NEW EVIDENCE RELEASED BY ZIMMERMANS ATOURNEYS..

[tony357 386]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/trayvon-martin/os-george-zimmerman-trial-trayvon-20130523,0,939183.story

 

 

 

The evidence that George Zimmerman's attorneys have uncovered on Trayvon Martin's cellphone paints a troubling picture of the Miami Gardens teenager: He sent text messages about being a fighter, smoking marijuana and being ordered to move out of his home by his mother.

And photos from that phone offer more of the same: healthy green plants — what appear to be marijuana — growing in pots and a .40-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun.

Defense attorneys on Thursday gave formal notice to prosecutors that they intend to use those and other reputation-damaging pieces of evidence about Trayvon once Zimmerman's second-degree-murder trial begins June 1

 

Prosecutors say they're not relevant and should be barred.

Circuit Judge Debra S. Nelson must decide. Those issues may come up at a hearing Tuesday in Sanford.

Pictures: Evidence photos released in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin

Overall, the evidence made public Thursday by Zimmerman's attorneys portray Trayvon as a wannabe gangster who couldn't stay out of trouble.

The high-school junior had no arrest record, but he had been suspended from school more than once.

The evidence packet contains more than two dozen photos, including one that shows Trayvon with gold teeth and two of him making an obscene gesture. Those have been widely circulated online since shortly after the shooting, and it's not clear where defense attorneys found them, but as of Thursday, they officially became part of Zimmerman's criminal case.

The text messages that Trayvon wrote about fighting may be the most damaging to the state.

In October, the judge said any history of violence on his part might be relevant. And violent and aggressive is how Zimmerman, a former Neighborhood Watch volunteer, described Trayvon's actions the day he shot the teenager in Sanford on Feb. 26, 2012.

Zimmerman told police that after the two exchanged words, Trayvon punched him, breaking his nose and knocking him to the ground, then climbed on top and began hammering his head on a sidewalk. The defendant told police he fired in self-defense.

One eyewitness initially described Trayvon as standing over Zimmerman and fighting "MMA-style," a reference to mixed-martial-arts fighting.

The text messages released Thursday were heavily redacted but made no reference to "MMA fighting." They did, however, include references to Trayvon being in fights.

On Nov. 22, 2011, three months before the shooting, Trayvon wrote about being involved in a fight. His unnamed opponent, he wrote, "got mo hits cause in da 1^stround he had me on da ground an I couldn't do ntn."

Six weeks earlier he wrote a text message about problems at school involving a fight: "I was watcn a fight nd a teacher say I hit em."

He also exchanged text messages with friends about smoking marijuana.

Defense attorneys are expected to argue the marijuana use is relevant because in a phone call to police a few minutes before the shooting, Zimmerman described Trayvonas acting as if he were on drugs.

In texts on Feb.20, 2012, Trayvon wrote about hiding his "weed," and tells someone he is going to the Orlando area for several days.

That appears to be a reference to his being suspended from school for 10days after being found with an empty marijuana baggie in his backpack.

On Feb. 13, he sent a text to a friend, acknowledging that 10-day suspension: "I got in sum trouble 2day."

 

 

 

[Maksim 1,504]

Why can't these people text properly.  Forget basic grammar. These guys need Dan in their life. 

[mipafox 438]

Means nothing to me.

[djg0770 481]

Why can't these people text properly.  Forget basic grammar. These guys need Dan in their life. 

 

Aww...  I'm appreciated.  It feels so                     fulfilling.

[twentynine30s 1]

Aww...  I'm appreciated.  It feels so                     fulfilling.

 

Fo sho

[ryan_j 0]

Given his twitter account, this is nothing new... but rest assured those in support of Travyon will play the victim card as much as possible.

 

And he has no trigger discipline either.

[alec.mc 180]

... If it looks like a duck.

[CageFighter 236]

...and acts like a duck.

[tuktuk 16]

was he breaking any laws at the time of the incident?

smokes weed and gets in the fights >>> just described most of the teenagers nowadays.

gun >> 1) is it real? 2) it is real. he has no criminal record. so living in the free state, is there anything stopping him from possession of the weapon ?

wanna be gangsta >>> again attitude of most teenagers nowadays.

ppl getting violent while smoking weed? that will the 1st one ....

did the Night Watch hero break the law at the time of the incident? technically ... probably not.

did his "wannabe hero" role playing cost somebody their life ? we have to watch and found out .

some might not like, some might not agree with it but at this day and age, in this society the common accepted fact is the existence of the law enforcement officials. good or bad, fast or slow it is their primary objective to keep the peace and investigate the crime. if there is no immediate danger to ones person or anybody else what action should an individual take .... that is the question ...

[PeteF 1,044]

was he breaking any laws at the time of the incident?

Do you mean besides assault and battery, and attempted murder?

Besides those I don't think he was breaking any laws at the time of the incident.

[tuktuk 16]

Do you mean besides assault and battery, and attempted murder?

