The Zimmerman Trial: The NAACP Should Be Ashamed

By Jacob Coate on July 15, 2013

Not guilty. That was the decision of six women jurors last night. After thirteen hours of deliberation, they unanimously reached the conclusion that George Zimmerman was not guilty of murder, manslaughter, or any of the other charges brought against him. In fact, for all intents and purposes, it was the decision of the court that George Zimmerman was not responsible for the death of Trayvon Martin.

Although I personally disagree with this verdict, it’s easy to see how the jury arrived to it. The prosecution ran an abysmal case with little to no evidence indicating Mr. Zimmerman’s guilt, whereas the defense brought forth a competent and compelling case to exonerate their client. Based on the evidence that was brought forth in that courtroom and the testimony that was revealed, the jury made the only decision that they could. Regardless of what the media and we as a society believe happened, the prosecution simply didn’t make their case. While there was no evidence to justify a murder conviction, I believe Mr. Zimmerman was likely guilty of involuntary manslaughter as he did in fact put himself and Mr. Martin in a situation involving an unnecessary and high level of risk. However, I’m still a few years away from my law degree and hardly an expert on the case, so I’ll leave my legal speculation at that.

However, what is even more disturbing now that the case is done is the actions taken by the NAACP. They have petitioned the Department of Justice and the Obama Administration to bring civil rights charges against Mr. Zimmerman on the grounds that “The most fundamental of civil rights–the right to life–was violated.” While there’s no denying that the right to life is in fact a fundamental, inalienable right, and while it’s also true that Mr. Martin was deprived of this right, their petition is entirely out of line. A young man died, another man was involved, and a jury of his peers found him to be not guilty.If the federal government were to now bring charges against Mr. Zimmerman, it would be nothing more than a black and white case of double jeopardy and an egregious violation of Mr. Zimmerman’s fifth amendment rights.

Although the NAACP is devoted to the advancement of African-Americans, they should also be devoted to the civil rights of all peoples. And yet today they demanded that someone be robbed of their rights because they didn’t get the verdict that they wanted. Now, because the NAACP has decided to act like petulant children instead of a responsible civil rights organization, the Martin family will be further dragged into the media and reminded of their tragedy for months more instead of being able to mourn the death of their son. We have a legal system that presumes innocence and believes that it is better to have 10 guilty men go free, than one innocent man go to jail. There’s no evidence to indicate Mr. Zimmerman is a racist and there was absolutely no evidence to convince anyone that Mr. Zimmerman was guilty of murder. The Martin’s have suffered a terrible tragedy, the case is done, and it’s time we leave them alone and let them handle what’s happened as a family.

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format