[Sixstrings]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'H')omeowners might be on hook in civil action in Trayvon Martin's death

The people who could end up paying the financial price for the shooting death of Trayvon Martin are, ultimately, the homeowners of the Retreat at Twin Lakes development in Sanford, experts say.

If their crime-watch program captain George Zimmerman gets charged with and convicted of killing Trayvon, the community's homeowner association and property-management company will likely be sued by the victim's family regarding the way the watch program was established and operated, said Donna Berger, a lawyer who specializes in homeowner-association law.

"They may wind up getting sued and getting hit with hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees and damages," said Berger, who works with the South Florida law firm Katzman, Garfinkel and Berger. "Who will pay is every member of the association, and they will have to make special assessments. ... It's a cautionary tale for other associations."
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-03-29/business/os-trayvon-martin-hoa-20120329_1_cyber-citizens-homeowner-crime-watch-members

[dsula]

America, the nation of lawyers, where one is never at fault, but a culprit can easily be found and sued for all he has.

[dinopello]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', 'I') will follow this thread with relish (though the republican majority will surely see to it that the responsible parties do not take responsibility.) The little Gated Community acted as a municipality and should be judged as one. They designated, titled, proscribed, trained (poorly), activated Zimmerman, their agent to act on their behalf. Zimmerman acted on their behalf. Poorly. Those people were to blame for this (not Zimmerman or the kid) and they should be held accountable.

[Sixstrings]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pops', 'D')oes anyone else find it ironic that the gated community where the "no retreat" law is called into question is called "The Retreat"?

[Sixstrings]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dinopello', 'C')ould be a landmark case, actually. Municipalities often site "sovereign immunity" to absolve themselves from any culpability when action or inaction on their part causes harm or damage to a private citizen.

[Plantagenet]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Sixstrings', 'H')omeowners might be on hook in civil action in Trayvon Martin's death

[dinopello]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Sixstrings', 'T')he reality of "gated" communities, at least in my neck of the woods, is that the gates are decorative -- there are no checkpoint guards.

[Plantagenet]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dinopello', ' ')Trayvon would have been better off carrying a weapon to defend himself against this deranged animal, or something of that sort.

[Sixstrings]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', 'F')irst Mr. Zimmerman will have to be convicted of some criminal activity in Mr. Trayvon's death.

[Pops]

Man the pendulum has swung so far to the right it's about to tip the cart over. Can you hear the shouts from the cheap seats if the kid had brought out a "9" and popped ole George instead of poking him in the nose?

But the kid would have been the one standing his ground, right? There is no question Zimmerman pursued and confronted him, against the advice of the 911 dispatcher to boot.

Shootouts are basically legal in florida. That is the line crossed between the "castle doctrine" and the "High Noon" law signed by Jeb.

I'm all for CCW and no retreat at home but encouraging shootouts in public seems kind of a step backwards to me.

[AgentR11]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Sixstrings', 'T')he overzealous "neighborhood watch" captain had some delusion he was a cop and chased and shot a young man, no justification, his gun got him in trouble he'll end up in prison now. I don't like how zealous some on the Right Wing are about their guns, it's like they're just itching to use them -- well, there are consequences.

[AgentR11]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Sixstrings', 'A')re gun owners that quick to shoot??? Police don't shoot first, why do citizens have that right? Castle doctrine has to be the law since you can't put the victim of a break-in on trial, I know that, but just in practice -- everyone is honestly that quick to shoot? Like, a repairman?

[Plantagenet]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pops', 'T')here is no question Zimmerman pursued and confronted him,....

[AgentR11]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Sixstrings', 'C')ops are supposed to arrest based on just "probable cause" then a jury sorts it out. What happened in this case is the detective wanted to arrest him for manslaughter, then the state's attorney said no, citing "stand your ground."

[Sixstrings]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('AgentR11', 'P')roblem in this particular case is the lack of known evidence, which is why we have juries; eventually, a jury will get to hear everyone give their testimony, and decide who to believe and who not to believe.

[AgentR11]

And if arresting him now to make you feel better causes him to be acquitted at trial, that helps how? Neither you, nor I know whether arrest is the correct choice.

As to NRA, guns, alcohol. How bout I one up you. No guns where alcohol is served, and that establishment MUST provide secure gun check facilities, and MUST be liable for any damage done to the weapon, and MUST provide armed security on premises at all times. Failure to meet the above requirements results in loss of liquor license and severe fine. Failure of armed security to protect all customers from harm shall result in felony prosecution of the owner and the security present.



Of course, most anti-gun folks don't want to make the bars safer, they just dislike guns and want to inconvenience CCW holders as much as possible.

[Outcast_Searcher]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', ' ')Zimmerman acted on their behalf. Poorly. Those people were to blame for this (not Zimmerman or the kid) and they should be held accountable.

[Pops]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', '[')url=http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2012/mar/23/dennis-baxley/crime-rates-florida-have-dropped-stand-your-ground/]violent crime rates have DROPPED in Florida since stand-your-ground was passed[/url]