From NBC Miami:
I have advised him to stay out of the public eye as much as he can. I can’t say where he is because i don’t know,” said attorney Craig Sonner.
Zimmerman’s attorney went on to say his client is in hiding since the shooting February 26 and that he is well aware of death threats against him.
He also says Zimmerman’s nose was broken and the back of his head injured –wounds Zimmerman told police he suffered when the unarmed teenager attacked him, although that aspect of the incident is under considerable dispute.
Are hate crimes charges on the way?
Attorneys for the family of Trayvon Martin and the Florida neighborhood watch captain who fatally shot the unarmed teen are offering different perspectives on the federal investigation of the death, including the likelihood of hate crime charges being filed by federal prosecutors.
Daryl D. Parks, an attorney for the Martin family, told board members of the National Association of Black Journalists on Saturday that the Martin family met with federal and local officials for more than an hour Thursday.
Parks said the family left the meeting “with a strong sense that Justice was very committed” to investigating the case.
But Parks added “it was clear from Justice’s statements that charges of a hate crime are going to be a challenge.”
A friend of Zimmerman adds:
https://twitter.com/#!/ABC/status/184094592235347968
Oliver said the headlines have taken a toll on Zimmerman, his wife, and his family.
“He’s moved, they’ve disconnected their phone numbers, they’re in hiding, they’re fearful,” Oliver said.
…Oliver said he believes the voice screaming for help on the 911 tape is Zimmerman’s.
After talking with Zimmerman, Oliver says he’s convinced that it came down to a final life-or-death moment: “At that point, either George or Trayvon was going to die.”
The Twitter mob of online vigilantes is raging:
https://twitter.com/#!/MrFebruary_22/status/184100689373446146
https://twitter.com/#!/Texas_4Ever/status/184124287295291393
Recommended
https://twitter.com/#!/AyeeeBree/status/184154664839806976
https://twitter.com/#!/OshiiAmazin/status/184114429678469120
https://twitter.com/#!/alexaforshay/status/184115667841196032
https://twitter.com/#!/Crystal_Jamia/status/184112505277267969
And Obama adviser David Plouffe accuses the GOP of appealing to people’s worst instincts.
“Reprehensible.” “Irresponsible.” “Hard to stomach.” White House senior adviser David Plouffe did not mince words Sunday when talking about the reaction by Republican presidential candidates Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich to President Barack Obama’s comments on the Trayvon Martin shooting.
“Those two comments are really irresponsible. I would consider them reprehensible,” Plouffe said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “I think those comments were really hard to stomach, really, and I guess trying to appeal to people’s worst instincts.”
Al Sharpton rides again:
https://twitter.com/#!/NBCNewYork/status/183588306158764032
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Related Twitchy coverage:
Countless death threats against Zimmerman, man not proven guilty
New Black Panthers offering $10K reward for ‘capture’ of Zimmerman
New Black Panthers set sights on George Zimmerman
Spike Lee retweets George Zimmerman’s address
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Related video — a reminder from columnist George Will about leaping to false conclusions in the Duke rape case:
https://twitter.com/#!/rcpvideo/status/184137068522381312
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New: Jesse Jackson’s ready to “go to war.”
Update:
https://twitter.com/#!/dmataconis/status/184267657653133312
Inside Higher Ed (“College Kicks Out Man Who Killed Trayvon Martin“):
Seminole State College has expelled George Zimmerman, the man who shot and killed Trayvon Martin, setting off a debate over whether Florida has been too slow to charge Zimmerman in the shooting, WKMG News reported. College officials released a statement saying: “Due to the highly charged and high-profile controversy involving this student, Seminole State has taken the unusual but necessary step this week to withdraw Mr. Zimmerman from enrollment. This decision is based solely on our responsibility to provide for the safety of our students on campus as well as for Mr. Zimmerman.” Zimmerman was enrolled in an associate in arts degree in general studies.
This is both understandable and deeply troublesome.
Read the rest of James Joyner’s post.
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