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Old 05-18-2012, 08:30 AM  
raymor
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Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 3,745
The evidence so far matches up with the story Zimmerman told, including Zimmerman following Martin. So now the question is, based on that story, did Zimmerman commit a crime by following Martin and possibly confronting him, thereby creating a dangerous situation that ended up getting Martin shot? If so, what crime?

"a person who acted in self defense with an honest but UNREASONABLE belief that deadly force was necessary" could be charged with voluntary manslaughter.

If he acted with "gross indifference to human life" that would be criminally negligent homicide, also known as involuntary manslaughter.

If his negligence in following Martin and creating a dangerous situation was less than "gross indifference", there is no crime. .Unless of course before he defended himself he first committed misdemeanor assault by chasing Martin down, in which case the misdemeanor - manslaughter rule makes it manslaughter when Martin ends up dead.

So there are at least three ways it can ends up being manslaughter.

Last edited by raymor; 05-18-2012 at 08:32 AM..
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