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July 11th, 2013
08:34 PM ET
Don West argues voraciously for George Zimmerman's acquittal
George Zimmerman defense attorney Don West may have been relatively unknown before this trial began, but now he's making headlines almost on a daily basis.
He has been one of the most outspoken and animated lawyers in the courtroom, at times taking on state witnesses, the prosecution, and even the judge.
OutFront put the highlights together.
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I thought he should have gotten manslaughter. But the jury thought differently based on that even though GZ followed
and stopped TV, and against advice from the police, TV over-reacted according to the forensic evidence, and there was
doubt that GZ was not defending himself. There were no marks indicating Trayvon had been physically attacked before
being shot (though GZ was the one who began the confrontation), but it looked like GZ had been punched and attacked and
was likely defending himself from what he may have thought was imminent danger. Even though GZ thought TV may have fit
the description of a burglar in the area, he did not have the right to detain him. GZ started the chain of events that led to TV's death and IMO is partly culpable. I am not clear GZ could not have not used his gun even if he was being beaten up. Couldn't he have tried to calm down Trayvon, or given him the option of backing off, or even just shot him in the arm to disable him? He shot him close range in the heart. I can't help looking at it from Trayvon's point of view. This ain't fair. If I were him, I honestly might have thought GZ was a perv, an impersonator of someone in authority, and I might also have put up a fight. Since when does a security guard have the right to stop and frisk or detain an innocent citizen? Where were Trayvon's rights to lawfully pursue life, liberty and happiness? I understand and accept this verdict only on a technical basis, with my mind but not my heart. Considering the whole chain of events, TV was the victim. But I also feel like no one really will know what happened. I feel a little violated, and less safe. Who do we need to hire to protect us now from armed overzealous security guards who want to play cops and robbers with real live ammo? In poor taste GZ smiled at the verdict, and will pack using the same gun he killed TV with, allegedly to protect himself, but from whom, all the other innocent unarmed teenagers going home through that same gated community at night? The primary purpose of the justice system should be to protect the innocent, but I feel less protected with this verdict.