Florida neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder in the death of unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, a special prosecutor announced Wednesday.

Zimmerman, 28, who had been in hiding, turned himself in, his new lawyer told CNN legal analyst Mark NeJame.

The suspect was transported Wednesday evening to the Seminole County Criminal Justice Center, police said. Zimmerman got out of a black SUV and was escorted into the center. He wore a plaid shirt, with a black cloth draped over his head.

A hearing in the case is expected Thursday, according to authorities and Zimmerman's attorney, Mark O'Mara. Sheriff Donald F. Eslinger said officials would determine whether Zimmerman would be held in the general inmate population.

Mr. Globe:
Good. They really had no option. Justice must be served. However, I think Trayvon Martin has a strong spirit tho. Stuffs like these could be happening everytime and going unnoticed.

cute08: Tis came a bit late.. Zimmerman ought 2 av bin arrested n jailed long b4 now?... Imagine trayvon was a white kid, what wud av hapand.. Pls d judge shld make sure d sentenced him life in prisment wit hard lab. Cheers!

ikanya: Racial killing is an issue that has been ignored by the authorities and has also been given media blackout in the US and UK. This particular one would have gone the way of others if not for the popular emotion and condemnation it attracted from black and all colourd Americans.
America is not the SHINING NIGHT it claims to be in teams of respecting human dignity, ensuring individual freedom, preserving human rights, protection of the poor, etc.
The era has gone when the Western Powers used their media to control the minds of docile WORLD...

texazzpete:



Enough with all the bullcrap already. Until Zimmerman is tried and found guilty, he must be presumed innocent. There is no conclusive evidence to show that Zimmerman deliberately shot and killed Martin without any aggression. Only the two men know exactly what happened that night and Martin is dead.

Can any one of you stake the life of their firstborn child on Zimmerman being guilty? No? i thought not.

Let the law take its course. Simple.

buzugee: you are an unprincipled person. this scripture fits you best ecclesiastes 7 vs 7 a gift destroys the heart. america has given you what nigeria couldnt give you and all of a sudden she cant do wrong in your eyes. the gift you recieved from her has destroyed your heart and made you an unprincipled harlot. are you even following the case ? the operator TOLD HIM NOT TO FOLLOW TRAYVON but he did anyway. that in itself proves he is guilty beyond any reasonable doubt

texazzpete:

America has given me nothing, you thrice accursed m0r0n. Where the heck did that idea spring to your head?

Disobeying the 911 operator's instruction to stay put does not make him a murderer. How the hell does that prove 'guilt beyond reasonable doubt'? Has marijuana addled your brains?

texazzpete:

America has given me nothing, you thrice accursed m0r0n. Where the heck did that idea spring to your head?

Disobeying the 911 operator's instruction to stay put does not make him a murderer. How the hell does that prove 'guilt beyond reasonable doubt'? Has marijuana addled your brains?

all4naija: Zimmerman is guilty already to me for following Travvon for no good reason.He had a gun and he's older. Indeed, there is not proof of whatsoever, why he should follow him because he lives in that neighborhood too. There is a line of hatred in this case. The fact is that Zimmerman cannot denied he had a gun and followed the 17-year-old boy in the rain is a proof of provocation. The sad thing is that Zimmerman himself is not a white but more of interracial man of Latino/white decent(the father being white and the mother a Latino) who would have issue of profiling in some state too.

American legal system is unpredictable sometimes and could allow this man to go free. Maybe to commit another murder based on his hatred for somebody of such age before corroborating this man's inherent deadly hatred. I am not against the time it would take to prosecute him but the simple evidences must be proved beyond reasonable doubt before I can accept anything from the legal system as fair.

The question is, why would he have to follow him with a gun?

The evidence of paramedic of injury to Zimmerman head and other parts could be evidence of Trayvon struggle for survival.We know he was killed in cold-blooded not too long after the incidence. There's no smoke with fire.

oyb:

plus all this he was told not to follow the kid doesn't wash - are police instructions always correct?

oyb: the whole thing has a bonfire of the vanities flavor...

a media circus with all sorts of parties milking it for what its worth, and an outcome that will leave several parties unsatisfied.

some people know exactly what happened but this has gotten too big.

for me zimmerman is just an over enthusiastic hothead... but someone is dead and as this is not nigeria, someone has to e held accountable for it.

plus all this he was told not to follow the kid doesn't wash - are police instructions always correct?

Ileke-IdI:


If a cop told you not to follow a suspicious somebody with armed weapon, you should not. Let the higher officer handle the situation.

1. He was not given the right to shoot
2. he was told to not follow

if you're going to follow, do so with some distance. Don't confront a young buy just because he's black. . . .which was the assumption, that since he's black he might be one of the robbers in the neighborhood.

texazzpete:



Enough with all the bullcrap already. Until Zimmerman is tried and found guilty, he must be presumed innocent. There is no conclusive evidence to show that Zimmerman deliberately shot and killed Martin without any aggression. Only the two men know exactly what happened that night and Martin is dead.

Can any one of you stake the life of their firstborn child on Zimmerman being guilty? No? i thought not.

Let the law take its course. Simple.