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lol
- Thread starter Midswat
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lol
I truly don't get the Koch brothers thing. Especially after proof was shown that the Unions DWARFED their spending
I just want to mention that this chart is completely fucking retarded. I forgot to mention that the first time through.
lons
UDFA
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I forgot to mention that your face is completely fucking retarded. Oh wait, you knew that. Lemme guess, it isn't from MSNBC so it's invalid?
no it's not valid because you can't compare money given by individual donors v. unions to campaigns because most of the money those individuals give is now funnelled through things like Super PACs which the supreme court has made it almost impossible to track. Most of the money the Koch's give will be funnelled through Citizens United or another super PAC set up by them and Karl Rove. It's estimated that in the upcoming election the Koch-Rove network alone is going to spend more (400 million dollars) than John McCain managed to raise altogether in 2008 (370 million dollars).
jiggyfly
In the Rotation
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Its pretty simple he lied to the judge.
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Teen murder < forum background critiquing
Clearly Innocent Zimmerman will seek 'stand your ground' hearing
MIAMI (AP) — George Zimmerman will seek to have second-degree murder charges dismissed under Florida's "stand your ground" law in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, his attorney said Thursday.
The hearing, which likely won't take place for several months, will amount to a mini-trial involving much of the evidence collected by prosecutors as well as expert testimony from both sides.
"Most of the arguments, witnesses, experts and evidence that the defense would muster in a criminal trial will be presented in the 'stand your ground' hearing," said the statement posted by Zimmerman attorney Mark O'Mara on Zimmerman's official defense website.
Although the posting did not say so, legal experts say it's likely that Zimmerman himself would testify since he is the sole survivor of the Feb. 26 confrontation.
Under the "stand your ground" law, Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester can dismiss the charges if Zimmerman conclusively shows he fatally shot Martin because he "reasonably believed" he might be killed or suffer "great bodily harm" at the hands of the unarmed teenager. The law also says a person has no duty to retreat in the face of such a threat.
Janet Johnson, a Jacksonville defense attorney who has represented defendants in other "stand your ground" cases, said Zimmerman has a good chance to win his claim if he can also show he was in a place where he had a legal right to be and that he didn't create the danger.
"Or, if he did, he had abandoned that activity when Mr. Martin 'attacked' him," Johnson said in an email. "There's only one side since Trayvon Martin can't testify."
Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, shot Martin after a confrontation in Zimmerman's gated community in the central Florida town of Sanford, where Martin was visiting. The case drew local and nationwide protests because Zimmerman was not arrested for weeks after the shooting. Zimmerman claims Martin punched him and slammed his head against a sidewalk.
Evidence released by prosecutors, the website statement said, shows "clear support for a strong claim of self-defense." The statement urged "everyone to be patient during this process and to reserve judgment until the evidence is presented in the 'stand your ground' hearing."
Martin's parents have contended that Zimmerman singled out their son as he was returning from a convenience store because he was black and that it was Zimmerman's aggression that led to his death. Zimmerman, who is free on $1 million bail, faces a possible life prison sentence if convicted of second-degree murder.
If his "stand your ground" claim succeeds, however, the criminal charges would be dismissed and Zimmerman could not be held liable in any civil action such as a wrongful-death lawsuit. Prosecutors would likely appeal a successful self-defense claim.
A spokeswoman for special prosecutor Angela Corey declined to comment Thursday. Benjamin Crump, attorney for Martin's parents, said in an email he believes the "stand your ground" claim will be denied and that Zimmerman's guilt or innocence will ultimately be decided by a jury.
"Trayvon's parents do not feel that this is a man that feared for his life the night he shot and killed their child, this is a man whose only fear is spending his life in prison," Crump said.
Legal experts have said that Zimmerman's credibility is crucial to his claim and that he undermined his own cause by deceiving the judge about his finances during an April bond hearing. That alleged deception led to perjury charges against Zimmerman's wife, Shellie. She has pleaded not guilty.
Lester remarked that Zimmerman "flaunted the system" by making misleading statements about how much money the couple had raised through online contributions from supporters. The judge, who will also rule on the "stand your ground" claim, revoked Zimmerman's initial $150,000 bond and had him returned to jail. He later llowed him to be released on the higher $1 million figure with additional restrictions.
