Zimmerman’s Response To Trayvon Martin Protests: Wants To Be A Lawyer
For George Zimmerman, there are many ways that he can respond to the Trayvon Martin protests that have erupted across America.
Surprisingly, according to a report from Reuters, one way is for him to become a lawyer.
This wouldn’t be the first time in his life that he has thought about a career in law enforcement. He once studied for an associate’s degree in criminal justice at a local community college.
He didn’t get to finish the course. According to his family, the college felt that he posed some sort of risk and required him to leave.
Leanne Benjamin, wife of defense witness John Donnelly, described a recent conversation she had with Zimmerman, which throws some light on what happened.
“Everybody said he was a cop-wannabe but he’s interested in law,” she said, “He sees it as a potential path forward to help other people like himself.”
Mark O’Mara, Zimmerman’s defense lawyer, confirmed that his client’s interest in the law wasn’t new. He said: “He wanted to be a cop for a while, but he’s talked about going to law school,”
He added: “He has a real interest in the law……. I will not be surprised if he ends up in criminal law,”. “His dad was a judge, and he wants to be a prosecutor or a lawyer.”
Due to the publicity surrounding high profile criminal trials, acquittal for the defendants does not guarantee them peace of mind. This is especially true if the public disagrees with the verdict, and vents their disapproval vocally – and, sometimes, violently – as with Trayvon Martin protests.
Zimmerman now only goes out in public in disguise and wears a bullet-proof vest because of threats against his life.
John Donnelly, who gave evidence on Zimmerman’s behalf, told Reuters that Zimmerman was not all the man the prosecution tried to portray: “The person they are talking about is somebody completely different…..they are talking about a racist. I’m not a racist.”
Another friend, Jorge Rodriguez, was angry at what has happened to Zimmerman since the shooting. He told Reuters: “I knew the man was innocent the whole time.”
He added: “Everybody asked for justice, and they got it. Everybody asked for George to be arrested, and they got it. Everybody asked for George to be tried, and they got it. Everybody asked for a fair trial, and they got it.”
“Now can’t we leave George Zimmerman alone?”, Rodriguez said. “It was nothing about racism. It was about the community being robbed and broken into, and one man stood up.”
He added: “The state should be giving this man an award, and instead they took him to trial.”
Are those organizing and leading the Trayvon Martin protests justified in their actions? What happened to accepting jury decisions? You can sound off about this, or about the prospect of George Zimmerman becoming a lawyer, in the comments feed below.