Besides those I don't think he was breaking any laws at the time of the incident.

was he breaking any laws for somebody to approach and interrogate him ...

what was said and what happened after that is a pure speculation at this point.., unless u were right there with them ?

PS attempted murder? really dude ? really?

[tony357 386]

was he breaking any laws for somebody to approach and interrogate him ...

what was said and what happened after that is a pure speculation at this point.., unless u were right there with them ?

PS attempted murder? really dude ? really?

Zimmerman got out of his car to look for him because he lost sight of him.. He ended up Flanking Zimmerman...

[alec.mc 180]

was he breaking any laws for somebody to approach and interrogate him ...

what was said and what happened after that is a pure speculation at this point.., unless u were right there with them ?

PS attempted murder? really dude ? really?

 

 

Again, agreed - we can only speculate.

 

But, I dont think the reaction of any normal person of somebody coming up to you and asking questions in the night is to bash their face into the side walk. Even if Zimmerman was being a dick and verbally abusive.

[PeteF 1,044]

was he breaking any laws for somebody to approach and interrogate him ...

what was said and what happened after that is a pure speculation at this point.., unless u were right there with them ?

PS attempted murder? really dude ? really?

Approaching someone to ask a question is not against the law anywhere.

And yes slamming someones head into concrete repeatedly is attempted murder.

[Maksim 1,504]

Reading some of the comments on Huffington Post... it is just WTF.

 

But, going back to the handgun thing... how did TM get a handgun legally as he was 17?

 

GZ does not need to prove he innocent, the prosecutor needs to prove GZ killed TM "evincing a depraved mind, regardless of human life, although without any premeditated design..."

 

Ie... GZ approached TM, was scared and shot him.   

 

Personal past should absolutely matter in this situation.... or are you ok with hiring a child molestor who served his time to babysit your 10 year old daughter?

 

Simply put, based on how it went down, this was self defense, and under political pressure, charges were filled.   I just hope this stupidity ends soon.  When I was in FL talking with others, they can't wait for this nonsense to end. 

[Maksim 1,504]

was he breaking any laws at the time of the incident?

smokes weed and gets in the fights >>> just described most of the teenagers nowadays.

gun >> 1) is it real? 2) it is real. he has no criminal record. so living in the free state, is there anything stopping him from possession of the weapon ?

wanna be gangsta >>> again attitude of most teenagers nowadays.

ppl getting violent while smoking weed? that will the 1st one ....

did the Night Watch hero break the law at the time of the incident? technically ... probably not.

did his "wannabe hero" role playing cost somebody their life ? we have to watch and found out .

some might not like, some might not agree with it but at this day and age, in this society the common accepted fact is the existence of the law enforcement officials. good or bad, fast or slow it is their primary objective to keep the peace and investigate the crime. if there is no immediate danger to ones person or anybody else what action should an individual take .... that is the question ...

 

I don't know what teens you run across  but I don't think a teen who smokes weed, gets suspended multiple times from school, gets kicked out by his mother and sent off to his father, gets into multiple fights and brags about it...... is a typical teen nowadays. 

[remixer 1,645]

was he breaking any laws at the time of the incident?

smokes weed and gets in the fights >>> just described most of the teenagers nowadays.

gun >> 1) is it real? 2) it is real. he has no criminal record. so living in the free state, is there anything stopping him from possession of the weapon ?

wanna be gangsta >>> again attitude of most teenagers nowadays.

ppl getting violent while smoking weed? that will the 1st one ....

did the Night Watch hero break the law at the time of the incident? technically ... probably not.

did his "wannabe hero" role playing cost somebody their life ? we have to watch and found out .

some might not like, some might not agree with it but at this day and age, in this society the common accepted fact is the existence of the law enforcement officials. good or bad, fast or slow it is their primary objective to keep the peace and investigate the crime. if there is no immediate danger to ones person or anybody else what action should an individual take .... that is the question ...

 

 

All  teens use weed..... Idiotic Statement.

All teens act gangster  .... Idiotic Statement.

 

Night Watch Hero..... Maybe someone would call him a hero if its Night watch hero ass saved a women from being raped or a home getting broken into.

 

Facts are facts and GZ was setup from the minute the news hit the airways. They showed him a a racist and TM as a angel with pictures of an innocent little kid. Bull Shite.

 

GM was a watching his neighbors backs by patrolling. no matter what at least he did not lay down and hide in his home. Theres nothing wrong with community patrols.

 

on a closing note. if the teens that live in your area act like you statement above i would change my zipcode.

[remixer 1,645]

Do you mean besides assault and battery, and attempted murder?

Besides those I don't think he was breaking any laws at the time of the incident.

 

Yep.... Besides that he was a fine youngman

[remixer 1,645]

was he breaking any laws for somebody to approach and interrogate him ...

what was said and what happened after that is a pure speculation at this point.., unless u were right there with them ?

PS attempted murder? really dude ? really?

 

If your walking in an area where breakins have risen then yes if you dont live there then you should be watched. Hell i would have kept my eye on him.

 

attemped murder.... maybe did GM leave his house to kill someone.....

