A Few Reasonable Questions

I have tried not to comment too much on this case. I made fun of Geraldo Rivera for his ridiculous comments trying to justify the actions of George Zimmerman on the basis of Trayvon Martins' hooded sweatshirt. I will readily admit that I do not trust the Sanford Police Department. I find the fact that there  has been no formal legal action against Zimmerman very suspect. Everyday gives him, the police and the media and the attorneys more leeway to create a smokescreen to obscure the foresnic evidence.

I also find the prevailing attitude in the conservative press and opinion so overwhelmingly anti factual. They seem to be intent on quashing any attempt to really get answers. They seem to be afraid of a real investigation because of the inherent racist nature of the alleged actions of Zimmerman, the potentially damning fallout to the position of gun right advocates. They seem to be grasping at any straw to obscure the search for facts. After reading of and viewing the video footage released by ABC News

last night, of  George Zimmerman arriving at the police station, I felt it was time to discuss the real facts of the case. I am truly attempting to stay away from letting my emotion sway me. The video depicts a cleanly-shaven man who “shows no blood or bruises” on his body. The claim of Zimmerman of being assaulted by Martin as the basis for his shooting of Martin has yet to be confirmed by any official medical report and certainly seems to be negated visually by this video. Every day that Zimmerman is allowed to claim he is hiding in fear of retaliation and protected by the local officials will make the ability to verify his claims more difficult while they build their character assassination of Martin in the Publics Opinion.

While media coverage of the case has been intense, there are several key questions that have yet to be answered about the case. Here are five of the most important:

1. What was the purported “conflict” that required the initial prosecutor to step down? On March 22 — after several weeks on the job — state attorney Norm Wolfinger stepped down from his role as prosecutor in the Trayvon Martin case. Wolfinger relinquished his post after meeting with Florida Gov. Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi. He said it was necessary for him to step aside to preserve “the integrity of this investigation,” adding he wanted to avoid “the appearance of a conflict of interest.” He did not explain why his continued involvement would damage the integrity of the case or explain the potential conflict he was seeking to avoid. Did anyone at the prosecutor’s office know Zimmerman or his family? [Orlando Sentinel]

2. Why did the prosecutor ignore the recommendations of the lead homicide investigator? ABC News reported that Chris Serino, the lead homicide investigator on the Trayvon Martin case, recommended that Zimmerman be charged with manslaughter on the night of the shooting. Serino filed an affidavit that night stating “he was unconvinced Zimmerman’s version of events.” As the lead homicide investigator, Serino was: 1. In the best position to evaluate Zimmerman’s credibility, and 2. Intimately familiar with Florida law. Why was he ignored? [ABC News]

3. Why did then-Police Chief Bill Lee make public statements directly contradicting the official recommendations of the police department? On the day the Sanford Police concluded their investigation and handed over the case to the prosecutor, then-Police Chief Bill Lee stated publicly that there was no “probable cause” to arrest or charge Zimmerman. (Lee has subsequently “temporarily” stepped down from his post.) But the Miami Herald reports that on the same day the Sanford Police formally requested that the prosecutor charge Zimmerman, something known as a “capias” request. [ThinkProgress]

4. Who leaked Trayvon Martin’s school records? As public outrage increased, Zimmerman’s sympathizers launched a smear campaign against Trayvon Martin. This included details of several occasions where Martin was suspended for minor infractions (defacing a locker, possessing an empty “marijuana baggie.”) None of the information seemed to have any particular relevance to the night Trayvon Martin was shot to death. Was this a ham-handed attempt by the police or the prosecutor to defend their lack of action against Zimmerman? The Sanford City Manager announced he would launch an independent investigation into the source of the leak. [Miami Herald; NBC12]

5. Why was Trayvon Martin’s body tagged as a John Doe? The Washington Post’s Jonathan Capehart notes a police report “that was completed at 3:07 a.m. on Feb. 27 lists Trayvon’s full name, city of birth, address and phone number.” But yet, Trayvon’s body was reportedly “tagged as a John Doe” and his father wasn’t informed of his death until after he filed a missing person report later on the 27th. Why weren’t Trayvon Martin’s parents contacted immediately after the police confirmed his identity? [Washington Post]

Special prosecutor Angela Corey has promised to release additional information about the case once she makes a decision about whether to charge Zimmerman, something that could happen at any time.