I detest "zero tolerance" policies ... with the sole exception being in connection with George Zimmerman ~ he has blown thru enough tolerance for several lifetimes in my book ~ ~ Sooz

Report: George Zimmerman arrested for domestic violence on girlfriend
By David Edwards
Monday, November 18, 2013 13:58 EST

Former neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman was arrested following a domestic violence incident on Monday, according to multiple reports.

Authorities confirmed to The Orlando Sentinel that Zimmerman had been taken into custody.

TMZ also confirmed that Zimmerman was involved in the domestic violence incident in Orlando.

WESH-TV’s Bob Kealing reported that Zimmerman had been arrested for domestic violence against his current girlfriend.

After being acquitted for the murder of slain teen Trayvon Martin, Zimmerman faced accusations over the summer when authorities were called to the house of his wife, Shellie Zimmerman, to respond to a domestic dispute.

Shellie Zimmerman accused him of threatening both her and her father’s life, but no charges were filed in that case. Zimmerman has also been pulled over twice for speeding in recent months.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/11/18/report-george-zimmerman-arrested-for-domestic-violence-on-girlfriend/

Who will he murder next?

The penalty in Florida for aggravated battery on a pregnant woman is a prison sentence of up to 15 years. Battery on a pregnant woman is considered a second degree felony and generally prosecutors will carry on with the case because the battery could have injured the unborn child as well as the woman.

Even if the pregnant woman does not want to press charges, generally it is the prosecutor’s decision on whether to follow through with the case or not.

Let's see how his father, the former judge, gets him out of that one.

Jab, did you read somewhere that the girlfriend is pregnant? ~ this guy is a time bomb ~ his behavior is erratic and menacing, which suggests some kind of substance abuse ~ aggravated assault with a weapon [whether or not the gf is pregnant] is a serious felony ~ he belongs in prison ~ period ~ ~ Sooz

TPM LIVEWIRE
Zimmerman Charged With Aggravated Assault After Allegedly Pointing Gun At Girlfriend
Caitlin MacNeal – November 18, 2013, 5:36 PM EST

George Zimmerman was charged Monday with aggravated assault with a weapon, battery and criminal mischief after his girlfriend claimed he pointed a long-barreled shotgun at her inside their residence, Florida police told reporters during a press conference Monday.

After police responded to her 911 call, Zimmerman pushed his girlfriend out of the home in Apopka, and barricaded himself inside. A table was broken inside the residence, and Zimmerman was not holding a weapon at the time. Police said there were at least two weapons inside the home.

Zimmerman's girlfriend did not sustain any injuries.

The aggravated assault charge is a felony, and the other two charges are misdemeanors.

Police did not charge Zimmerman after an altercation with his estranged ex-wife in August.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/zimmerman-charged-with-aggravated-assault-with-a-weapon

i don't know how to put this delicately, so i will just say it:

it is too bad this didn't all come out BEFORE the Treyvon trial.

Local radio said his girlfriend is pregnant.
That makes it a little harder for his father to get him acquitted.

The article I read said the police didn't see any guns. He's hidden them again and will deny them the ability to search. Again it will be his word against hers. This guy's a cunning little shit.

This is a very close description of my own feelings ~ the only question in my mind about Florida prosecutors blowing the Martin case is whether it was intentional or not ~ but what is obvious is that GZ has very significant psychological problems ... and that puts everyone around him at great risk ~ ~ there are "live links" to more/corroborating information in the original ~ Sooz

TPM EDITOR'S BLOG
Sick To My Stomach
Josh Marshall – November 18, 2013, 9:28 PM EST

As many wise people wrote during the height of the Trayvon Martin case, public morality plays don't always align neatly with the deep-seated social injustices we connect them to. It was never clear to me that Zimmerman was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of racially profiling and then intentionally killing Trayvon Martin. Based on the evidence that was a difficult case to make. But that's what Florida prosecutors charged him with. I don't remember the ins and outs of Florida law. But what seemed more clear cut was something like manslaughter or negligent homicide. It always seemed possible to me that Zimmerman was just a coward with a gun and something to prove who got scared and killed a kid.

Obviously we still can't know just what happened that night. But police have now responded to two domestic violence incidents with two separate women in less than three months - and this in less than five months since his acquittal.

