Source: Uptownmagazine.com

Both George Zimmerman and his wife, Shellie, have found themselves behind bars because of Trayvon Martin’s killing. Nearly two weeks ago a judge revoked George Zimmerman’s bond after it was brought to the court’s attention that the couple actually had more money than they claimed due to donations George received related to the case. The judge told George he had 48 hours to return to custody and now his wife has been arrested on a charge of perjury.

Seminole County deputies took Shellie Zimmerman, 25, into custody about 3:30 pm yesterday after they were informed by the office of State Attorney Angela Corey that a warrant had been issued for her arrest. The order charged George’s wife with knowingly making false statements during the April 20 bond hearing in which she and her husband failed to mention they had raised at least $135,000 in a PayPal account.

Shellie was booked into John E. Polk Correctional Facility and later released on a $1,000 bond but George’s attorney, Mark O’Mara, said his client is still concerned about his wife.

“Now that she’s being charged with a crime he’s worried about her,” O’Mara said, adding that George is concerned because she is “out in the public eye.”

He should be just as concerned about himself in jail. Yesterday the court released Seminole County Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester’s order revoking George’s bond, and though he’s pushing for a new bond hearing, the odds of him being released again aren’t in his favor. Judge Lester said:

“There are several factors that weigh against his release … Most importantly, though, is the fact that he has now demonstrated that he does not properly respect the law or the integrity of the judicial process.”

We knew that from the night of Trayvon’s murder, but at least things seem to be moving in the right direction. What do you think about Shellie’s arrest?

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Source: malialitman.wordpress.com

George Zimmerman is heading back to jail after a judge revoked his bond today. Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester said that George Zimmerman and his wife, Shellie, misled the court when they claimed they had limited funds because Zimmerman was a full-time nursing student. The couple failed to mention the website they’d set up for donations which is why his bond was set for $150,000 in April. But when prosecutors learned just how many Americans were sending their support for this man via paypal, they claimed Zimmerman had $135,000 available via the site and that’s why he’s been ordered to return to jail within 48 hours.

“He can’t sit back and obtain the benefit of a lower bond based upon those material falsehoods,” judge Lester told the court.

Prosecutor Bernie De la Rionda echoed those same sentiments despite Defense attorney Mark O’Mara’s claim that “there was no deceit” on the part of Zimmerman and his wife.

“This court was led to believe they didn’t have a single penny,” De la Rionda said. “It was misleading and I don’t know what words to use other than it was a blatant lie.”

Good thing the judge felt the same way. Zimmerman has two days to relax in the comfort of his home before re-entering into custody, and he might as well get comfortable. The trial for Trayvon Martin’s killing isn’t expected to begin until sometime next year.

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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Source: IBtimes.com

The case against George Zimmerman, the Florida man who claims he killed teenager Trayvon Martin in self defense, is sure to be one of the most defining cases of justice of our time. Although many legal analysts can see just how the Stand Your Ground law may get Zimmerman off the hook, the Orlando Sentinel has just reported that Zimmerman’s self-defense case has weakened in light of recent accounts from witnesses.

Three of the witnesses have changed their original recollections of the February night in question and a fourth witness has completely “abandoned her story.” The Sentinel described how each of the witnesses changed their accounts:

Witness 2

A young woman who lives in the Retreat at Twin Lakes community, where Trayvon was shot, was interviewed twice by Sanford police and once by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

She told authorities that she had taken out her contact lenses just before the incident. In her first recorded interview with Sanford police four days after the shooting, she told lead Investigator Chris Serino, “I saw two guys running. Couldn’t tell you who was in front, who was behind.”

She stepped away from her window, and when she looked again, she “saw a fistfight. Just fists. I don’t know who was hitting who.”

A week later, she added a detail when talking again to Serino: During the chase, the two figures had been 10 feet apart.

