Up on the Board: Readers react to Zimmerman verdict, ShotSpotter not, LIRR bans fake cigs
Demonstrators protest in front of the Seminole County Criminal Justice Center where a jury is deliberating in the trial of George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida. Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, is on trial for the February 2012 shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. (July 13, 2013) Credit: Getty Images
The editorial board discussed whether we should take a position on the Justice Department’s consideration of a criminal civil rights case against George Zimmerman, who was acquitted of state charges in a Florida courtroom on Saturday. The DOJ says it’s reviewing evidence. We decided to hold off writing an editorial for now, and noted that there are major barriers to federal prosecution, such as proving that Zimmerman was motivated by racial animosity.
We’re working on an online Take the Podium for readers’ comments on the potential for federal charges. Also, we’re receiving a lot of mail from readers about the Florida verdict and plan to put together an expanded letters page for tomorrow.
Editorial writer Joe Dolman will be blogging about the New York City demonstrations, post-verdict.
The board notes that ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection system, doesn’t seem to be working for Suffolk County at all. We’re looking into why this is. Nassau County, which adopted the high-tech surveillance system earlier, hasn’t voiced any complaints about it.
And we think it’s slightly ludicrous that the Long Island Rail Road has banned electronic cigarettes, which don’t emit anything dangerous to passengers breathing the water vapor secondhand.
To voice an opinion on any of the above, please fill in a comment in the section below, or email letters@newsday.com.
Up on the Board is the editorial board's blog about what we just discussed at our weekday morning meeting. These meetings are where we talk about the news of the day and hash out our positions for the opinion sections of Newsday and amNew York.