After the first incident with Zimmerman's estranged wife, some speculated that she and her father may have concocted or embellished the story to retaliate against him in the context of their divorce. This was never likely. But it wasn't impossible either. Men and women do make false claims during a divorce. So there was always the outside possibility that Zimmerman's wife and her father might have lied or embellished to get him back in trouble with the law. Remember, she had earlier pled guilty to perjuring herself on his behalf shortly after the shooting.

Now we have him allegedly pointing a loaded weapon at his new girlfriend and apparently barricading himself in the house after police arrived on the scene. Add to this the earlier history of violent incidents including violently resisting arrest in 2005 and the real world verdict is now beyond a reasonable doubt as to this point: Zimmerman is a liar and a habitually violent and frequently out of control man who should never have been allowed to possess a gun.

Given all we know now about Zimmerman and all the additional evidence he's provided us with post-acquittal, there's simply no reason to doubt the worst case scenario of how Trayvon Martin died. The only real question is whether Zimmerman shot him in cold blood or killed him during the confrontation he himself forced to happen.

Those who supported the Martin family and were outraged by the verdict and the whole case have every right to grim 'I told you sos' and even snark aimed at Zimmerman's dead-ender defenders. But speaking for myself it is more a sense of being sick to my stomach. Yes, it's an injustice we already knew about. But this just makes it all the more clear who Zimmerman is and by whatever mix of details what happened. And I can't help but think of that kid lying dead on his back.

One can only hope that this latest incident will end up as Zimmerman's OJ moment, where a less serious offense becomes the hook to the revisit an earlier injustice.

Who can say this man isn't a public menace?

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/sick-to-my-stomach-about-zimmerman-2

Who can say this man isn't a public menace?

All his followers.

I'm not a George Zimmerman fan by any stretch of the imagination, but the conclusions the writer reaches in the opening post are the reason prior bad acts are usually not allowed in court cases as evidence the charged committed the crime he is being charged for. They are prejudicial, meaning the person is being convicted on things he's done in the past rather than evidence he had done what he is charged with.

Good point, jim ~ that information is often critical to exposing behavioral patterns that can sway "reasonable doubt" ~ and there are "tricks of the trade" to make that information public ~ easiest one is prosecutor makes a comment, defense counsel objects, judge sustains ~ allegedly, jurors cannot use that information in the decision-making process but they've heard the [disallowed] information ~ whether or not hearing the info is enough to sway reasonable doubt depends entirely on the individual jurors ~ in high-stakes trials, that might be used as grounds for a mistrial or an appeal ~ but the info is still publicly out there ~

Sooz

Well, there's the reason. They were rehearsing the shotgun wedding ceremony.

GZ is a ticking time bomb ~ I repeat that "... GZ has very significant psychological problems ... and that puts everyone around him at great risk" ~ I also note those "very significant psychological problems" should be plainly evident to even the most hard-core GZ defenders ~ ~ there are "live links" to more/corroborating information in the original ~ Sooz

George Zimmerman Had A Small Arsenal With Him When He Was Arrested On Domestic Violence Charges
By Annie-Rose Strasser on November 26, 2013 at 4:52 pm

When police took George Zimmerman into custody for domestic violence charges earlier this month, the man who killed Trayvon Martin was armed with five firearms and 100 rounds of ammunition, according to a warrant released by police on Tuesday.

Zimmerman’s girlfriend alleges that he assaulted her, brandishing a shotgun in her face and telling her she would “regret” calling 911 for help. According to the warrant, a 12-gauge high capacity shotgun wasn’t the only weapon he was carrying. He also had an AR-15 assault rifle and three handguns — a Glock 19, an Interarms .380-caliber, and a Taurus 9mm.

He used a different handgun, a Kel-Tec 9 mm pistol, on the night he shot Trayvon Martin.

Now that Zimmerman has been arrested and charged with assault, he is no longer allowed to carry a firearm. His concealed carry permit should be suspended under Florida law.

But none of his prior run-ins with the law — including his fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin and a previous allegation of domestic violence — prevented Zimmerman from carrying a weapon before. In fact, after he became a national figure over Martin’s death, Zimmerman told reporters that he had “even more reason” to have a gun, and his lawyer confirmed that he was “carrying a weapon.” A gun advocacy group from Ohio even sent him a $12,150.37 check to buy more firearms.

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/11/26/2998931/zimmerman-guns-arrest/

I don't think the girl friend is pregnant. I haven't seen any reports that she is pregnant.

IB Times quotes Zimmerman as saying:



He says she told him that it would be better if she were pregnant with their child. She didn't tell him she was pregnant with their child.

