Thoughts on the Zimmerman Trial Part 1

Action shot of me trying to show Mark O'Mara how to use his computer.

It hasn't even been a month, but it seems like an eternity since I stood in that courtroom in Seminole County, only a few feet away from George Zimmerman, and heard those two words uttered that sparked a nationwide firestorm. "Not Guilty." It all happened so fast that I didn't know whether to smile, cry, or take cover.  Sixteen months of working on one case, oftentimes until late in evening. Sixteen months of waking up everyday and thinking about one objective, one goal, and then just like that in a matter seconds it's all over. 

In the last few weeks I've sat back and reflected on what our team accomplished and asked myself, was I on the right side? Was justice served, or did a man get away with murder? I honestly and sincerely feel heartbroken for the Martin family, now people may dismiss this because I was on the "Zimmerman Defense Team" and therefore I contributed to to their despair, and that's fine, but even though I'm an Attorney and I make a living defending those accused of crimes, I am also human. I also have children, and no matter what the circumstances, no matter what my child may or may not have done, I would still be devastated if they were to pass. No parent should ever have to bury their child. 

So with that said, do I regret what happened the evening of July 13th 2013? Do I regret helping George Zimmerman get exonerated? The answer is no. I say no not because I am a heartless, cold blooded attorney that only cares about winning. I say no not because I am a racist and I thought Trayvon Martin was a punk and got what he had coming to him. I say no because objectively, after you peel back all the emotion, all the tragedy, all the heartbreak, all the racial overtones, we simply have a case were the majority of the evidence that was available for the jury to consider was oftentimes only marginally inculpatory, and in most cases even exculpatory. In other words the state simply did not have a case to overcome self defense. That's the bottom line.

There is a saying in law that always rings through my head in cases like this one, and that is "tragic facts make bad law." This is a classic case of tragic facts, and it is in these situations that our legal system is truly tested. When it is a tough call, when your heart is telling you one thing but the law says another, will the rule of law prevail? As I type these words I can hear African Americans across the country saying to themselves that it's easy for me to say that, and although I can never fully understand, I certainly can acknowledge that they have a point. 

This is my first of what I hope to be many posts regarding this case, please stay tuned for Part 2.