That all changed when she was reinterviewed March 20 by an FDLE agent. That time, she recalled catching a glimpse of just one running figure, she told FDLE Investigator John Batchelor, and she heard the person more than saw him.

“I couldn’t tell you if it was a man, a woman, a kid, black or white. I couldn’t tell you because it was dark and because I didn’t have my contacts on or glasses. … I just know I saw a person out there.”

Witness 12

A young mother who is also a neighbor in the town-home community never gave a recorded interview to Sanford police, according to prosecution records released last week. She first sat down for an audio-recorded interview with an FDLE agent March 20, more than three weeks after the shooting.

During that session, she said she saw two people on the ground immediately after the shooting and was not sure who was on top, Zimmerman or Trayvon.

“I don’t know which one. … All I saw when they were on the ground was dark colors,” she said.

Six days later, however, she was sure: It was Zimmerman on top, she told trial prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda during a 21/2-minute recorded session.

“I know after seeing the TV of what’s happening, comparing their sizes, I think Zimmerman was definitely on top because of his size,” she said.

For witness 6, the Sentinel reported that the witness originally described a black man on top of a lighter-skinned man, throwing punches. Later, he told an agent that he wasn’t sure that Trayvon was throwing punches, as he could’ve been pinning him down to the ground.

As for witness 13, he is the one that spoke to a calm Zimmerman immediately after the shooting. He didn’t neccessarily change his story but he gave more detail as to the non-chalant attitude of Zimmerman’s demeanor following the shooting. “Zimmerman’s tone, the witness said, was “not like ‘I can’t believe I just shot someone!’ — it was more like, ‘Just tell my wife I shot somebody …,’ like it was nothing.”

Do you think these witnesses took the questioning more seriously now that the case is so high-profile or do you think they may be sympathizing with Trayvon Martin after allowing the news to penetrate?

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Source: Black Voices

A new video of  Trayvon Martin buying the pack of Skittles and Arizona Tea that he was carrying when he was killed, was presented as evidence recently in the ongoing George Zimmerman trial. This new video is just one of 200 pieces of evidence in the case.

Watch the video and take a look at more evidence presented during the trial at BlackVoices.com. 

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Source: IBtimes.com

A new breakthrough in the Trayvon Martin case could be a positive indication that George Zimmerman won’t get off for killing the teen boy as many suspect. As you know, the FBI has been conducting their own investigation into the shooting death that occurred Feb. 26, and ABC reports that the bureau plans to pursue a hate crime charge against the neighborhood watchman.

Zimmerman has already been charged with second-degree murder which could garner a maximum sentence up to life in prison if he’s convicted. With the hate crime charge, his sentence could be escalated to the death penalty. That is, if the prosecution can prove he intentionally went after Trayvon and shot and killed him because he is black.

Calls to 911 and the last conversation Trayvon had before being killed have already proven to much of America that Trayvon was followed and gunned down out of racial prejudice, but Zimmerman stands by his story that he shot the teen in self defense, after he punched, kicked, and knocked him to the ground. According to the Orlando Sentinel, there is a wealth of new evidence in the case against Zimmerman, including a data download with more than 60 CDs, Zimmerman’s phone records, and dozens of witness statements and interviews, 18 of which are from Sanford Police officers. There is also video from the 7-eleven store where Trayvon reportedly purchased Skittles and Arizona iced tea and from a clubhouse in retreat at Twin Lakes, the townhouse complex where the teen was killed.

To combat the hate crime charge, we can expect Zimmerman’s defense to harp on a photograph that recently surfaced which is reportedly Zimmerman’s mother in the arms of her grandfather, who is black. His mother also testified at a bond hearing that Zimmerman once risked his own personal safety to mentor a black child in a dangerous neighborhood because he didn’t want to abandon him. Essentially, it’s the “but I have a black friend” defense.

