George Zimmerman Goes Into Hiding After Not Guilty Verdict

As protesters took to the streets Sunday decrying George Zimmerman’s exoneration, civil rights leaders called for the feds to re-examine the killing of Trayvon Martin.

Zimmerman was once again in hiding, but the NAACP wanted him hauled back into the public eye — this time before a federal judge for civil rights charges.

"We are outraged and heartbroken over today's verdict," NAACP President Benjamin Jealous said in a statement.

"We will pursue civil rights charges with the Department of Justice, we will continue to fight for the removal of Stand Your Ground laws in every state and we will not rest until racial profiling in all its forms is outlawed.”

Stand Your Ground is the Florida law that gives a gunman the benefit of the doubt if he feels threatened.

A jury of six women found Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder late Saturday in Florida court, reigniting a tense debate about whether justice is truly blind for all Americans and whether Zimmerman profiled Martin, who was wearing a hoodie on his way back to the condo where he was staying.

Prior to Zimmerman being charged, the Department of Justice had opened an investigation into whether Martin’s civil rights were violated. The department halted its investigation until the state trial concluded.

The Rev. Al Sharpton said the federal charges were the next viable route in the Martin family’s quest for justice.




"Clearly there are grounds for civil rights charges," said Sharpton on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

He and the Martin family had met with a U.S. attorney, he said.

"The trial happened. The verdict came in. It does not exhaust the legal options of this family and the bigger community issues of civil rights," Sharpton said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

"We now have a position on the books in the state of Florida where an unarmed teenager who committed no crime can be killed and the killer can say self-defense.

"Every American ought to be afraid that my child can do nothing wrong and can be killed," Sharpton added.

Former Gov. Eliot Spitzer — and current candidate for city controller — joined the firestorm of criticism.

“An innocent, young man was walking down a street, was confronted by a stranger with a gun and that innocent, young man was shot. The criminal justice system should be able to deal with situations like that. It didn't,” Spitzer said.




But the former state Attorney General also said it would be challenging for federal prosecutors to build a case against Zimmerman.

“The Justice Department will step in, but it's in a very dicey position because there has been a criminal case. Double jeopardy is a fundamental principle in our American judicial system, as it should be. And so it's going to be hard for them to come back at the defendant,” Spitzer said.

“There are notable examples where our judicial system has failed. It is not perfect. ...The jury system is what we have to rely upon, but in this case it failed,” Spitzer added.

But Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said the legal process is far from over.

"I support this system," Reid said on NBC's "Meet The Press."

"Now, I may feel differently [about the verdict], but I wasn't sitting as a juror, a prosecutor or a defense attorney.

"I think the Justice Department's going to take a look at this. This isn't over with, and I think that's good, it's our system. It's gotten better, not worse," he said.



Not everyone is eager for the case to continue. In fact, Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) said the killing never should have gone to trial in the first place.

"The evidence didn't support prosecution, and the Justice Department engaged in this, the President engaged in this and turned it into a political issue that should have been handled exclusively with law and order," King said on "Fox News Sunday."

Zimmerman himself faces more immediate concerns regarding his safety.

“I don’t know if he’ll carry a gun now, but I would think he has more reasons to than before,” said Robert Zimmerman, George’s brother, on CNN Sunday morning.

That fear is echoed by his defense team.

"He has to be very cautious and protective of his safety because there is still a fringe element who have said, at least in tweets and everything else, that they want revenge — that they will not listen to a verdict of not guilty," defense attorney Mark O'Mara said to CNN.

Celebs weren’t exactly calling for calm in the wake of the verdict.

"Now he's free to kill another child," hip hop artist Ice Cube tweeted to his 1 million followers Saturday night.

"All them jurors should go home tonight and kill themselves for letting a grown man get away with killing a kid," Atlanta Falcons receiver Roddy White wrote.

"Black Parents hold your kids at home because apparently killing black children is okay," comedian Marlon Wayans tweeted.

"This is the saddest news ever!!!" tweeted Rihanna with the hashtags #whatjustice and #pray4theMartinFamily.

“Thoroughly confused. Zimmerman doesn’t last a year before the hood catches up to him,” Giants receiver Victor Cruz wrote.

Creepy A$$ Cracker



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