Judge Debra S. Nelson Rules Two Prosecution Audio Experts Witnesses Will NOT Be Allowed to Testify in George Zimmerman Murder Trial

Prosecution audio expert witnesses denied …

Judge Debra S. Nelson has ruled that two prosecution audio experts will not be allowed to testify in the George Zimmerman second degree murder trial. Zimmerman is charged with the murder of 17 year old Trayvon Martin. This is a major blow to the prosecution’s case against Zimmerman. Prosecutors had looked for expert witnesses to identify the screams in the 911 tape, the night that Trayvon Martin was shot by Zimmerman, was that of Martin. As reported at the Miami Herald, the testimony of Tom Owen and Alan Reich, both of whom analyzed a 911 call by a neighbor that captured the sounds of the brawl, was key for the state because it could have painted Zimmerman as the aggressor. However, the defense had sought to prevent the prosecution experts from testifying, arguing that the science used to make such audio identifications was not reliable. In the end, the 911 tape will be allowed to be played at trial as well as the prosecution will be allowed to present any witnesses familiar with Martin’s voice to testify, but the audio experts are out. Previously, an FBI speech scientist, Dr. Hirotake Nakasone, a senior audio engineer, testified that current technology cannot categorically determine whether a voice heard on a 911 tape screaming for help moments before Trayvon Martin was killed was that of Martin or George Zimmerman, the man accused of murdering him.

The ruling by Judge Debra S. Nelson was released Saturday morning after hearings stretching over four days in her courtroom in Seminole County, Fla. The judge was asked to decide about background screams recorded on a 911 police tape and whether the voice could be identified.

The defense had sought to exclude the prosecution experts, arguing that the science used to make such audio identifications was not reliable. The expert testimony, identifying the voice and screams as Martin’s, would prejudice the jury against Zimmerman, defense attorneys argued.

The prosecution insisted the science was valid and that it was up to the jury to decide whose voice was heard screaming

In her ruling, Nelson held that the 911 tape could be played in court, but that prosecutors will not be allowed to use the audio experts to identify the screams in the background as the voice of Martin.

However, the prosecution will be allowed to present any witnesses familiar with Martin’s voice to testify, the judge stated.

Jury Set for George Zimmerman Murder Trial of Trayvon Martin … All Females, 5 White and 1 Hispanic (B-29, B-76, B-37, B-51, E-6, E-40)

THE JURY IS SET FOR THE GEORGE ZIMMERMAN MURDER TRIAL … and the winning alpha-numbers are … B-29, B-76, B-37, B-51, E-6, E-40.

The jury has been finally set for the George Zimmerman murder trial. As reported at the Orlando Sentinel, the jury will be made up of six woman, five of them white and one Hispanic. I can already hear the claims of racial injustice. How long will it take by those who have made a cottage industry of race baiting that there are no blacks on the jury? But isn’t this a perfect make up of a jury of his peers? After all, it was the media who referred to Zimmerman as a “white Hispanic. Further, 5 of the jurors have children and with regards to the four alternate jurors, two are men and two are women. The women and one of the men are white; the other man is thought to be Hispanic. George Zimmerman is charged with the second degree murder of 17 year old Trayvon Martin. However, the way this case has gone, it has been more about race than evidence and the law. Martin’s family questions whether they can get justice. Others ask, can Zimmerman get a fair trial with all the pre-trail hysterics and playing of the race card? This highly contentious and racially divided case can have no good outcome because of all the pre-trail racial muddying of the water by the MSM and others, including by President Barack Obama who called it a tragedy and stated that if he had a son, he would look like Trayvon Martin. Talk about taking sides. hmm, isn’t there a presumption of innocence in the United States?

Interestingly enough, two of the female jurors that were placed on the final six, wanted to be struck by the prosecution. Circuit Judge Debra S. Nelson asked Assistant State Attorney Bernie de la Rionda to give his race- and gender-neutral explanations for each strike. The prosecution did so; however, the judge disallowed and both of the woman wound up on the jury of six. Might prove to be a blow to the State. Mediaite has a breakdown of the six jurors.

Six women, all but one of them white, will decide whether Neighborhood Watch volunteer George Zimmerman murdered 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in a case that sparked widespread outrage and prompted civil rights marches.

They will begin their work — listening to testimony and evaluating evidence — Monday morning.

On Thursday, attorneys who had individually questioned nearly 100 prospective jurors, went one-by-one, picking the six plus four alternates

It was dramatic, contentious and race was very much at play.

The process was moving along smoothly when defense attorney Mark O’Mara piped up.

