Grand jury meeting in civil-rights case involving George Zimmerman
By Rene Stutzman
October 30, 2014, 3:33 p.m.
Orlando Sentinel
Witness subpoenaed for grand jury in the George Zimmerman-Trayvon Martin civil rights case
Grand jury must decide if George Zimmerman was motivated by race
A federal grand jury will meet in downtown Orlando Wednesday to hear testimony about whether Trayvon Martin's civil rights were violated when Neighborhood Watch volunteer George Zimmerman shot him in the chest, according to court paperwork.
A U.S. Department of Justice attorney from Washington, D.C., Mark Blumberg, has issued at least one subpoena for Wednesday in the case.
Blumberg would not comment on the grand jury session, but the federal panel is to meet at 9 a.m. at the federal courts building on Central Avenue in downtown Orlando to hear evidence in the case.
It's not clear how many witnesses have been ordered to appear, but at least one, Frank Taaffe, Zimmerman's former neighbor and longtime defender, has been.
Following Zimmerman's acquittal on a murder charge, Taaffe has reversed his position and now says that he believes Zimmerman was motivated by race the night he followed then shot Trayvon in 2012.
Taaffe cites a phone conversation he had with Zimmerman in the days following the shooting but before Zimmerman was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.
When originally interviewed by federal investigators in the weeks following the shooting, Taaffe did not tell them about the phone call, he says, but earlier this year he did in interviews with Blumberg and FBI Agent John Weyrauch at the FBI office in Maitland.
Weyrauch did not return a phone call from the Sentinel.
FBI spokesman Dave Couvertier described the investigation as ongoing and said agents were "still talking to people."
George Zimmerman would not comment.
Last month, the Washington Post cited three unnamed law enforcement officials as saying there would likely be no federal charges brought against Zimmerman because of insufficient evidence.
rstutzman@tribune.com
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• E Pluribus Wombat
• Rank 1405
We need to exterminate all the white people in America. Kill them all.
• 7 days ago
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• Azlefty16242
• Rank 2523
@E Pluribus Wombat Thank you for that insightful comment Dr. Carson
3 comments:
The Orlando Sentinel has been persecuting Zimmerman since the very beginning. And that bitch Rene Stutzman has been one of worst offenders. It's weird and sad that even at this late date neither appears willing to give it up.
Following Zimmerman's acquittal on a murder charge, Taaffe has reversed his position and now says that he believes Zimmerman was motivated by race the night he followed then shot Trayvon in 2012.
Scurrilous bullshit -- he "believes". What kind of judicial weight could that possibly have? Given the recent burglaries around there, as I recall all committed by black men, Zimmerman was perfectly justified in being more suspicious of Martin. And the jury already ruled that the killing wasn't a crime. Note how they continue to call him Trayvon -- more than anything to generate sympathy of course.
The grand jury has already met, AND THE SURPRISE AND ONLY WITNESS [Taaffe] THAT WAS TO TESTIFY DID NOT EVEN SHOW UP. So what now? Maybe this was all for show? Just to SAY we did something but the guy did not show up.
George Zimmerman did prevent the thug, Trayvon Martin, from depriving him, George Zimmerman, of his civil right and God given right to his life. Trayvon Martin attacked Zimmerman, he beat Zimmerman's head against concrete, discovered George's pistol and was trying to get it when George got the pistol away from Trayvon Martin and shot him thus saving his own life. Long Live Zimmerman.
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