Over and Over and Over Once More

I woke to the Not Guilty verdict for George Zimmerman on Sunday morning.  I suspected it wasn't going to be days before a decision when it was reported they were still deliberating late into Saturday evening.  I wasn't surprised by the Not Guilty verdict on the charge of Murder 2.  I was surprised by the Not Guilty verdict for the charge of Manslaughter.  I thought the evidence presented was enough to meet the criteria of the law. Perhaps I was wrong.

But, that's not what this post is about.  This is about reviewing this case or any trial case into a persistent vegetative state.  Notice I didn't say to death.  If they were reviewed to death, we'd stop hearing about them entirely within a matter of days.  But, we don't.  We never do anymore.  Any trial which has received major amounts of media attention is guaranteed to receive even more than its share of fame, although notoriety is a better choice of word.

It's not that we're learning anything new about the case in these reviews on the radio or TV, in the papers or on the internet.  Going over the evidence for the umpteenth time, hearing people's opinions of what they thought of the verdict, or listening to the thought processes of the jurors is not going to change things.  It's not like we're in a legal classroom, reviewing the case to learn how to or how not to defend or prosecute a similar case.  Those who present us with these facts and opinions, sometimes ad nauseum, say the people have a right to know and they're doing their part in bringing it to us.  It's a valid argument, just not for weeks and weeks afterward.

The case of The People vs. George Zimmerman is done.  There has been talk of a civil rights action against him for the shooting of Trayvon Martin, but it's not a slam-dunk certainty of happening.  A wrongful death lawsuit may be a possibility, but that's likely a year or more down the line if it happens.  But, fact is any semblance of an obscure normal life is over for a long time to come for this person and anyone else whose trial has gone coast to coast before, during and after the actual courtroom time.  

Hash and rehash

This case will not be getting away from its media spotlight any time soon.  Some will say that's good and we need to continue to bring this and other cases out of the darkness of the quiet little trial and into as much brightness as its day in court will allow, followed by continued scrutiny until we're satisfied with the outcome, or bored with its coverage.  As a member of the audience, I can change the channel, listen to another station, flip the page or click on another news link as quickly as it comes up again.  My attention span for this type of trial coverage and rehash is fairly short.  I have a feeling I'm not the only one and I might even be in a majority.  But, we're at the mercy of ratings and audience share, so we're obliged to continue to deal with it.

Sort of.

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