Zimmerman Charged With 2nd Degree Murder

Special prosecutor Angela Corey has announced that George Zimmerman has been arrested and will be tried on charges of second degree murder.

Corey announced the charges but refused to discuss how she arrived at them or any other details of her investigation, saying: "That's why we try cases in court."

Usually murder second involves any murders where there was a spur of the moment action but no premeditation. Mandatory minimum in Florida is 25 years behind bars when a gun is used if Zimmerman is found guilty.

Here's the statute:

(2) The unlawful killing of a human being, when perpetrated by any act imminently dangerous to another and evincing a depraved mind regardless of human life, although without any premeditated design to effect the death of any particular individual, is murder in the second degree and constitutes a felony of the first degree, punishable by imprisonment for a term of years not exceeding life or as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

Eric Holder's Department of Justice is launching its own investigation into the murder, which sort of makes a mockery of Corey's statement that: "We do not prosecute by public pressure or by petition."

It was interesting to see Corey's demeanor at the press conference. She looked as though someone had just given her two dozen roses and a winning lotto ticket rather than someone announcing she had just charged someone with the most serious murder charge she could reasonably get away with.

Given the US DOJ activity and the threats of violence and riots, there's no question that part of Corey's decision involved the political need for a trial to examine the entire case in public, which I think is actually quite a good thing in general. Instead of lynch mobs screaming and offering bounties for Zimmerman dead of alive, we might actually see some justice, one way or the other.

The Tawana Brawley faux 'rape' case that race pimp Al Sharpton was so involved in had its day in court too, and that's far better than the alternative.

Zimmerman's new attorney, Mark O'Mara, has already said his client will plead not guilty.

What's going to be interesting is what happens if Zimmerman is acquitted.