[net-gold] CRIME AND CRIMINALS: MURDER HOMICIDE : UNITED STATES: STATES: FLORIDA: The Trayvon Martin Case Reveals a Vigilante Spirit in the US Justice System
- From: "David P. Dillard" <jwne@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Net-Gold -- Educator Gold <Educator-Gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Educator Gold <Educator-Gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, net-gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, Net-Gold <Net-Gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, NetGold <netgold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Net-Gold <net-gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, K-12ADMINLIFE <K12ADMIN@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, K12AdminLIFE <K12AdminLIFE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, MediaMentor <mediamentor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, NetGold <netgold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Net-Platinum <net-platinum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Sean Grigsby <myarchives1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Net-Gold <NetGold_general@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Temple Gold Discussion Group <TEMPLE-GOLD@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Temple University Net-Gold Archive <net-gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Health Lists -- Health Diet Fitness Recreation Sports Tourism <healthrecsport@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Health Diet Fitness Recreation Sports <healthrecsport@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, HEALTH-RECREATION-SPORTS-TOURISM@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2012 12:41:43 -0400 (EDT)
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CRIME AND CRIMINALS: MURDER HOMICIDE :
UNITED STATES: STATES: FLORIDA:
The Trayvon Martin Case Reveals a Vigilante Spirit
in the US Justice System
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The Trayvon Martin Case Reveals a Vigilante Spirit
in the US Justice System
Prosecutorial misconduct, police corruption and 'stand your ground' laws
are part of the lingering lynch mob mentality
David A Love
Guardian.co.uk
Saturday 7 April 2012 11.00 EDT
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2012/apr/07/
trayvon-martin-vigilante-spirit-us-justice?newsfeed=true
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A shorter URL for the above link:
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http://tinyurl.com/c6dvmu8
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The shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida, has
exposed the issue of official misconduct, as police have failed to arrest,
and prosecutors have refused to indict, George Zimmerman, Martin's
self-professed killer. Zimmerman, a neighbourhood watch volunteer, claimed
Martin looked suspicious and that he shot him in self-defence. Although a
federal investigation is under way, Martin's parents have asked the US
department of justice to investigate possible meddling by the state's
attorney's office with investigations by Sanford police the night of the
killing. Martin's family believe that state attorney Norm Wolfinger and
Sanford police chief Bill Lee overruled the recommendation of the chief
homicide investigator that Zimmerman be arrested and charged with
manslaughter. Further, the "stand your ground" law implicated in this case
enables vigilantes who wish to perform private, extrajudicial executions
and become a legalised lynch mob. The law breaks with centuries of legal
tradition by allowing a person to "stand one's ground" and use deadly
force wherever he or she feels threatened, without a duty to retreat.
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First enacted in Florida and now adopted by at least 21 states, the law is
promoted by the powerful National Rifle Association and the American
Legislative Exchange Council, or Alec. Alec is a Koch brothers-funded
organisation of rightwing legislators throughout the country, responsible
for anti-union, voter suppression and forced transvaginal ultrasound
legislation in various states. Alec is supported by corporations such as
ExxonMobil, Wal-mart, AT&T, Bayer, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson,
Pfizer, UPS and until recently, Coca-Cola.
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As the "stand your ground" law enables vigilantes and lynch mobs who
operate outside the justice system, the system also provides cover to
insiders, including renegade prosecutors who stand in the way of justice.
With broad discretion but little accountability, prosecutors at their
worst become vigilantes.
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According to the Veritas Institute and the Innocence Project, Texas
prosecutors are not disciplined for their misconduct. Between 2004 and
2008, prosecutors committed error in 91 cases. Yet in 72 of those cases,
the convictions were upheld on the grounds of harmless error, while 19
cases were reversed due to harmful error. Only one prosecutor was
disciplined by the Texas Bar Association between 2004 and 2011, for a case
before 2004.
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A similar Veritas Institute study of California found that between 1997
and 2009, state prosecutors engaged in misconduct in criminal trials 707
times, ranging from withholding evidence to intimidating witnesses.
Sixty-seven prosecutors committed gross misconduct, including a deputy
district attorney who withheld evidence that kept an innocent man behind
bars for a murder he didn't commit. Only six California prosecutors were
ever disciplined.
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Last year, the Texas county and district attorney association (TCDAA)
honoured Navarro County district attorney Lowell Thompson. His achievement
was preventing a court of inquiry into the case of Cameron Todd
Willingham. Willingham, very likely an innocent man, was executed in 2004
for an arson death that killed his three young children, despite evidence
that the fire was accidental.
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The complete article may be read at the URL above.
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More on ALEC on Net-Gold
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=
1T4GGHP_enUS441US441&q=ALEC+AND+%22NET-GOLD%22+AND+
%22TEMPLE.EDU%22#q=%22ALEC%22+AND+%22NET-GOLD%22+AND+
%22TEMPLE.EDU%22&hl=en&rlz=1T4GGHP_enUS441US441&prmd=
imvnsfd&filter=0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=
760b3eff8cbb04a5&biw=1920&bih=845
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A shorter URL for the above link:
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http://tinyurl.com/82zh9r9
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Sincerely,
David Dillard
Temple University
(215) 204 - 4584
jwne@xxxxxxxxxx
http://workface.com/e/daviddillard
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