Do you think the FBI will successfully charge Zimmerman with a hate crime?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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Source: Zap2it.com

I’m not quite sure where to begin so I’ll just start with the news most outlets are talking about. We found out a few weeks ago that George Zimmerman had set up a website where his “supporters” could send donations and it turns out he’s been getting quite a bit of support—$200,000 worth of support. The problem is (besides the fact that people are aiding this man) Zimmerman’s lawyers didn’t know about that money when his $150,000 bond that he had to pay 10 percent of to be let out of jail last week was set—otherwise it would have been a lot higher.

Benjamin Crump, the lawyer for Trayvon Martin’s parents has requested that the bail be revoked since Zimmerman didn’t disclose how much money he really had at the original bond hearing. Florida Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester said he wanted to know more information about the money and what Zimmerman knew before deciding whether to revoke or raise his bond. He plans to address that at a hearing after giving Zimmmerman’s lawyer Mark O’Mara some time to gather information.

Now on to this black thing.

Reuters published an article today detailing Zimmerman’s upbringing and seemingly attempting to distract from obvious charges that Zimmerman’s fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin was racially motivated. Zimmerman who has gone from white to Hispanic to biracial and everything under the ethnic sun now apparently is part black. According to the article:

“He was raised in a racially integrated household and himself has black roots through an Afro-Peruvian great-grandfather – the father of the maternal grandmother who helped raise him.”

The article goes on to talk about Zimmerman’s “mixed household” and regularly being around poor black kids and is frustrating to read so I’ll let you do what you will with that info. Whatever mulit-cultural background he has doesn’t take away from the crime he committed Feb. 26.

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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Source: Deseretnews.com

Yesterday, Trayvon Martin’s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, refused to meet with George Zimmerman privately as the neighborhood watchman arrested for killing their son had requested. At a press conference in Tampa, FL, the parent’s lawyer, Benjamin Crump said that the night before the shooter could possibly be granted bond, was “not the time” for Zimmerman to speak with them and he doesn’t expect that conversation to happen in the foreseeable future:

“Some crimes on their face are non-bondable offense. Second-degree murder is one of them,” Crump said. “We didn’t just demand an arrest to have George Zimmerman give the police his fingerprints and his mug shot.”

There’s no telling how the family feels now after a hearing this morning granted Zimmerman a $150,000 bail in connection with his second-degree murder charge. According to The New York Times:

“Judge Kenneth R. Lester Jr., said that Mr. Zimmerman could have no contact with Mr. Martin’s family and no access to alcohol or firearms and that his movements would be monitored electronically. Judge Lester also set a curfew that would require Mr. Zimmerman to remain at home from 7 p.m. until 6 a.m. and require him to check in with the authorities every three days”

Zimmerman will not be released from jail until the proper security measures are put in place since the shooter has received death threats and his family members testified that they would assume responsibility for his whereabouts when he is released from jail. Trayvon’s parents didn’t show much emotion in court and left shortly before the hearing ended. Zimmerman apparently didn’t have much reaction to the news either and he offered this apology to Trayvon’s parents early in the hearing:

“I wanted to say I am sorry for the loss of your son. I did not know how old he was. I thought he was a little bit younger than I am. I did not know if he was armed or not.”

Whether Trayvon was 17 or 27 doesn’t justify the killing.

What do you think about Zimmerman’s bail?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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Source: Global Grind Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images)

We’ve all criticized BET for their less than stellar programming and decisions; but when they get it right, we have to give props. And yesterday BET did a great thing by transforming their hit show, “106 & Park”  into an hour long special with Trayvon’s parents, Sybrina Fulton, Tracy Martin and Trayvon’s younger brother, Jahvaris Fulton.

Being that “106 & Park” speaks directly to young people– it was actually a favorite of Trayvon’s– it’s only appropriate that his parents speak to their son’s peer group. They sat down with BET’s newest talent, T.J. Holmes, to offer advice to the young audience members, share memories of their son and their hopes for the upcoming trial.

