5. Costa Concordia Trial, A Literal Drama

Holding true to the twists and turns of the Costa Concordia shipwreck and its aftermath, a catastrophe that left 32 dead when the massive cruise liner capsized in shallow water off the coast of Italy, the captain’s criminal trial took place in Teatro Moderno, a stage theatre in Grosetto, Italy.  Francesco Schettino was charged with manslaughter for abandoning the ship before the 4,200 passengers had evacuated. This July, family members of the victims, along with witnesses, reporters and lawyers packed into the first rows of the theatre to hear testimony.

[NBC News]

4. Alec Baldwin’s Stalker

Would that God made me a celebrity, I pray to His Grace that it be anybody else but Alec Baldwin. I mean, I’d take Lindsay Lohan over a guy so antagonized by the world, he can’t even give testimony in a court of law before someone jumps in and tries to stoke his notorious temper. Such was the case in November when the “30 Rock” star said in a Manhattan court that Genvieve Sabourin, a small-time Canadian actress, had been stalking him and his fiancee. Sabourin, who claimed she had been a lover of Baldwin’s, repeatedly yelled accusations at him during the proceedings such as, “Wow, you’re lying,” and “I can’t believe your doing that!” Baldwin eventually broke down into tears before the invective of his tormentor. But the classic Jack Donaghy we all know and love was not far from the surface, telling a photographer not shortly after leaving, “I hope you choke to death.”

[Gawker]

3. Chad Ochocinco’s Too-sportsmanlike Conduct

In one of the most poorly thought-out celebrations in recent memory, football star Chad Johnson gave his attorney a gleeful butt-tap after learning of his light sentence for violating his probation. In 2012, Johnson pleaded no contest to a domestic abuse charge of his ex-wife, Evelyn Lozada. Though met by a ripple of giggles throughout the courtroom, judge Kathleen McHugh was far from amused. “Is there something funny about this,” she asked. McHugh reversed her previous community service decision, and sentenced Johnson to 30 days in jail.

[CNN]

2. “Creepy-Ass Cracker:” Racial Epithet or Bizzarre Snackfood?

Rachel Jeantel was the last person to speak to 17-year old Trayvon Martin before he was killed in an altercation with George Zimmerman. In their phone conversation, Martin described Zimmerman, who at the time was following him through a gated Florida neighborhood, as a “creepy-ass cracker”– a fact that came to light while Jeantel was being cross-examined by Defense Attorney Don West. In a pin-drop courtroom, West asked if it was then not Martin who had introduced race as an element in the incident, and not Zimmerman. But all of this quite presumptuously rules out the possibility that Jeantel misinterpreted Martin’s meaning and there was indeed a giant, oddly-shaped Saltine roaming the streets, and Trayvon, a naturally inquisitive young man, was simply commenting on its presence.

[ABC News]

1. Blind Justice

A man who just had his eye punched out in a bar fight was further afflicted when, to the shock and horror of jurors, his new $3,000 blue eye prosthetic spilled out during testimony this February. Whether in jest or just a miscalculation of words, Judge Robert Coleman hit the nail on the head when he called it, “an unfortunate, unforeseen incident.”

[Yahoo! News]

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Jimmy Hoover

Featured image courtesy of [Rvongher via Wikipedia]

Jimmy Hoover

Jimmy Hoover is a graduate of the University of Maryland College Park and formerly an intern at Law Street Media. Contact Jimmy at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Disorder in the Court! 5 Weird Courtroom Moments From 2013 appeared first on Law Street.

The George Zimmerman trial has been one of the most hotly debated topics in the news recently, and with public outrage resulting from the verdict people question whether or not the federal government will step in with charges of its own. Although it is technically possible for the government to pursue federal charges against Zimmerman for the death of Trayvon Martin, there are several challenges that federal prosecutors would face.  Because the state and federal governments are two separate spheres, the concept of double jeopardy does not apply and Zimmerman can be charged in both state and federal court for the same crime.  However, federal charges can only be filed if the state prosecution did not satisfy a significant federal interest, and if the federal government believes sufficient evidence for a conviction exists.

Federal civil rights laws were enacted to ensure proper enforcement of the law, allowing for the federal government to intervene in the event that the state left federal interests “unvindicated.” Additionally, civil rights cases are rarely prosecuted at a federal level after having already been tried in state courts, but it has happened.  The most notable example of this is the case involving the police officers accused of beating Rodney King Jr. in 1991.  All four officers were initially acquitted in state court, but the subsequent federal trial led to two convictions.  In that case, and the argument could be made for George Zimmerman as well, federal charges furthered-a government interest in bringing racially-motivated criminals to justice.

Lastly, the application of federal law to the Zimmerman case could create a problem for prosecutors.  Many laws relating to racial violence and hate crimes deal with state authority over acts committed in public areas.  Because Zimmerman was not an actor of the government nor did the altercation take place on public property, a new statute that deems any racially-motivated violence a crime would most likely be used by the prosecution.  In order for federal prosecutors to convict Zimmerman they will need to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that his actions were motivated by race.  Doing so would not be an easy task, as there were no witnesses and Zimmerman has previously claimed self-defense.

Although there are many challenges that prosecutors would face, federal charges are not completely out of the question, especially as public outrage continues.

[Reuters.com]

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Featured image courtesy of [Werth Media via Flickr]

Kevin Rizzo

Kevin Rizzo is the Crime in America Editor at Law Street Media. An Ohio Native, the George Washington University graduate is a founding member of the company. Contact Kevin at krizzo@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Will Zimmerman Face Federal Charges? appeared first on Law Street.