Former neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman is not expected to be charged with civil rights violations by the Department of Justice for his 2012 shooting of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday.
Zimmerman has reportedly been living in fear of facing civil rights charges since the investigation began. GQ magazine reported Zimmerman’s father recently said he’s worried “if FBI agents come and kick in his door, he’s probably gonna shoot a few of them.”
The DOJ began the investigation into Zimmerman’s actions two years ago but, according to the Post, three law enforcement officials said that there isn’t sufficient evidence to prompt federal charges.
The three officials who spoke with the Post asked to remain anonymous because the investigation is reportedly still open, according to the newspaper. The Post reported that a spokeswoman for the DOJ said the investigation was still “active and ongoing.”
According to the Post, one of the lawyers representing Martin’s family said the teen’s parents had not yet received a final decision from the DOJ.
the investigation was still “active and ongoing.”
Until they actually decide he won’t be charged I’ll contain my anger until then.
This country, and its justice system, is completely fucked.
I’ve never quite understood how one can conduct an “active and ongoing” investigation into an event like this for two years. It seems to me that when you spend that long on it, you’re not going to get more and better information - you’re going to get progressively less information, and less-reliable information, as well. People’s recollections get hazier, and false memories start piling up.
It’s not as if an extensive examination of subpoenaed documents is going to take place, or that someone is going to magically appear with a videotape of the whole thing.
If you don’t have sufficient evidence to proceed with a prosecution after, say, three months, perhaps it’s time to move on to something else.
Well, this should bolster Zim’s cred should be be called as a character witness for Officer Wilson.
But seriously, we can’t always expect the DOJ to do what lower courts fail to do, be that finding a murderer guilty or prosecuting a killer cop.
You forgot “and the public outrage subsides.” That’s the crux of the matter I think.