Post Zimmerman trial riots?

[Capt Worley PE]

After an all-white jury acquitted a Miami cop in the death of Arthur McDuffie in 1980, the city exploded in a burning, three-mile-wide riot that lasted three days, caused $100 million in damage, resulted in 18 deaths, and inspired curfews and gunpoint checks by the National Guard.

In the coming weeks, a mostly white jurywill decide whether to acquit George Zimmerman of second degree murder charges in the controversial shooting death of Miami Gardens teen Trayvon Martin.

Local police and community leaders are already cautioning against any actions that could escalate to violence or destruction, even turning to social media and Miami Heat stars for help.

Much more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/03/george-zimmerman-verdict_n_3540499.html

So, will there be riots? To what extent?

 

[snickerd3]

i think there will be some form of rioting whatever the results end up being.

 

[YMZ PE]

I'm guessing kids and wives will be hid.

 

[YMZ PE]

BTW, Capt reads Huff Post? What the hey?

 

[MA_PE]

given the demographics in Miami, I think riots are inevitable. Some folks just like won-ton revelry, vandalism and destruction of property. They use anything as an excuse to incite it and act it out...."win" or "lose" it doesn't matter.

 

[Road Guy]

I agree its gonna be ugly either way...

 

[csb]

I'm getting a new TV!

 

[Road Guy]

Is it truly an all white jury or is it a Cuban-american jury?

I thought Zimmerman was Cuban/American?

 

[Dark Knight]

I agree its gonna be ugly either way...

Agree. Sanford, where the trial is happening, is not far from where I live. I warned my wife about this one week ago. Today, at work, we had a safety call to talk about this too. Sadly there are outsiders, call it Black Panthers or White Supremacists, that will take advantage of whatever happens to do their thing. I am very concerned about one of my sons at UCF. He is taking a summer class and most likely will be out when the verdict comes out. Hope nothing happens but right now this is very stressful.

 

[wilheldp_PE]

I think the media will incite riots after the verdict...especially if it's a slow news day.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I was working in Central GA when the Rodney King Riots broke out, and was amused that rioting broke out in da ATL a few days after it was over in LA.

 

[Road Guy]

I was in downtown Atlanta *Georgia DOT office* during part of the rodney king riots, i rode home with a guy who laid a 44 magnum on his dashboard to drive through atlanta. there was lots of vehicle damages to other cars..it was a scary situation...

later that day our guard unit was activated to work the riots, we never went into the city but stayed on the outskirts of the city in case we were needed..they actually handed out ammunition it was thought to be that bad..

i was always glad we just stayed on the back of the truck for 2 days and then went home.. that could have gotten ugly..

 

[Exception Collection]

I hope there won't be riots, but i wouldn't bet on it. That said, I don't expect them to be as bad as the Rodney King riots - The Rodney King situation was one where the perception was that blatantly racist cops attacked someone and were effectively protected by the establishment and by an all-white jury. Zimmerman's case there's enough leeway in what happened that there's more room for reasonable doubt.

I will say I think he should probably be convicted of manslaughter, but not murder. Had he not been armed and following Trayvon while disregarding the instructions of the dispatch person (officer?), Trayvon would not have felt the need to confront him for his threatening behavior. (And yes, following someone around is generally considered threatening behavior). The prosecutor overcharged, and did not charge lesser charges as a backup. This assumes he didn't commit a felony by threatening Trayvon through his behavior; if he did, than murder 2 is possible but unlikely to get a conviction.

It's almost as if the prosecutor is throwing the case. And that is why I expect riots.

 

[Dexman PE PMP]

The prosecutor overcharged, and did not charge lesser charges as a backup. This assumes he didn't commit a felony by threatening Trayvon through his behavior; if he did, than murder 2 is possible but unlikely to get a conviction.

It's almost as if the prosecutor is throwing the case. And that is why I expect riots.

Looks like they are trying to change that...

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/11/19415120-judge-to-consider-lesser-charges-for-george-zimmerman?lite&ocid=msnhp&pos=1

The Florida judge in George Zimmerman’s second-degree murder trial will decide Thursday whether she will allow the jury to consider lesser charges – manslaughter and aggravated assault – when they begin deliberations on Friday.

 

[EM_PS]

the whole trial is F'd up - 6 jurors instead of 12, and all of them women?! This thing has all the lead-in to a mistrial as it is....

 

[Road Guy]

Please tell me they are not all white women?

 

[maryannette]

I think it is 5 white women and 1 other woman.

 

[wilheldp_PE]

What happened to a "jury of your peers"?

 

[MA_PE]

Baed on the news I heard....only small "riots" and they were in San Francisco. Go figure

 

[Road Guy]

Has Obama weighed in yet?