As a NYC Criminal Attorney, I was under the false impression that this would die down after a while, but I forget it is an election year and we still have 24 hour news networks. So, I’ve decided to write this post on the George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin case—mostly, because I’ve found that when talking to clients each day people feel now that you can get away with murder in the United States if you are the right color. I’m not sure if this is pre-planning or wishful thinking, but allow me to tell you that no one, regardless of color, can get away with murder.
The police did not arrest George Zimmerman because at the time they were under the impression that a fatal shooting in self-defense did occur. He was brought in for questioning and released. This shows that they followed their process. Had they taken his statement at the scene and then left, the outrage would have been more justified. Not all shootings necessarily lead to an arrest—even those that are fatal. In our line of work we would rather see police release someone while investigating than potentially incarcerating an innocent person. This rarely happens (innocent people get the shaft every day), so in great irony when presumption of innocence is actually taken to heart people get upset about it. So upset, that they are considering changing laws in Florida to restrict rights.
As a criminal defense firm we don’t get the luxury of being able to say that someone should be denied this presumption just because we don’t like them. Our criminal attorneys have to support the rights of every client who steps through our door to equal justice and a fair trial. Regardless of whether I might personally feel George Zimmerman was not in imminent danger, I still expect that our legal traditions be upheld. I don’t like the politicization of this whole mess. Justice rarely walks hand in hand with our legal system because of our inability to be just, but when we throw out the law and legal principles because of anger we have denied justice fundamentally.
For more comments, contact my office:
Bukh Law Firm PC, 14 Wall Street, New York NY 10005, (212) 729-1632
