Media distortion bears fruit as Harvard academic laps it up without checking

The following paragraph was written by Nancy Gertner, a retired US District Court judge, and a professor at Harvard Law School: 

"Nothing prevents the Sanford police from critically evaluating Zimmerman’s account, as police do in so many situations, and concluding that it was contradicted by the girlfriend’s account, by 911 tapes of other bystanders shortly before the killing, that it makes no sense for Martin to start a fight since Zimmerman obviously had a gun in a holster, was substantially larger than Martin, since the encounter took place close to where Martin was staying and he was moments away from safety."


She's accepted uncritically the relevance of all those pretty media pictures showing Martin when he was about 12 years old.  She really thinks that Zimmerman was the tall one  -- when in fact Martin was 6" taller than Zimmerman.  If that's what passes for proper judicial scrutiny at Harvard,  we are all in big trouble.




Detroit teenager Shot and Killed:  "Very little media interest so far in the case of an 18-year old shot and killed by a man who claims to have acted in self-defense.  It happened a few days ago in Detroit.  At about 1:30 am, Willie White claims that an intruder broke into his home and that, fearing for his life, he  had to shoot.  Prosecutors have concluded that White acted in self-defense so there will be no criminal case.  It is too soon to tell whether White will be sued civilly for wrongful death.  Relatives of the teen might hire a lawyer to argue that White had a “duty to retreat” and that he should have tried to hide in a bedroom closet instead of using deadly force.  If that happens, White will need hire a lawyer to fight the lawsuit."