07-18-2013, 05:44 PM
(07-18-2013, 04:21 PM)username Wrote: Besides wondering if one or more jurors caved, I wonder if some males on the jury would have been more likely to disbelieve George's fear for his life. Six/CN, guys...would any of you have felt that George used excessive force?
I know it matters whether George was in fear for his life but if I recall, it had to be reasonable fear.
"Reasonable" for George. That's what the whole pussy defense was about.
I think you may have hit on the reason (or one of them) that O'Mara wanted an all female jury.
George was required to make every "reasonable attempt to escape danger" before addressing his "reasonable fear" with greater force. There was no sign on his or Travyon's body that he did anything other than lay. He says he "shimmied" too. Is that every reasonable attempt? That's what Zimmerman, his lawyers, the gym owner and the justified force expert contended because George was a 1 on a scale of 1 to 10 when it came to his physical abilities at the gym.
Male jurors may have put themselves in George's place and been less inclined to believe that even a marshmallow couldn't get a swing or a scratch or a kick in the nuts in there somewhere before shooting. JMO. Hell, even as a woman who's been in a fist fight and tumble a few times, I doubt that the most George Zimmerman could reasonably do was nothing but scream. The jury obviously believed it.
ETA: Or, the jury believed that Trayvon Martin provoked the altercation and intended to murder Zimmerman, in which case only reasonable fear was required before shooting, if I uderstand the statutes correctly.