"His credibility in asserting that he lawfully 'stood his ground' is key and he has been proven to be less than credible in prior dealings with the court," said Johnson, the Jacksonville defense attorney. "The defense will try to limit how much of this comes in."
MIAMI (AP) — George Zimmerman will seek to have second-degree murder charges dismissed under Florida's "stand your ground" law in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, his attorney said Thursday.
The hearing, which likely won't take place for several months, will amount to a mini-trial involving much of the evidence collected by prosecutors as well as expert testimony from both sides.
"Most of the arguments, witnesses, experts and evidence that the defense would muster in a criminal trial will be presented in the 'stand your ground' hearing," said the statement posted by Zimmerman attorney Mark O'Mara on Zimmerman's official defense website.
Although the posting did not say so, legal experts say it's likely that Zimmerman himself would testify since he is the sole survivor of the Feb. 26 confrontation.
Under the "stand your ground" law, Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester can dismiss the charges if Zimmerman conclusively shows he fatally shot Martin because he "reasonably believed" he might be killed or suffer "great bodily harm" at the hands of the unarmed teenager. The law also says a person has no duty to retreat in the face of such a threat.
Janet Johnson, a Jacksonville defense attorney who has represented defendants in other "stand your ground" cases, said Zimmerman has a good chance to win his claim if he can also show he was in a place where he had a legal right to be and that he didn't create the danger.
"Or, if he did, he had abandoned that activity when Mr. Martin 'attacked' him," Johnson said in an email. "There's only one side since Trayvon Martin can't testify."
Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, shot Martin after a confrontation in Zimmerman's gated community in the central Florida town of Sanford, where Martin was visiting. The case drew local and nationwide protests because Zimmerman was not arrested for weeks after the shooting. Zimmerman claims Martin punched him and slammed his head against a sidewalk.
Evidence released by prosecutors, the website statement said, shows "clear support for a strong claim of self-defense." The statement urged "everyone to be patient during this process and to reserve judgment until the evidence is presented in the 'stand your ground' hearing."
Martin's parents have contended that Zimmerman singled out their son as he was returning from a convenience store because he was black and that it was Zimmerman's aggression that led to his death. Zimmerman, who is free on $1 million bail, faces a possible life prison sentence if convicted of second-degree murder.
If his "stand your ground" claim succeeds, however, the criminal charges would be dismissed and Zimmerman could not be held liable in any civil action such as a wrongful-death lawsuit. Prosecutors would likely appeal a successful self-defense claim.
A spokeswoman for special prosecutor Angela Corey declined to comment Thursday. Benjamin Crump, attorney for Martin's parents, said in an email he believes the "stand your ground" claim will be denied and that Zimmerman's guilt or innocence will ultimately be decided by a jury.
"Trayvon's parents do not feel that this is a man that feared for his life the night he shot and killed their child, this is a man whose only fear is spending his life in prison," Crump said.
Legal experts have said that Zimmerman's credibility is crucial to his claim and that he undermined his own cause by deceiving the judge about his finances during an April bond hearing. That alleged deception led to perjury charges against Zimmerman's wife, Shellie. She has pleaded not guilty.
Lester remarked that Zimmerman "flaunted the system" by making misleading statements about how much money the couple had raised through online contributions from supporters. The judge, who will also rule on the "stand your ground" claim, revoked Zimmerman's initial $150,000 bond and had him returned to jail. He later llowed him to be released on the higher $1 million figure with additional restrictions.
"His credibility in asserting that he lawfully 'stood his ground' is key and he has been proven to be less than credible in prior dealings with the court," said Johnson, the Jacksonville defense attorney. "The defense will try to limit how much of this comes in."
George Zimmerman prosecutor leaks witness names
By Rene Stutzman, Orlando Sentinel
9:39 a.m. EST, November 15, 2012
Prosecutors, defense attorneys and judges in the Trayvon Martin murder case have gone to great lengths to protect the names of witnesses, fearing they'd be hounded by reporters, curiosity-seekers or worse. But lead prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda has inadvertently leaked the names of a dozen witnesses, violating a court order.
It's not clear what will happen now and whether he'll face any sort of sanction or punishment from the judge in the case, Debra S. Nelson in Sanford.
