In the Zimmerman case we have only his word that Martin threw the first punch – and, really what else is he going to say? But imagine Martin was the armed party, they fight and Zimmerman wound up dead. I doubt Martin would have been let go after perfunctory questioning as originally happened with Zimmerman.
Actually, in your hypothetical situation I believe no charges would have been filed against Martin. (Assuming like Zimmerman, his story was consistent and there was no evidence to contradict his claim). Every prosecution witness thus far has provided testimony completely consistent with Zimmerman’s story. (well except for the one woman saying there were three gunshots and Martin was shot in the back while laying on the ground). Recall Zimmerman stated that Martin came up to him, after Zimmerman had lost Martin (Martin told the girl on the phone he’d lost Zimmerman as well), as Zimmerman was trying to determine the address/street as he headed back to his truck to meet the police. One witness was persistent in insisting it was difficult to determine addresses/streets due to poor signage and shrubbery. The girl confirmed it was Martin who started the conversation by asking why Zimmerman had been following him. A perfectly legal thing to do. However, being good at fighting isn’t a crime. If Martin had perceived his life at risk because of something Zimmerman did, there’s no legal requirement to be injured. You can dodge a blow and fight back.
Last word on guns. Yes, I support the right to carry, but guns warp people’s judgment. I suspect just having a gun with you boosts testosterone and adrenaline.
Would an unarmed Zimmerman ever have left his car?
Sorry, the vast majority of CCW holders show a reduced tendency to challenge others or get into physical confrontations.I think that really was the basic issue here. Martin thought of fighting as a sport- there are winners/losers. It’s about proving oneself. CCW holders are taught that they are carrying lethal force and fighting as combat. There are survivors and the dead. A gun can not be drawn until one is in fear of imminent serious bodily harm. It can not be used to threaten or intimidate (that’s actually a felony in and of itself. So by and large the statistics show that CCW holders are far more restrained than the average person. It appears that Zimmerman had contemplated these things or gotten pretty good training in Florida on CCW. His actions after the incident were consistent with that, ensure the LEO knew he was armed when they showed up. Expect to be handcuffed. You only draw the weapon, much less use it in self-defense. A tragic incident.
It’s all hypothetical anyway, Zimmerman will be acquitted.
We"'ll have to see. Although the prosecution’s investigator admitted in the early stages of the investigation that they had nothing to contradict Zimmerman’s story, and they haven’t provided anything yet, they may be saving the best for last. The prosecution slow-rolled a lot of discovery.
I would never predict a jury’s decision. There perception could be different than ours, and some things we’re factoring in may be things they aren’t aware of, similar to the OJ trial. There were facts reported in the press that were never presented to the jury. Members of that jury said they probably would have ruled differently if those things had been presented in court.
Peace, Carlan