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Source: gallery-directory-stars.blogspot.com

The legendary comedian made several appearances on television last week, including stopping to do “Press Pass” (an extension of “Meet the Press”) with David Gregory, and also sat down for an interview with CNN. For both interviews, he talked about his thoughts on the murder of Trayvon Martin, among other things, and let it be known that the real problem in this situation is gun violence in general, not racism and racial profiling.

While on “Press Pass,” this is what he had to say on the topic:

“It’s about the gun. It’s about this gun. Guns in this country…When you have a gun, you may not realize it, but you put it on your person and you mean to pull this and kill somebody. That’s what you mean to do…You provoke with a gun. You have this power. You have this thing on you. It heightens what you’re supposed to be looking for.

You’re going to profile anyway, if you’re going to profile. But if you have this, it provokes a feeling.”

And when he sat down with CNN, he let it be known that he feels a gun in the wrong hands is what is responsible for this young man’s death, and calling Zimmerman a racist doesn’t change anything.

“When a person has a gun, sometimes their mind clicks that this thing will win arguments and straighten people out. In the wrong hands and the wrong mind, it’s death…What is solved by saying, ‘He’s a racist. That’s why he shot the boy.’ What solves that?”

And while he’s not trying to take away anyone’s rights to have a licensed firearm, he believes those who want to own guns need to be trained beforehand on how to use them and be “checked” out. Clearly, not everyone is capable of handling one and being responsible with said firearm.

“You’ve got to protect yourself in your own home, but I also believe that when you tell me that you’re going to protect the neighborhood that I live in, I don’t want you to have a gun,” Cosby said. “I want you to be able to see something, report it and get out of the way.”

After Cosby shared his comments earlier last week, some folks weren’t feeling them. They felt saying the race equation needed to be taken out of the picture was irresponsible, especially since a lot of evidence seems to point to the fact that Martin’s race was why Zimmerman found him to be suspicious. Writer and television personality, Touré, who says Bill Cosby is “rather misguided about the black community,” went on MSNBC recently and said that Cosby’s comments were very dangerous.

“Trayvon Martin was clearly profiled as a criminal black man…that’s why he [George Zimmerman] pulled his gun and used it on Trayvon. When a person of Bill Cosby’s stature comes out publicly and says it’s not a race issue, it’s a gun issue, it gives fuel to all those who misunderstand the situation…And he’s giving fuel to those people to say, “See look, even Bill Cosby agrees with us.”

But Cosby might have a point. Of course, racism is still an issue in this case, but I think we all know guns, both illegal and legal, are doing more harm than good these days, making them a huge problem as well.  And Cosby knows the effects of gun violence, as his son, Ennis, was shot and killed while trying to change his tire in a robbery attempt in 1997. Guns make the weakest people brave, as was the case with Zimmerman. He thought he was going to be able to handle the situation, despite the dispatcher saying NOT to follow Martin, but if he hadn’t had the gun, how would this incident really have turned out?

Do you agree with Cosby or do you agree with Touré in saying that Mr. Cosby has it backwards? Check out clips from their performances below:

Cosby on “Press Pass.” Fast forward to around the 11:30 mark:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

On CNN:

Touré on MSNBC:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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I’m a black woman. Obviously. Born that way. Don’t know any other life. Any other life, as Evelyn Lozada would say, I wouldn’t be “about it.” Not about that other life. But sometimes I can’t help but wonder – humorously – what if?

What if I was something other than what I am? And, I’ll be honest, I think my situation would be drastically different. Not worse or maybe even necessarily better, but – by golly – it would be different. For one, I might be markedly less focused on whether or not how I look physically has affected my career as a journalist.

Male political pundits on TV don’t seem to have the same – ahem – looks-based standards.

But it’s not just me I play the “What if” game with,  I do that with famous people too.

What if … they were black?

So let’s play the game – me here in the column and you in the comments – of what would happen to these famous and infamous individuals if they suddenly came down with a case of the permanent tan that never ran.