“I would now ask the state to give a race-neutral reason why they have struck four white women in a row,” he said.

In response, Circuit Judge Debra S. Nelson asked Assistant State Attorney Bernie de la Rionda to give his race- and gender-neutral explanations for each strike.

He did, but the judge rejected the prosecutor’s argument in the case of two of the women — both of whom ended up on the jury.

The racial shots across the bow by the family are already being made that unless there is a guilty verdict, there is no justice.

In a statement, lawyers for Trayvon’s family said: “With the makeup of this jury, the question of whether every American can get equal justice regardless of who serves on their jury panel will be answered.”

The four alternates are a middle-aged white man, a young man who is possibly Hispanic, a white college-aged woman and an older white woman who works as a nurse.

Opening arguments are set for Monday, June 24, 2013. Let the games begin.

Can George Zimmerman Get a Fair Trail … Jury Selection Begins Today in Sanford, Florida for the Murder Trail of Trayvon Martin

The jury selection begins today in Sanford, FL in the murder trial where George Zimmerman is being accused of murder in the death of Trayvon Martin. On February 26, 2012 Trayvon Martin was fatally shot by George Zimmerman. The media will be out in force as well as spectators in this highly charged, racial trial. The jury selection process is thought to take between 4 and 8 weeks. It has been about a year since the incident took place and with so much racial divisiveness that has taken place during that time, it is going to be interesting to see just how fifficult it is going to be to select a fair and impartial jury. At question, was it self-defense or murder. At greater question, can a jury actually provide a fair trail?

A line up of who’s who in the trail.

There are those on both sides question whether they can get a fair trial. Those on the Martin side have made this an issue of race from the outset, including the liberal MSM that have adopted the designation of defendant George Zimmerman as a “white” Hispanic. The family had questioned why Zimmerman was not immediately arrested following their son’s death. Of course there are those on the Zimmerman side who question whether he can get a fair trial in the midst of all this racial unrest. Also, how does one get a fair trial after the President of the United States, Barack Obama, interjected himself into the case by saying, “if he had a son, he would look like Trayvon Martin”.  Nah, that didn’t taint the jury or make racial issues worse now did it.

Jury selection begins on Monday in the murder trial of George Zimmerman, who shot and killed unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012 and then famously walked free for 44 days, triggering nationwide protests and calls for his arrest.

Lawyers estimate the long-awaited trial will last four to eight weeks. Much of that time is expected to be spent picking a six-person jury that can be open-minded despite extensive publicity about some of the explosive issues, including racial profiling and self-defense, surrounding the case.

“They’re going to have a tough time picking a jury. At this point who doesn’t know who Trayvon Martin is and who George Zimmerman is,” said David Weinstein, a former state prosecutor and criminal defense lawyer.

Zimmerman, a 29-year-old former neighborhood watch volunteer, faces up to life in prison if convicted as charged of second-degree murder.

The American Thinker brings up and important an valid point of pre-trail intimidation. The Martin family attorney is making it crystal clear that nothing less than a conviction will “prove” equal justice. So what are they saying, we can expect protests, riots and activists with an agenda to fan the fires of racism if the verdict does not go their way? That is the idea they are floating to all involved. Can George Zimmerman really get a fair trial? The “race” card is stacks against him.

Before the trial even starts, the Martin family attorney is making it crystal clear that nothing less than a conviction will “prove” equal justice. And soon, we will probably be treated to statements from black leaders warning of race riots if Zimmerman is found not guilty.

This is called “intimidation” and “railroading.” Le’s hope the jury can resist it and come to a considered verdict.

Judge Debra Nelson Considers Allowing Voice Experts in George Zimmerman – Trayvon Martin Murder Case … FBI Speech Scientist Says Current Technology Cannot Determine Voice

Circuit Judge Debra Nelson will be hearing testimony today as to whether or not to allow a voice expert to testify in the George Zimmerman -  Trayvon Marin murder trial. Zimmerman is charged with first degree murder of Martin. In question is whether voice experts will be allowed to testify as to whether the screams on the 911 tape the night of the altercation between George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin are that of Zimmerman or Martin.  The hearing will resume again at 9 a.m. Friday, will be whether or not to allow the testimony of a state audio expert who says he heard Martin screaming and saying “I’m begging you” in the background of the same call.

The judge made rulings on other issues and heard other testy squabbling between attorneys. From going by the pre-trail hearings, this is going to be one ugly, ugly murder trial.

For a second day in a row, a Florida judge is weighing whether to allow certain voice experts to testify at the trial of a neighborhood watch volunteer charged in the fatal shooting of an unarmed teen.

