Race and Reasonable Doubt

Last updated on: July 12, 2013 at 4:43 pm by Andre E. Johnson

Race and Reasonable Doubt 2013-07-12T16:43:00-05:00 Andre E. Johnson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

by Giovanni Neal

R3 Contributor

I actually wrote about the George Zimmerman trial last week. However, just before submitting the piece I realized that I was jumping the gun and needed to hear all of the evidence available before giving my opinion. I take the law seriously and believe it should be applied equally, justly and fairly. The litmus test for a conviction in a criminal trial is reasonable doubt; if it’s present then the verdict should be not guilty. Better a hundred guilty men go free, than to convict an innocent man. Right?

That’s what makes this trial so important. The law is often applied unfairly when it comes to Blacks, which is part of the reason this case was almost open and shut until public outcry. Trayvon Martin, a black teenaged boy, was pursued shot and killed, yet he was immediately treated like he was criminal that deserved to die by law enforcement. George Zimmerman almost avoided his day in court.

I was part of the movement on social media that demanded justice, and a trial. Zimmerman was arrested and is being adjudicated as I type.

But how can justice be served here? If I were a member of the Zimmerman jury, I’d have reasonable doubt as to the charge of second-degree murder, easily created by this unfortunate chain of events. I would also doubt Zimmerman’s defense that he was standing his ground as he feared for his life. Of all of the witnesses, none of them saw exactly what happened during the most important time frame; the beginning of the fight and the end. As for the physical and forensic evidence, it can only tell part of the story.

The prosecution’s star witness was Rachel Jeantel who was on the phone with Trayvon Martin, just before his death. Jeantel’s testimony did nothing for the prosecution’s case. Her testimony only proved that she was repeatedly dishonest during the investigation. So, I can’t help but to doubt her version of events.

The police initially failed to reach out to Rachel Jeantel for a statement. Because Trayvon wasn’t treated as a victim, but as a perpetrator, the Sanford police failed to do its due diligence in determining his death. The Sanford Police Department’s substandard job at investigating also contributes to my reasonable doubt.

Then we have the forensic evidence, which does not back up George Zimmerman’s story that Trayvon Martin was beating him to the point that he feared for his life and had to use deadly force to stay alive. Trayvon’s DNA wasn’t where it should have been if there was a deadly fight like Zimmerman claimed. Nor was Martin’s DNA on Zimmerman’s gun as he claimed Martin was trying to take his weapon. After seeing all the forensic evidence, I also doubt Zimmerman’s version of events.

After the failure of the Sanford PD to treat victims equally, Trayvon Martin became the face of racial injustice and his trial has become a way for us to seek racial justice. But that is wrong. Calling for a breach in the justice system doesn’t make us any blacker or serve justice. Though the justice system has failed plenty of times by putting innocent Blacks in prison, another breach in the system only increases my doubt in the administration of justice.

Even if Zimmerman is aquitted on second-degree murder, the trial was the justice we asked for. I remember when Trayvon’s death went viral, I was errant to believe Zimmerman was guilty, before I heard the under oath testimony in open court and saw the evidence. After seeing and hearing it, I cannot say for sure if he’s guilty of second-degree murder or not. However, he is guilty of something; perhaps manslaughter.

It’s worth noting that while we were all distracted by the Zimmerman trial, another important Florida trial went unnoticed. Marissa Alexander, a black mother, defended herself against her estranged husband who intruded on her property and threatened her. A jury convicted her of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and Alexander is doing twenty years. Ms. Alexander fired a few warning shots to get her batterer out of the house. What’s odd about Ms. Alexander’s circumstance is she was “standing her ground,” in her own home, against an admitted woman batterer. Yet the prosecution insisted she do twenty-years after she was convicted. Was there no reasonable doubt for Marissa

The American Justice System is unfair, unjust and unequal. It seems that all too often black people cannot seem to get fair treatment as victims or as the accused. However, instead of demanding that a man is convicted when there’s reasonable doubt, and threatening to riot if he is not convicted, we should demand Marissa Alexander’s release. We should correct the system, not make it worse.

Follow Giovanni on Twitter @blamegirls

Uncategorized

Previous Post

July 8, 2013

White Theology, Part I

Next Post

July 12, 2013 Adventures in Churchgoing

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Amy Steele Andre E. Johnson Book Reviews/Series Brian Foulks Call for Chapters Carol Howard Merritt Classes Conferences Contributors Crystal St.Marie Lewis Daniel White Hodge Earle Fisher Eulogy Fredrick Robinson Guest Contributions Henry McNeal Turner Institutes Interviews Joseph Boston Katherine Whitfield Kimberly Peeler-Ringer Lectures/Roundtables Natalie Bullock Brown R3 Book Series R3 Contributor Rashad Grove Readers Reflections Symposiums Teaching Traci Ellis Travis Harris Uncategorized Video

Select a Month June 2020 February 2020 December 2019 November 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 October 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz