The first three updates In the Martin case have focused on background information relating to the criminal justice system. That information may be found in the SMM Trayvon Martin Case Archive. I'll begin this article with a map of the area where events occurred, and explain the issues relating to self defense, including how the police tend to view it. I'll refer back to the map as the article progresses.
Update 4 from Mike McDaniel.
I particularly liked this:
The fundamental question in the Martin case is whether George Zimmerman legitimately employed self-defense and whether the force he used in so doing was reasonable and thereby lawful. The tool Zimmerman employed matters not. If Zimmerman was justified in the use of force, or whether he was not, the instrument he used—knife, screwdriver, hammer, motor vehicle, baseball bat, or even a rock—is simply not the issue. However, if Zimmerman was justified in using deadly force, his legally carried handgun did precisely what it was designed to do, precisely what we expect such weapons to do: it saved his life and stopped a potentially deadly crime. The gun control argument must always ignore the undeniable utility and value of firearms to the individual, particularly those who are not young or strong.
