The lead editorial in Monday’s New Haven Register about the George Zimmerman verdict was stunningly one sided - and irresponsible - in portraying the judicial outcome as based solely on racism. There was not a shred of evidence presented at trial that Zimmerman followed or shot Trayvon Martin because he was black. Nor, was there any suggestion that the jury acquitted Zimmerman because he is a white Hispanic.
Your editorial made no mention of the high standard of proof required in all such criminal cases (“beyond a reasonable doubt”), of the often conflicting testimony that could reasonably be expected to give any objective juror reasonable doubt, and the credible evidence presented at trial that supported Zimmerman’s claim of self-defense.
Yes, Zimmerman exhibited bad judgment (e.g. in following Martin against the instructions of the police) that in the end contributed to the tragic outcome; but that doesn’t make him guilty of the crimes with which he was charged. If the Register was interested in shedding light, and promoting rational discourse, on this complex legal case that had horrible human costs, it failed miserably.
Donald Wheeler
Branford