George Zimmerman To Be Charged In Connection With The Death Of Trayvon Martin

Of course, charging Zimmerman and finding him are two completely different things...

With the media scrutiny, not charging George Zimmerman would have been the bigger surprise.

The Washington Post is reporting that special prosecutor Angela Corey will hold a press conference this afternoon charging Zimmerman with something arising out of the death of Trayvon Martin.

Just what he’ll be charged with is anyone’s guess, is he getting hit with murder, manslaughter, or the simple “hunting black teens without a license,” which I think is just a misdemeanor in Florida. Check back for updates as we learn more.

Of course, charging the man and finding him are two completely different things…

As we mentioned in Morning Docket, Zimmerman’s attorneys have dropped their client. Currently, it’s not even clear where he is. From the Washington Post:

Lawyers Craig Sonner and Hal Uhrig on Tuesday expressed concern about Zimmerman’s emotional and physical well-being, saying he has taken actions without consulting them. They also said they do not know where Zimmerman is.

“You can stop looking in Florida,” Uhrig told reporters. “Look much further away than that.”

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This seems like a good time to remind people of the part of this story that keeps getting overlooked: the part where the Sanford, Florida police did a terrible job. They didn’t place Zimmerman in custody, test him for drugs or alcohol, or evidently do a thorough investigation into his claims. This man has been walking around free all of this time, and with his gun. I certainly don’t know what (if anything) Zimmerman may be guilty of, but I know you’re not supposed to be able to gun down unarmed people in the street and then get a walk from the police.

Check back here for news on what precisely Zimmerman is charged with. Does anybody remember the O.J. trial? This could be just as crazy.

UPDATE(6:06 P.M.): Zimmerman has been charged with murder in the second degree.

Zimmerman is in custody; he’s already turned himself in.

Honestly, I thought the top charge would be first degree manslaughter. The fact that the special prosecutor thinks she can make a case for murder, any murder, seems significant to me.

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Well, I guess we’re moving out of the court of public opinion, into a court of law. But if they can find 12 people in Florida who haven’t already formed an opinion, we’re really going to the court of jesters.

George Zimmerman to be charged in Trayvon Martin shooting, official says [Washington Post]