Just days after George Zimmerman was acquitted from a second-degree murder charge in the killing of Trayvon Martin, the Obama administration is reportedly seeking federal charges to file in either a civil suit or civil rights suit. Activist organizations like the NAACP have called on the President and his staff to seek alternative means in holding Zimmerman responsible in Martin’s death as many feel Martin’s constitutional rights were violated directly prior to his untimely death.
The NAACP published a letter addressed to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder directly after the Zimmerman trial verdict was read demanding justice for Trayvon Martin and his loved ones. The letter alleges,
“The most fundamental of civil rights — the right to life — was violated the night George Zimmerman stalked and then took the life of Trayvon Martin. We ask that the Department of Justice file civil rights charges against Mr. Zimmerman for this egregious violation.”
There are reports this morning by sites like NationalReport.net and CodeWit.Com via anonymous inside sources that the Obama administration has already taken steps to file a suit against Zimmerman, though the accuracy of the claims are still up in the air as there is no credible source openly linked to them. Still, it appears that the Obama administration is vehemently weighing its options.
The two options in bringing additional charges against Zimmerman would be in the form a civil suit or civil rights suit, two similarly sounding alternatives though with vastly different outcomes. As CNN notes, a civil suit brings the option of charging Zimmerman with wrongful death. “Wrongful death is easier to prove than murder or manslaughter. A defendant can be held liable, even if he or she didn’t intend to cause the victim’s death, according to Florida law.”
The second option, which is the one being pursued by the NAACP and other organizations, is a civil rights suit which would allege that Zimmerman violated the civil rights of Martin directly resulting in his death. More specifically, they “accuse Zimmerman of racial profiling that led to Martin’s death — an allegation that Zimmerman, his family and his supporters have denied.”
Of course, the Department of Justice has yet to respond directly to demands made by the NAACP et al. though are likely heading their own investigation into the matter. The DOJ noted in a statement Sunday,
“Experienced federal prosecutors will determine whether the evidence reveals a prosecutable violation of any of the limited federal criminal civil rights statutes within our jurisdiction, and whether federal prosecution is appropriate in accordance with the department’s policy governing successive federal prosecution following a state trial.”
Stay tuned to BostInno for the latest developments of the George Zimmerman case. In the meantime, do you think the DOJ will seek federal charges against him? Why or why not?
