Zimmerman Prosecutors In Huge Screw-Up
So reports the Smoking Gun. Image and documents at link. It wouldn't be their first one.
In an embarrassing screw-up, Florida prosecutors today accidentally distributed a post-mortem photo of Trayvon Martin as well as copies of George Zimmerman’s college records, material that Florida law considers confidential and exempt from disclosure.
The documents were inadvertently included in supplemental discovery records distributed this morning by prosecutor Angela Corey’s office. The material was sent to a variety of media outlets, including TSG, that have paid fees to receive discovery provided by the government to Zimmerman’s lawyer.
These idiots make the Keystone cops look like professionals. What should be done now is a complete dismissal of all charges and Ms Corey should be immediately fired and then prosecuted for misconduct and be disbarred.
“Huge screw up”?
No. Minor bureaucratic whooopsie.
Stan, do you know anything about the law.
At. All?
Pardon the intentional oops release.
Did any of the docs show Trayvon’s suspected pattern of criminality?
Don’t be ridiculous!
Give these people a break. Remember they work for the government, so the bar is very, very low.
Oh, look! Rags is defending the special-ed persecutor on more than one site!
Screw the rule of law, right Rags? The rule of LAWYERS is your baby!
Rags
You would be entirely correct except for the fact that there has been a pattern of behavior consistent with irresponsible reporting and false\improper dissemination of information to taint a potential jury pool. Stan stepped over with the idea of an automatic dismissal but “huge screw-up” at this stage really is appropriate. Prosecutors should be dotting ‘i’s and crossing ‘t’s at this point and instead their office is releasing information that could lead to a no judgement which makes no one happy.
Not just Florida law – student records are protected by federal law under FERPA. The school can only release them with the consent of the student (unlikely in this case) or in response to a court ordered subpoena. So the prosecutors had to make a special request to the courts to get these records – a request granted with the understanding that they be closely held. Then they turn around and release them to the press. Anyone who believes this release was accidental is a fool.
Perhaps this was a deliberate violation to trigger a dismissal with prejudice, because they know that the case is a loser and they would rather lose on a technicality than an acquital?
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can those responsible for the “accidental” be charged
Power comes with responsibilities. They should make prosecutors personally, criminally liable for this kind of thing. If anyone else did it…
Not a screw up. The prosecutors are looking for a way out. Mistrial.
I have three questions:
TSG et al. PAY for the discovery information? Is this a small fee for producing and mailing copies, or is this a new source of income for the county/state?
Doesn’t a mistrial mean they shut this one down, get all new people and start another trial? Since this and previous information that has been ‘leaked’ by this prosecutor is now public, hasn’t the jury pool been tainted forever?
Isn’t the State Attorney General required to prosecute this prosecutor of violation of State law? Or is this another case of laws are for the ‘little people’?
I’m curious about all the hyperventilation here.
What’s the rumpus? Who here seriously believes that there is anything here that could prejudice a potential jury pool?
George made some poor grades? Are you flucking kidding me????
The picture of the dead Trayvon could go either way, couldn’t it? We kind of all get he’s dead, don’t we. And the only real issue is how he got that way, right? Self-defense or not…is what it comes down to, yes?
Some of you people are funny!
Does anyone here have any EVIDENCE about who screwed up here (or…dun, dun, duh…purposely released these innocuous items)? No?
Then how ’bout you wait on your conspiracy theories?
This looks like “Duke Lacrosse” all over again. An over-zealous prosecutor takes a case with no case, and prosecutes it to the fullest extent of persecution possible, complete with an “accidental” release of confidential material. When it stinks like this, there’s usually a good reason.
“An over-zealous prosecutor takes a case with no case, and prosecutes it to the fullest extent of persecution possible, complete with an “accidental” release of confidential material.”
Except for the “no case” and hyperbole, you just described most criminal prosecutions.
Prosecutors prosecute “to the fullest extent possible”. Surprise!
Ragspierre has a point. There isn’t anything in the docs that says “Zimmerman is guilty”, but the education records do have some embarrassing information (GPA of 2.0, for instance). I see a settlement over the release of these records that will help pay for Zimmerman’s defense, and I’d like to see a formal reprimand towards those responsible, but that’s it.
Having said that, I do believe that it is a travesty of justice that Zimmerman is being charged with 2nd degree murder.
Mistake or not, it should be looked into. If a mistake, perhaps some procedures are incorrect. If not, heads should roll.
But then, I have read the original “probable cause” from this prosecutor, which did not seem in accord with alreday-known facts such as what the police dispatcher said and Z’s alleged response[s].
I look forward to the hearing on whether the warrant should have been issued in the first place, which is soon.
http://viewfromll2.com/2012/04/29/why-alan-dershowitz-is-completely-wrong-about-the-zimmerman-case/
Might want to read that, John.
The charging instrument was dead normal.
Also, read Florida Criminal Procedure on charging instruments.