Northwest Indiana Discussion

No, they aren't. A bag of Skittles and a can of tea were what seventeen tear old Trayvon Martin bought from 7-11 just before George Zimmerman stalked and shot him.

Race riots could ensue if George Zimmerman — the shooter in the Trayvon Martin case — is found not guilty of second-degree murder by a Florida jury, the Congressional Black Caucus’ executive director allowed yesterday.

“I think a ‘not guilty’ verdict is extremely problematic in 2012,” said Angela Rye, the Executive Director and General Counsel for the Congressional Black Caucus. She said, “I don’t know,” when asked what would happen in the event of an acquittal. “I know that folks have talked about race riots — I don’t know that. I think that we live in a day and age where people are educated enough not to do that. I know that his mother and his father have asked for peace, peaceful solutions, not repaying evil for evil, so I’m not sure. I think it would set us back . . . there’s no value to racial violence or any other kind of violence.”

Congressional Black Caucus: Zimmerman Acquittal Could Spark Race Riots[/b]

(AP) — Trayvon Martin’s mother has asked for an undisclosed amount of money from a state fund set up to help crime victims with things like funeral expenses and counseling, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

The documents, obtained through a public records request, show Sybrina Fulton applied for the compensation benefits after her son was fatally shot last February by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in a gated community in Sanford, Fla. It was not immediately clear how Martin’s family would use the money.

The state Attorney General’s Office, which administers the Crimes Compensation Trust Fund, refused to disclose the sum sought by Fulton and her former husband, Tracy Martin. Payouts can reach $30,000.

Zimmerman, 28, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and says he shot the 17-year-old in self-defense under Florida’s “stand your ground” law. The law allows people to use deadly force, rather than retreat, if they believe their lives are in danger. He is free on $1 million bond as he awaits trial. Zimmerman wasn’t charged until 44 days after Martin’s death, and in those weeks protesters accused the Sanford police department of being racist and botching the investigation.

In a March 29 letter, a claims analyst with the Attorney General’s Office notified Fulton that she had been deemed eligible for the compensation benefits. However, no check had been issued to Martin’s parents as of early August.

This is a photo of George Zimmerman taken by a police officer on the night of February 26, 2012. A black and white photocopy of this image was provided by the State in the first Discovery. This high-resolution digital file was finally provided to the defense on October 29, 2012. This image was disclosed in the State’s 9th Supplemental Discovery. In accordance with the updates to our media policy that we published on November 13, we will be making all public documents related to the case available on our website, including the rest of the State’s 9th Supplemental Discovery as soon as we are sure it has been properly redacted according to the Court’s stipulations on protecting information regarding specific witnesses.

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) on Tuesday proposed a racial profiling bill to mark the one-year anniversary of the shooting death of Trayvon Martin in Florida.

Norton’s bill, H.R. 838, would let states apply for federal grants to create programs aimed at reducing racial profiling. These programs could include anti-racial profiling laws, maintaining data on traffic stops to check for racial bias, and training law enforcement officers.

“The Trayvon Martin tragedy did not involve a law enforcement officer, but his death reminded the country that racial profiling discrimination remains largely unaddressed,” Norton said. “The responsibility for eliminating racial profiling should begin with the federal government, especially when racial profiling happens on federally funded roads.”

Trayvon Martin’s parents have settled a wrongful death claim for an amount believed to be more than $1 million against a Florida homeowners association where their teen son was killed, Fox News confirms.

Trayvon was shot and killed by Neighborhood Watch volunteer George Zimmerman in Sanford, Fla., on Feb. 26, 2012.

Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder, but he says he fired in self defense after the 17-year-old attacked him.

In paperwork made public, both parties specified that they would keep the settlement amount confidential, The Orlando Sentinel reported.

“It is understood and agreed that the payment made herein is not to be construed as an admission of any liability by or on behalf of the releasing parties; but instead the monies being paid hereunder is consideration for avoiding litigation, the uncertainties stemming from litigation as well as to protect and secure the good name and good will of the released parties,” the settlement said.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Attorneys for George Zimmerman have released another round of evidence that include multiple photos and texts from Trayvon Martin’s cellphone, as well as school records and videos.

Zimmerman has maintained he shot and killed the 17-year-old Martin in self-defense as the teen was attacking him near his Sanford home. He has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder charges.

Zimmerman’s attorney, Mark O’Mara, could use in Zimmerman’s defense several videos that were extracted from Martin’s cellphone, as well as several videos from the Miami Dade Schools Police Department and Martin’s school records.

Circuit Judge Debra Nelson allowed the defense to delve into Martin’s personal life and phone records, ruling the information could be relevant if it showed the teenager had a propensity for violence.

The photos are in sharp contrast to the ones of Martin that were released soon after his shooting death.

One of the photos shows Martin blowing smoke and others show what appear to be a marijuana plant.

There are also photos of someone holding a Glock handgun, but it’s unclear if the hand in the image is Martin’s.

A TRAYVON MARTIN family lawyer threw the trial of cop wanna-be George Zimmerman into turmoil Thursday by suddenly declaring that the case was “not about race.”

“It’s not about racial profiling,” Daryl Parks declared. “He was profiled (criminally). George Zimmerman profiled him.”

Parks dropped this bombshell after prosecutors spent the last few days arguing that Zimmerman profiled the 17-year-old specifically because he was black.

Asked why Parks was changing his tune now, the lawyer made another head-scratching statement. “We never claimed this was about race,” he said.

Jeantel admitted she didn’t tell prosecutors, at first, that Martin called Zimmerman a “creepy-ass cracker” before the killing. She didn’t want to say “ass” in front of the teen’s mother, Sybrina Fulton.