From local news in Florida:
MIAMI (CBS4) – Florida State Attorney Angela Corey decided Monday to not use a Grand Jury in the Trayvon Martin shooting death.
The grand jury was expected to release their report on Tuesday as to whether Zimmerman should be charged in the Feb. 26th shooting. The case is now in the hands of special prosecutor Angela Corey.
Ms. Corey said from the beginning that she may not need a grand jury.
According to the state attorney’s office, the decision “should not be considered a factor in the final determination of the case.”
http://miami.cbslocal.com/...
It's hard to know which way this cuts in terms of the likelihood that charges will be brought against George Zimmerman, but one thing is for certain: he will not be charged with first degree murder. In Florida, only a Grand Jury can bring an indictment for first degree murder.
I'm probably disappointed in this decision in general. Now, the whole world is sort of hanging on the discretionary judgment of one person: Florida State Attorney Angela Corey. At least with a Grand Jury, whatever the result, we would've had the assurance that at least it came about as a result of the deliberations of a group of people with varying perspectives, as opposed to just one individual.
And although I think there's a decent chance that the evidence will show that George Zimmerman acted in self-defense, I also think there's a not insignificant chance that he was indeed guilty of first-degree murder. If it turns out that the voice crying for help in the background on the 911 calls was indeed that of Trayvon Martin, that would strongly raise the possibility that he was shot in cold blood, i.e. that George Zimmerman was guilty of first degree murder.
Anyways, we'll see what comes next . . .