The foul-up happened in a court filing last week.
De la Rionda delivered a new set of evidence to defense attorneys on Thursday, Nov. 8, and as is required, he prepared a summary sheet and delivered it to the Seminole County courthouse.
Normally, he prepares two sets of summary sheets, one for defense attorneys that includes witness names and other protected information, and a second for the public that goes into the courthouse file. It typically identifies witnesses by number, for example witness 17.
But last Thursday de la Rionda filed the summary sheet that included witness names in the courthouse file, where anyone is free to look at it.
It lists nearly a dozen new witnesses. None is expected to be a major figure at George Zimmerman's second-degree murder trial. They include several of his neighbors, the physician's assistant who treated him the day after the shooting and two black Sanford community leaders who were at a U.S. Department of Justice meeting several months ago.
Those last two said they were baffled that they were on a witness list and had no first-hand knowledge about Zimmerman, Trayvon or the night of the shooting.
A spokesman for de la Rionda's office did not return an email, seeking comment about the leaked names.
Defense attorney Mark O'Mara wrote a blog post yesterday, announcing that his office plans to begin posting all public court filings made by attorneys for both sides in the Zimmerman case.
Up to now, his office had only posted defense filings, something that critics had described as unfair, O'Mara wrote in his blog post.
But it won't post the paperwork with the witness names that de la Rionda leaked, O'Mara said, because that would compound an error and might be interpreted as a violation of a court order.
By Rene Stutzman, Orlando Sentinel
9:39 a.m. EST, November 15, 2012
Prosecutors, defense attorneys and judges in the Trayvon Martin murder case have gone to great lengths to protect the names of witnesses, fearing they'd be hounded by reporters, curiosity-seekers or worse. But lead prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda has inadvertently leaked the names of a dozen witnesses, violating a court order.
It's not clear what will happen now and whether he'll face any sort of sanction or punishment from the judge in the case, Debra S. Nelson in Sanford.
The foul-up happened in a court filing last week.
De la Rionda delivered a new set of evidence to defense attorneys on Thursday, Nov. 8, and as is required, he prepared a summary sheet and delivered it to the Seminole County courthouse.
Normally, he prepares two sets of summary sheets, one for defense attorneys that includes witness names and other protected information, and a second for the public that goes into the courthouse file. It typically identifies witnesses by number, for example witness 17.
But last Thursday de la Rionda filed the summary sheet that included witness names in the courthouse file, where anyone is free to look at it.
It lists nearly a dozen new witnesses. None is expected to be a major figure at George Zimmerman's second-degree murder trial. They include several of his neighbors, the physician's assistant who treated him the day after the shooting and two black Sanford community leaders who were at a U.S. Department of Justice meeting several months ago.
Those last two said they were baffled that they were on a witness list and had no first-hand knowledge about Zimmerman, Trayvon or the night of the shooting.
A spokesman for de la Rionda's office did not return an email, seeking comment about the leaked names.
Defense attorney Mark O'Mara wrote a blog post yesterday, announcing that his office plans to begin posting all public court filings made by attorneys for both sides in the Zimmerman case.
Up to now, his office had only posted defense filings, something that critics had described as unfair, O'Mara wrote in his blog post.
But it won't post the paperwork with the witness names that de la Rionda leaked, O'Mara said, because that would compound an error and might be interpreted as a violation of a court order.
I almost had to shoot a Trayvon Martin in my neck of the woods about a week ago. I was stopped downtown at a red light and a late teens, early 20's punk walked in front of my truck eyeballing me the whole time. He walked about 10 feet past me, stopped, and started walking back towards me. Little did he know I saw him coming well before and my gun was in my lap. I was just staring at him while he was staring at me. The stare down was enough to make the punk stop and turn around and keep walking. About 15 yards down the sidewalk he looked back at me - I'm still staring at him - and gives me a "oh hey whats up" head nod. When the light turned green I sped around and rolled down my window and told him "It's a good thing you kept walking because I would have shot your ass."
True story. And yes, I would have shot him.
True story. And yes, I would have shot him.
What does ........ mean?
What? I wasn't going to let him take my truck or rob me. I'm sick of people like him thinking they can go around intimidating everyone. I guarantee you he will think twice now before pulling that shit on someone else.