Still armed and dangerous: Cops say George Zimmerman had five guns including an AR-15 when he assaulted his pregnant girlfriend

The nut job who killed Trayvon Martin had over 100 rounds of ammunition for three handguns, a 12-gauge shotgun and an AR-15, a search warrant shows.

George Zimmerman was armed to the teeth when police arrested him last week for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend, new documents reveal.

A search warrant released Tuesday shows that Zimmerman, 30, had five guns and over 100 rounds of ammunition in the Sanford, Fla., home where cops say he threatened Samantha Scheibe after she asked him to move out.

The former neighborhood watchman who killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin had a .380-caliber handgun, a 9-mm. handgun, a Glock 19 handgun, a KelTec 12-gauge shotgun, and an AR-15 assault rifle, according to the warrant first reported by the Orlando Sentinel.

He had 59 rounds for the AR-15, according to cops.

He also had a pocketknife.

Zimmerman’s latest brush with the law occurred Nov. 18, when Scheibe told him to pack his bags and leave her home, according to documents.

When she threatened to call police, Seminole County sheriffs say Zimmerman then pointed his shotgun at her and said, “Do you really want to do that?”

He then smashed a glass table in the living room with the shotgun, according to documents.

A day after his arrest, Zimmerman was charged with aggravated assault with a weapon, domestic violence battery and criminal mischief.

He pleaded not guilty to all charges, posted $9,000 bail and went into hiding yet again.

That same day he was also served with divorce papers from his wife, Shellie Zimmerman.

He told police that he’d recorded his exchange with his girlfriend on a cellphone and that he didn’t touch her during the confrontation.

Sheriffs seized an iPhone and BlackBerry belonging to Zimmerman.

He also told police his girlfriend was pregnant.

In July, Zimmerman was cleared of all charges related to Martin’s death.

Then a neighborhood watchman, Zimmerman said he suspected Martin was a burglar, leading him to initiate the confrontation that ended with the unarmed teen’s death.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nationa ... -1.1529631

Whether she was lying then or is lying now, she's proven they belong together ~ I wonder if she'll live the next time it happens ... and I'm sure there WILL be a "next time" ~ ~ Sooz

TPM LIVEWIRE
Zimmerman's Girlfriend Wants To Drop Aggravated Assault Charges
Caitlin MacNeal – December 9, 2013, 6:00 PM EST

George Zimmerman's girlfriend no longer wishes to press charges against him, ABC News reported Monday based on a court filing.

Zimmerman was charged in November with aggravated assault, a felony, as well as with battery and criminal mischief, both misdemeanors. Samantha Scheibe had called police and said that Zimmerman pointed a long-barreled shotgun at her inside their residence.

Now, Schiebe is reversing her story. In the court filing, she wrote that Zimmerman "never pointed a gun at or toward my face in a threatening manner." She added that she wants to get back together with him, according to ABC.

She placed some blame on police for her previous version of the domestic dispute.

"When I was being questioned by police I felt very intimidated," she wrote. "I believe that the police misinterpreted me and that I may have misspoken about certain facts in my statement to police."

Zimmerman was not charged in September after a separate incident involving a gun and his ex-wife.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/zimmerman-s-girlfriend-wants-to-drop-aggravated-assault-charges

Arrest the girlfriend and charge her with whatever will stick.

In Florida the State Attorney will pick up a domestic violence case if she wants it or not, unless your father is a former judge of course.

My first thought when reading of Samantha wanting to drop charges was that GZ must have gotten to her emotionally ~ "love" can [and often does] make some stupid ~ and his new attorney should be charged with unethical behavior ~ I still believe he is a public menace ~ Sooz

Victims’ Rights Advocate Blasts Conduct Of George Zimmerman’s Attorney, Fears For Girlfriend’s Safety
By Judd Legum on December 10, 2013 at 11:02 am

The leader of a prominent advocacy group for domestic violence victims sharply criticized the recent conduct of George Zimmerman’s attorney, Jayne Weintraub, and expressed concern for the safety of the alleged victim. Rita Smith, the Executive Director of the National Coalition To Prevent Domestic Violence suggested that Zimmerman’s girlfriend may have been “manipulated” into recanting her allegations against Zimmerman.

