Northwest Indiana Discussion

Speculation is raging that the judge in the George Zimmerman case could have been put under pressure by the Obama administration after she staged a bizarre outburst during which she interrogated Zimmerman while repeatedly silencing his lawyers.

The hostile exchange began when Judge Debra Nelson asked Zimmerman if he planned to testify.

Essentially, Judge Nelson told Zimmerman he had the “absolute right to remain silent” but then proceeded to demand he answer her questions interrogation-style while silencing his lawyers.

Defense attorney Don West twice objected to Nelson’s interrogation, prompting the judge to raised her voice and exclaim, “Your objection is overruled!” in a manner more befitting of an angry parent lecturing a child than a legal professional.

Both of Zimmerman’s lawyers appeared shocked as attorney Mark O’Mara asked under his breath, “what is going on?”

Several legal experts and observers said the outburst was unprecedented.

“I have never seen that in more than 30 years of court reporting,” tweeted journalist Kathi Belich.

Former Senatorial candidate Richard Rivette also expressed his shock at the judge’s behavior.

“This judge is an idiot. I spent five years investigating high profile capital cases defending people from the death penalty, and worked for the Federal judiciary as an independent investigator on other cases. No judge ever inquires as to whether a defendant will testify until the entire defense case is presented. If the defense rests and does not call the defendant then the judge knows there will be no testimony. If the defense calls the defendant then that’s when the judge finds out. They have to get through the entire case first. To see if it is valid after prosecution cross-examines their witnesses and experts as to whether a defendant SHOULD testify, which is decided in private not in public, and NOT on the record. By doing this, the judge has undermined a portion of Zimmerman’s credibility. He looks like he is waffling and this is normal judge/defendant questioning, which it is NOT,” said Rivette.

Respondents to the story at the National Review Online also expressed their view that Zimmerman was being railroaded.

“A fix is in from the administration to find Zimmerman guilty regardless of what it takes,” commented one.

“By demanding that Zimmerman respond to a question, after she has assured him that he has the right to remain silent, she is undermining his right to remain silent and making it appear as though he and his attorneys are not firm in their convictions. This judge is shameless,” added another.

Bestselling author Brad Thor is offering to buy George Zimmerman a new gun and all the ammunition he wants after the Justice Department put a hold on releasing the evidence from Zimmerman’s murder trial, thus delaying the return of his handgun.

Author Brad Thor is offering to buy George Zimmerman a new gun.

Thor made the offer in a series of tweets Friday, then doubled down in a contentious TV interview in Chicago.

“Read this carefully, as I don’t want 2 be misunderstood: SCREW the #DOJ. If they won’t give #Zimmerman his gun back, I’ll buy him a new one,” he tweeted shortly after midnight Friday.

He followed up with a tweet to Zimmerman’s brother Robert Zimmerman Jr.: “Whatever gun he wants + however much ammo, consider it done. I’m buying. Done deal.”

Jan. 16 (UPI) – Sybrina Fulton, who’s 17-year-old son Trayvon Martin was shot by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman in 2012, visited the University of Utah on Thursday to discuss racial profiling.

Hundreds attended the Martin LutherKing Week event, in which Fulton said that an “upside” to her son’s death was the “opportunity to save someone else’s child.”

“Don’t think for one second racial profiling doesn’t happen. Don’t think for one minute even in your community of Salt Lake City it doesn’t happen,” she said. ”Racism is still alive. Racial profiling is still alive. Injustice is still alive.”

Fulton said that the circumstances of her son’s death — he was wearing a hoodie when Zimmerman shot him — applied all over the country.

“There should not become a time when we are comfortable with burying our children,” Fulton said. “What happened many miles away in Sanford should be uncomfortable for you.”

“Is it the hoodie that really made the difference? Or the color of his skin?” she asked. “And if by one second, just by one mere second, we think that it’s the color of his skin, then something is wrong with America.”

“”At the end of the day, it’s not about Trayvon. It’s about the person that felt he was suspicious,” she added.