George Zimmerman Arrested for 2nd Degree Murder



George Zimmerman is under arrest, charged with second degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, a Florida special prosecutor announced Wednesday.

(1) What is second degree murder?
Florida's jury instructions (which are based on the Florida statute) spell out three elements that prosecutors must prove to establish second degree murder beyond a reasonable doubt:

• The victim is deceased,
• The victim's death was caused by the defendant's criminal act, and
• There was an unlawful killing of the victim "by an act imminently dangerous to another and demonstrating a depraved mind without regard for human life."

The last element -- an "imminently dangerous" act that shows a "depraved mind" -- is further defined by Florida's jury instructions. Three elements must be present:

• A "person of ordinary judgment" would know the act, or series of acts, "is reasonably certain to kill or do serious bodily injury to another";
• The act is "done from ill will, hatred, spite, or an evil intent"; and
• The act is "of such a nature that the act itself indicates an indifference to human life."

Note that prosecutors do not have to prove the defendant intended to cause death, Florida's jury instructions state. (1) Reuters Article


Well, Finally after a long wait, George Zimmerman has been arrested, now all we can do is sit back and allow the justice system run it's course.






*Just my Thoughts*