http://news.yahoo.com/judge-limits-texts-photos-trayvon-martin-case-150351912.html Judge limits texts, photos in Trayvon Martin case SANFORD, Fla. (AP) â Attorneys won't be able to mention Trayvon Martin's drug use, suspension from school and past fighting during opening statements in the trial for the neighborhood watch volunteer who fatally shot the teen, a judge ruled Tuesday. Circuit Judge Debra Nelson also refused to allow jurors to travel to the shooting scene during trial, and rejected a defense request to delay the trial set to begin June 10. The judge called the request to let jurors see the crime scene "a logistical nightmare." George Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in the 17-year-old's killing and has pleaded not guilty, saying he acted in self-defense. He did not attend Tuesday's hearing. The judge also ruled that some of the Martin's texts and other social media statements won't be allowed in opening statements, though some of the teen's personal history could be allowed later with a ruling from the judge depending on how the case progresses. Zimmerman's attorney, Mark O'Mara, told the judge that Martin's marijuana use and past fighting was central to the argument that Zimmerman used self-defense when he confronted Martin last year at a gated community in Sanford, Fla. "We have a lot of evidence that marijuana use had something to do with the event," O'Mara said. "It could have affected his behavior." An attorney for Martin's family, Benjamin Crump, said the teen's parents were pleased with the judge's rulings. "Trayvon Martin is not on trial," Crump said. The judge ruled against a defense request that the pool of jury candidates be sequestered during jury selection. She said jurors will be referred to by their jury numbers and prohibited their faces from being photographed. Nelson denied a prosecution request for a gag order that would prohibit attorneys from talking about the case. O'Mara said he is concerned potential jurors could be affected by publicity the case is receiving. The defense attorney had asked to push back the trial date because he said prosecutors had delayed turning over evidence as required. O'Mara is seeking sanctions against prosecutors, but a hearing on those sanctions was delayed until next week. Before the judge decided to postpone the hearing on sanctions, a former prosecutor who used to work in the same office as the attorneys prosecuting Zimmerman testified he had told O'Mara about photos and text messages from Martin's cell phone that hadn't yet been turned over to the defense. Former Assistant State Attorney Wesley White resigned last year from the State Attorney's Office that covers northeast Florida.
And the family says "Trayvon is not on trial" with a big smug grin on their face.. Their kid wouldn't answer a simple question about where he was going and then he attacked a guy and tried to kill him... With the rampant political correctness and stacked deck against Whites it's really a very good thing to just move where there are no Blacks. I did that and it's fine. The few I know are not antagonistic to Whites so they are my friends. They can't be antagonistic because they are just utterly outnumbered and they aren't basically antagonistic, otherwise they wouldn't live here. It's a lot better to speak Spanish in this area, you will have more friends that way. The Spanish gangs aren't all that hating on the Whites in my experience. I still would not emigrate to a Spanish language area though. Blacks have been given open season on Whites by Democrats essentially, that's how the Democrats keep getting 95% of the Black votes. I"m researching places to emigrate to and demographics is a very big factor. I want to get away from all this racial sh^t..
Doubt it,no judge will risk a mistrail or verdict being overturned in a case this big imo. If Zimmerman gets by the State Eric Holder will be waiting for him next FBI to Zimmerman: We don't have to give you our file, despite judge's order By Rene Stutzman, Orlando Sentinel 6:34 p.m. EST, February 27, 2013 Lawyers for the FBI say the federal agency should not give George Zimmerman's lawyers all the evidence from its case file, even though a Sanford judge has ordered it. The U.S. Department of Justice filed paperwork Monday, arguing that federal regulations trump a state court judge's ruling. It's asking that judge, Debra S. Nelson, to undo her Feb. 5 order. "This court has 'no power or authority' ⦠to compel the FBI to produce the documents at issue here," wrote Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean P. Flynn. In her order, Nelson agreed with a defense request and ordered the FBI to open its case file to Zimmerman's attorneys. Zimmerman, 29, is the former Neighborhood Watch volunteer charged with second-degree murder for shooting Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old, one year ago in Sanford. A few weeks after the slaying, following protest rallies across the country, the U.S. Department of Justice launched an investigation into the shooting to determine whether Trayvon's civil rights were violated â whether he was killed because he was black. It's not clear what that investigation has turned up. The FBI, which has done much of the work in the federal case, has said the investigation is ongoing. Defense attorneys Mark O'Mara and Don West have argued that they're entitled to all evidence gathered against their client, be it by local, state or federal authorities. They've received a limited amount of FBI evidence â interview summaries that say three dozen people who knew Zimmerman told agents they saw no signs he was a racist. In the FBI paperwork filed with Nelson in Monday, Flynn wrote that O'Mara had been told about but had failed to follow the proper procedures that might convince the federal agency to release the information. The supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution, Flynn wrote, makes it clear that federal regulations take precedence over a state judge's order. rstutzman@tribune.com or 407-650-6394