Absent some sort of plea bargain, George Zimmerman is going to get his day in court.
That’s good for the cause of justice; good for the parents and friends of Trayvon Martin, the 17-year-old he admittedly killed; good for the nation, which has been roiled for weeks over this case — and it’s good for Zimmerman himself.
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Zimmerman, who is 28, has been charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Martin, who was killed on Feb. 26 in Sanford, Fla., after Zimmerman, a member of a neighborhood watch group, followed him into a gated community of town homes.
What is undisputed in accounts of the case so far includes the fact that Zimmerman was armed and Martin was not. Some form of altercation occurred, and Martin was shot by Zimmerman.
Sanford police, however, did not make an arrest, based apparently on Zimmerman’s claim that he was acting in self-defense and was protected by Florida’s “stand your ground” law.
Such laws say that people who are threatened with violence or are actually attacked do not have a “duty to retreat,” which some jurisdictions impose before defensive actions can be taken.
In addition to state charges brought by special prosecutor Angela Corey, who was appointed by Republican Gov. Rick Scott to handle the case, the Department of Justice says it is investigating whether federal bias crime charges can also be brought.
That this case is apparently headed to a jury is the best possible outcome. Both the evidence against Zimmerman and all the facts that can be raised in his defense should be given the maximum possible exposure.
All Americans, of every ethnic and racial group, need to see that our system of justice does work.
This is not to prejudge the case. Too much has already been written and said that assumes Zimmerman’s guilt or innocence. He deserves a fair trial and the best possible defense.
And however the case is resolved, fair-minded people should be able to see that the final verdict represents the American justice system at its best — unbiased, impartial and focused on the facts, not on rumors or unfounded prejudgments.
It’s what justice is all about.
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