern stuff.” According to the man, this went on “for days and days.”

Some critical evidence, however, was not disclosed. All of Zimmerman’s statements to the police, for example, were exempt from disclosure at this time under Florida law.

Evening Brief: Important Stories That You May Have Missed

Two weeks after endorsing former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney’s candidacy, Newt Gingrich, who had attacked Romney’s record at Bain Capital, is no longer “mad” that Bain killed jobs.

A new report finds that media have largely ignored centrist congressional experts’ conclusion that Republicans are responsible for political dysfunction.

A Washington Times columnist says that gays and lesbians “are even worse than the radical Islamists.”

Reps. Adam Smith (D-WA) and Justin Amash (R-MI) found themselves the target of vicious Republican attacks for introducing an amendment to limit the indefinite detention of terrorism suspects in the United States.

House Republicans wouldn’t let D.C. congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton testify at a subcommittee hearing yesterday in her district on banning abortions after 20 weeks.

The GOP-controlled House held 191 votes to weaken environmental protections in just one year.

Documentary proof that conservative pseudo-documentarian James O’Keefe is a fraud.

62,000 people with preexisting conditions would immediately lose health insurance without Obamacare.

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Mayors Against Illegal Guns ….Free pass for gun-toting vigilantes​?


Americans are demanding justice for Trayvon Martin, the 17-year old boy who was shot and killed by self-appointed “neighborhood watchman” George Zimmerman.

            Unfortunately, the U.S. Congress is responding by working to let Trayvon’s killer and other people with violent arrest records and a history of domestic abuse carry concealed, loaded guns in all 50 states.

            Allies of the extremist gun lobby, led by Senators Begich, Manchin, Thune and Vitter, just introduced bills (S.2188 and S.2213) that would gut state laws that determine who can — and more importantly, who can’t — walk our streets carrying hidden, loaded guns. In the wake of this tragic shooting, these bills are irrational and unthinkable.

Send a message to your Senators: “Don’t authorize George Zimmerman and others with a history of domestic violence to carry hidden, loaded guns in any state in the country.”

 

            Long before he shot and killed an unarmed teenager, George Zimmerman was arrested for attacking a police officer and was the subject of a court order to prevent domestic violence. But thanks to Florida’s deeply flawed gun laws, law enforcement officers have never been able to revoke his license to carry a loaded gun.

            These controversial bills before Congress would make Zimmerman’s gun permit and permits from every other state valid anywhere in the country — even though many states have robust standards that would be completely scrapped. 

            That’s why we need to make sure our senators know we expect them to vote these reckless bills down — because when it comes to OUR LIVES, it should be OUR LAWS.

            Thanks for speaking out,
            Mayors Against Illegal Guns