Like some of you, I've tuned in from time to time to the train wreck that is the State of Florida vs. George Zimmerman trial. I thought I'd share some thoughts with you as a recovering attorney licensed in Florida.
- The prosecution's case goes beyond unconvincing and borders at times on lending support to the defense's theory that Zimmerman acted in self defense. From the slow motion crash of the purported superstar witness Rachel Jeantel (her deleted tweets, which you can read here, will likely eliminate any sympathy you have for her) to today's testimony that it appeared Martin "was straddling Zimmerman and using a mixed martial arts-style of punching during the confrontation," according to WFTV, we get a sense that the prosecution has no idea what these witnesses are going to say until they get on the stand.
- If you are going to use a weapon in self defense, you need to have a plan for what you're going to do after that horrible moment. What are you going to say to 911? The police? Does your family know what to do after you've told them the news? Every action Zimmerman took in the hours after the shooting are being closely scrutinized. Yours will be as well. While you can't dictate the when and where, you can certainly plan for the what and why.
- Under Florida law, the state will have to prove that Zimmerman demonstrated a depraved mind without regard for human life, and do so with evidence that is beyond a reasonable doubt. Heard any witness yet that can prove that for the prosecution?
- Like many of you, I am reading articles similar to this predicting civil unrest if Zimmerman is acquitted. The fact many are taking to Twitter threatening to kill Zimmerman if he is cleared adds to that fear.
- The testimony so far seems to lend further support to Zimmerman's pending lawsuit against NBC. As many of you might remember, NBC's track record in court includes having to admit to rigging GM trucks to catch on fire during an episode of Dateline.
Gold punctured the $1,200 mark Thursday, and many expect the price to drop further. "Everything that had been driving gold up has gone into reverse," said Julian Jessop, chief economist at Capital Economics. And Goldman Sachs recently opined gold will fall to $1,050 by the end of next year.
Nouriel Roubini, nicknamed Dr. Doom for his consistently dire predictions about the economy, shares this view and outlines his explanation here.
My philosophy on gold is very simple. It's not an investment. It's an insurance policy. When you invest in gold with that mindset, the price fluctuations really don't bother you.
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