Circuit Judge Debra Nelson is listening Friday to testimony from voice experts about whether witnesses with expertise in speech identification should be allowed to testify when George Zimmerman’s trial starts next week.

An FBI speech scientist, Dr. Hirotake Nakasone, a senior audio engineer, testified in court today that current technology cannot categorically determine whether a voice heard on a 911 tape screaming for help moments before Trayvon Martin was killed was that of Martin or George Zimmerman, the man accused of murdering him.

Hirotaka Nakasone testified that he dissected the 45-second sample and found only three seconds in which the screams were not at least partially obscured by other sounds.

That’s too little for a proper analysis, he said.

“It’s not really feasible and not possible,” he testified, saying he was “disturbed” that other scientists had made identifications anyway.

Some of those other scientists are scheduled to testify Friday at the continuation of a hearing that will determine whether Circuit Judge Debra S. Nelson lets jurors hear anyone’s opinions about who made those cries for help.

Three audio experts have concluded that they either came from Trayvon, the unarmed 17-year-old who Zimmerman shot last year in Sanford, or ruled out Zimmerman.

In other rulings, George Zimmerman defense witnesses have been denied the request to testify confidentially and that they must do so publicly.

The trial is scheduled to begin June 10, 2013.

Florida Police Officer Sgt. Ron King Fired for Bringing Targets Resembling Trayvon Martin to Gun Range … Officer Claims Target Was a ‘No-Shoot training Aid’

The Port Canaveral Police Department has fired  Sgt. Ron King because he allegedly brought targets resembling Trayvon Martin to a gun range and had asked two other officers and a civilian whether they wanted to shoot at the targets. The targets displayed a hooded sweatshirt with a target on the chest, Skittles in the pocket and iced tea in a hand. Sgt. Ron King, who had been with the Port Canaveral police force for two years, owns a company in which he offers firearm training and personal safety coaching and spent nearly 22 years with the Melbourne Police Department.  Port Authority interim CEO Jim Walsh stated, “Whether it was his stupidity or his hatred, (this is) not acceptable.” Hmm, so individuals get fired for stupidity? If that were the case 95% of politicians would be out of a job.

A Florida police officer fired for bringing targets resembling Trayvon Martin to a gun range apologized to the shooting victim’s family “for being used as a pawn in somebody’s political agenda” but said the targets are a valuable training tool.

Police Sgt. Ron King denied claims by Port Canaveral Interim Chief Executive Officer John Walsh that King was leading target practice with two other officers and a civilian earlier this month when he asked the group if they wanted to shoot at the targets.

The Port Canaveral Police Department fired King on Friday following an internal investigation, according to port officials.

Port Canaveral Sgt. Ron King defends himself and proclaims his innocence in the below video claiming that he referred to the targets as a “no shoot training aid”. King refuses to sit by and watch he and the Martin family be used for others political agendas. And there lies the rub. Who knows what was in the mind of  Sgt. Ron King, what he said, or what the complaining parties said, heard or later attested to. One thing is a certainty when it comes to the Trayvon Martin murder case where George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer, is charged with second degree murder in the teens death, it’s highly political and racially charged. Why would anyone even attempt to d something with a Trayvon Martin target whether it was being used for a good or less than honorable thing? Nothing good could come of it as the racial blood is in the water and individuals are just waiting to pounce on it. In today’s PC world and the media bias involved in this case, anyone would be crazy to use any likeness, reference or anything to do with Trayvon, Skittles or Hoodies is job suicide.

Sorry, I find it hard to believe that a police officer of 25 years would publically do something like use a Trayvon Martin poster silhouette to use as a shooting target. Did he have it, yes, King admits he did. However, the lack of judgment and understanding that this would get politically hijacked is on him. Who could not have predicted that this could have come to no good?

USA Today:

“Using real-life situations as a training scenario is not uncommon,” King said.

King apologized to Trayvon’s family and to any law enforcement professionals who may have been embarrassed by the publicity swirling around the incident. He accused an unnamed officer of inventing details of the incident to damage the credibility of the police department’s leadership.

“I remain a professional law enforcement officer and a professional firearms instructor,” said King, who can appeal his dismissal. “I refuse to sit by while others use the Martin family and myself as a way to further their own political and career agendas.”

Trayvon Martin’s family attorney released a statement saying, “It is absolutely reprehensible that a high-ranking member of the Port Canaveral Police, sworn to protect and serve Floridians, would use the image of a dead child as target practice.”