Florida Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

Zimmerman, a former neighborhood watch captain, was charged with second-degree murder for killing 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida, on February 26, 2012. He says he shot the teenager in self-defense, but prosecutors accuse him of unjustly profiling and killing Martin.

An initial decision by police not to pursue charges in the case led to the dismissal of the town’s police chief and began large debates about race relations and gun laws in the United States. Zimmerman is Hispanic; Martin was African-American.

The jury for his trial was chosen Thursday afternoon and consists of an all-female jury. The jury members are five white women and one black or Hispanic woman; two women and two men will hear the case as well and serve as alternate jurors.

Paula Cooper, a mere 16 years old when she became the youngest person on death row in the United States. This occurred in 1986 when Cooper and her friends went to the home of 78-year-old Bible teacher Ruth Pelke, armed with a knife; they struck Pelke with a vase, cut her arms and legs, then stabbed her in the chest and stomach 33 times.

Cooper was tried for the murder of Pelke and an Indiana judge sentenced her to death on July 11, 1986, at the age of 16. After more than 2 million people signed a petition asking the Indiana Supreme Court to overturn Cooper’s death sentence, they reversed her conviction and gave her a 60 year sentence.

Pope John Paul II personally appealed to Indiana Gov. Robert Orr on Cooper’s behalf.

It could have been a gruesome murder or the end result of love gone wrong. Irrespective of motive, a man was killed. Ana Lilia Trujillo, 44, is charged with the murder of a Texas college professor, Alf Stefan Andersson — he was a full-time research professor at the school’s Center for Nuclear Receptor and Cell Signaling.

Andersson, a research professor from the University of Houston, had 10 puncture wounds on his head, some of which were deep as an inch and a half. Prosecutors also allege Andersson had 15 to 20 puncture wounds along his face, arms, and neck. Trujillo allegedly used one of her own stilettos to commit the murder.

When authorities arrived at Andersson’s apartment on Sunday, Trujillo, who had recently worked as a massage therapist, answered the door with blood on her clothes and hands; Andersson was lying in the hallway face up, with a stiletto by his head. Trujillo told investigators that Andersson grabbed her, and a struggle ensued amongst the two.

A 10-year-old boy managed to scared off armed intruders who broke into his Brooklyn home. Surveillance video released by police shows someone in the boy’s house on Monday afternoon opening the door for a man wearing a FedEx uniform, and then another many followed.

Authorities say the two men were armed, and upon making their way into the house, demanded money from the nine people inside the home.

One of the victims was able to close the door on one of the perpetrator’s arm, making him drop his gun, when the perpetrator came up the stairs. The young boy picked up the gun and fired once. The armed suspect fired back, before both men fled the scene empty-handed.

Kanhaiya Kumari, 19, raised the 5,000 rupees (about 89 US dollars) needed to pay his mother’s bail money in India; Kumari has worked night and day in a garment factory to earn the bail money. Kumari’s 48-year-old mother was five months pregnant with her son when she was arrested in connected with the murder of a neighbor.

She was sentenced to life in prison. She denied the charges and in 1994 she was granted bail pending her appeal. Her husband refused to post the bail money, which is the reason her son took it upon himself to earn the bail money.

Both mother and son remained in Nari Niketan prison in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, until Kanhaiya was sent to a juvenile remand home at the age of 6. He was released last year after spending seven years separated from his mother and immediately set about getting a job that would pay for his mother’s bail.

Kevin Hart, actor and comedian, was arrested for “suspicion” of drunken driving early Sunday morning. Authorities allegedly observed Hart speeding on a freeway at 90 mph in a back Mercedes, weaving through traffic lanes, nearly hitting a nearby truck.

Hart pulled over when officers indicated he was being stopped and officers say Hart was unable to perform the field sobriety tests that are standard when an individual is pulled over and for “suspicion” of drunken driving. Police booked him into jail and held him on a $5,000 bond.

Subsequent to his arrest, Hart later tweeted: “When the cop asked me to take the sobriety test I said ‘WHY WASTE OUR TIME … I’M DRUNK MAN.'”

Rehtaeh Parsons, a 17-year-old Canadian student was taken off life support Sunday after she was hospitalized for an attempted suicide. Parsons was allegedly sexually assaulted by four boys and was subsequently severely bullied at her high school for more than one year. Due to a lack of evidence, there were no filing of charges against the alleged suspects — this left Parson’s emotionally disturbed which eventually led to her attempted suicide.

The alleged sexual assault took place November 2011 when Parsons was 15 years old. In addition to the incident itself, photographs showing Parsons having sex with one of the boys were allegedly circulated throughout the high school. Her family believes this further act contributed to Parson’s developing suicidal thoughts.

Dispersing such a picture as was done in this case, notwithstanding consent of either party involves, is considered child pornography under Canadian law. However, an initial investigation by Royal Canadian Mounted Police and local authorities found “insufficient evidence to proceed with charges.”