[remixer 1,645]

Reading some of the comments on Huffington Post... it is just WTF.

 

But, going back to the handgun thing... how did TM get a handgun legally as he was 17?

 

Mak.

 

all teens smoke weed, act thug and have cell phone pics of themselves with pistols dont they?

[remixer 1,645]

No one has the facts but the few we have tend to lead me to GM being innocent of murder.

[H.M. Murdock 0]

It was absolutely ridiculous that the media used childhood photos of the deceased rather than the current photos that were readily available.  And the president making the statement that he did -- you'd have to leave the country to find a jury the government and media didn't contaminate.

 

I also think it was a bad arrest made under political pressure and that Zimmerman is arguing self defense before he shields himself with the SYG law speaks volumes about the strength of the evidence against his culpability.  I'm looking forward to hearing the facts myself.

[johnp 45]

New photos released right before the incident....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[tony357 386]

Judge to decide if Trayvon Martin's last text messages should be admitted..

 

 

SANFORD - Leading up to the night he was shot, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin sent a lot of texts.

Martin texted about buying a gun, about smoking marijuana, even about getting kicked out of school and his mother's house because of fighting.

The defense argues these texts help prove Martin started the fight the night he was shot and killed by neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman. The defense is also calling out the prosecution for withholding the texts.

The state disagrees. Prosecutors say not only was Zimmerman the aggressor, they say the texts are irrelevant and inflammatory and should be kept from the jury.

Local criminal defense attorney Joe Episcopo agrees.

"It''s not relevant to the issue of self defense," Episcopo said.

He believes since Martin and Zimmerman did not know each other beforehand, all that matters in this case, is what was in the mind of the defendant at the time of the shooting.

"He didn't know the person so the only thing it does it tries to make the victim look bad," said Episcopo. "Does he believe he's in great bodily harm or harm of death? That's the issue."

On Tuesday, a judge will also decide whether or not to grant the defense's request to delay the start of the trial for six weeks.

Episcopo thinks asking for a delay was a bad strategy and a rookie mistake. 

"This is a poorly done defense. I think that the defense attorney is not that experienced and not that clever. This case is too much for him to handle," he said.

But the defense says their new evidence can prove that Martin was angry just moments before he was shot. Tuesday, it'll be up to the judge to decide if a jury will ever hear about it.

Make sure to check back here tomorrow.  The ABC Action News team will be inside the hearing bringing you the latest information.

 

Read more: http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/region_south_pinellas/seminole/judge-to-decide-if-trayvon-martins-last-text-messages-should-be-admitted#ixzz2UaEu9jOK

[woodentoe 14]

I don't see how any of this is relevant. If tm was the aggressor, gz acted in self defense under syg. If gz was the aggressor and tm prevented his retreat (eyewitness account says tm was astride gz and beating his head against te pavement...preventing retreat and engaged in an action that would reasonably cause death or serious harm), gz acted in self defense.

 

Florida law is clear. If you are the aggressor and the tide turns on you, you must retreat. If the attacked person prevents your escape...you may use deadly force.

 

This disclosure shit is a red herring.

[Soju 153]

I don't see it as a red herring at all. Is the law clear? Sure. Is what happened clear? Absolutely not. If the defense can paint Trayvon Martin as a violent thug, it makes it much more plausible that he did in fact attack Zimmerman. This goes to help show this point. 

[woodentoe 14]

My point is that witness testimony says tm was subduing gz and preventing his escape. There is a physical altercation. If gz is subdued and prevented from escape, it does t matter which one of them started the physical altercation. Gz is still justified in using force under Florida law.

 

The only thing at issue is the mere presence of the firearm without which this altercation likely wouldn't have taken place. And this issue is not relevant to the murder charge since gz's possession was lawful.

 

I am calling the document dump a red herring because it is a distraction from the primary argument of the case. Omara dumped these knowing the judge would limit their accessibility so that the information would reach the jury pool before sequestration.

[olderguy 0]

The only thing at issue is the mere presence of the firearm without which this altercation likely wouldn't have taken place.

 

 

If the firearm wasn't present, GZ would probably be the dead guy found on the sidewalk with his head bashed in by an "unknown assailant"

[voyager9 3,437]

I don't see how any of this is relevant. If tm was the aggressor, gz acted in self defense under syg. If gz was the aggressor and tm prevented his retreat (eyewitness account says tm was astride gz and beating his head against te pavement...preventing retreat and engaged in an action that would reasonably cause death or serious harm), gz acted in self defense.

 

Florida law is clear. If you are the aggressor and the tide turns on you, you must retreat. If the attacked person prevents your escape...you may use deadly force.

 

This disclosure shit is a red herring.

 

The defense doesn't want to rely on eye witness testimony.    They're notoriously unreliable and it's risky basing your defense on that one aspect.  By opening up TM's texts/pictures it helps portray him in a light that builds on the witness' story.

[illy 1]

Gold teeth! Obscene gestures! Pot! A picture of a handgun, and in Florida of all places!

 

 

What a menace...