Weintraub recently submitted a motion requesting the terms of George Zimmerman’s bail be modified to allow contact with the alleged victim, his girlfriend Samantha Scheibe. On November 18, Zimmerman was arrested and charged with aggravated assault against Scheibe. At that time, she told the police that Zimmerman “cocked and pointed a shotgun at [her], shattered a glass-top table, then pushed her out of the house and barricaded himself inside.” She also told authorities that, in a separate incident a week and a half prior to the arrest, “he tried to choke her.” Weintraub’s motion asserts “it was the police, not Mr. Zimmerman, who intimidated her.”

Attached to Weintraub’s motion was a signed affidavit from Scheibe, recanting her story to the police and declaring that she wants to “be with George.” The Weintraub motion also revealed that she had been in communication with Scheibe regarding the matter.

Smith called Weintraub’s conduct in the matter “not appropriate.” She said that Weintraub’s involvement in submitting the affidavit to the court raised the prospect that Scheibe had been “manipulated” or “coerced” into recanting. Smith said that, if Scheibe approached Weintraub with a desire to recant her story, she should have referred her back to the State’s Attorney or to her personal attorney. It’s Weintraub’s role to prioritize the interests of Zimmerman, Smith said, so she is not a position to advise his alleged victim. Smith said that, as a victims rights advocate, she is concerned for Scheibe’s safety.

The affidavit submitted by Scheibe is written in the first person, but the frequent use of legal jargon suggests it was not written by her alone. For example Ms. Scheibe, who is not an attorney, writes “I make this decision, freely, knowingly and voluntarily, without any intimidation or undue influences. Neither George Zimmerman nor anyone on his behalf has threatened me or coerced me or subjected me to any undue influences.” (Her affidavit, however, does not state that she has not been in contact with Zimmerman, despite the no contact order that was the condition of her bail.)

Smith says that Scheibe’s decision to recant her story and stop cooperating with the prosecutors is not uncommon in domestic violence situations. Even without her cooperation, prosecutors could move forward with the case if they believe they have enough evidence to get a conviction. Evidence still available to them includes the original 911 call, Scheibe’s original statements to the police and any physical evidence collected from Scheibe’s home, where the incident occurred.

An email to Weintraub requesting comment was not immediately returned.

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/12/10/3043031/victims-rights-advocate-blasts-conduct-george-zimmermans-attorney-fears-girlfriends-safety/

Yes, Daddy Z sure has come in handy ~ I can understand a parent wanting to protect her/his child ~ but GZ is NOT a child and daddy's help has only served to let GZ believe he can do anything he wants with no repercussions ~ I see him as a socio-/psychopath ~

Sooz

I'm convinced GZ or someone working on his behalf "got" to these women ~ he [allegedly] has no money, so maybe he/whoever used "fear" ~ but, IMO, letting GZ "... get all of his guns back" [with the help of his former lovers-now-enablers] is an invitation to more of the same and likely even worse ~ ~ Sooz

With Charges Dropped, George Zimmerman Can Get All Of His Guns Back
By Rebecca Leber on December 11, 2013 at 6:13 pm

On Wednesday, Florida state prosecution dropped the domestic violence charges against George Zimmerman from a November dispute with his girlfriend Samantha Scheibe.

Because the charges were dropped, there are no legal barriers preventing Zimmerman from getting his firearms back. At the time of his arrest, Zimmerman had five guns and 100 rounds of ammunition. The guns included an AR-15 assault rifle, Keltec shotgun, and three handguns (the images depict similar models as Zimmerman’s):


One of the conditions of Zimmerman’s bail was not having access to firearms. In addition, Zimmerman’s aggravated assault charge, a felony, meant Florida was required by law to suspend his concealed carry license. If officials suspended his license, Zimmerman can petition for it back now that he does not carry a felony charge.

In dropping the charges, State Attorney Phil Archer cited an affidavit by Scheibe withdrawing her allegations that Zimmerman “cocked and pointed a shotgun” at her. Archer also cited the lack of evidence and witnesses, to explain “there is no reasonable likelihood of successful prosecution.” A victims’ rights advocate suggested Scheibe may have been “manipulated” or “coerced” into recanting. Months prior, Zimmerman became a national news story for the second time when his wife Shellie Zimmerman called 911, claiming he had a gun. She, too, dropped the charges.

By avoiding prosecution in multiple domestic violence cases and conviction for Trayvon Martin’s death, Zimmerman’s story is not unlike other accused abusers who avoid trial. Domestic violence victims often drop charges because of intimidation, and many states will throw out cases or incarcerate the victim if he or she refuses to testify. This case in Florida is one example.

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/12/11/3052561/george-zimmerman-guns/