Quote:
Originally Posted by cartman
Isn't this what they did with the police officers in the Rodney King case?
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Good point, that was an exception. And the feds do have the power to charge Zimmerman tomorrow. I guess the potential distinction would be that a crime involving police officers concerns the federal government more than a crime (alleged) to be committed between two private citizens. Would we be OK with the feds giving the government a 2nd shot at all acquittals? State prosecutors would be a lot more gutsy about offering shitty plea deals and going to trials if they knew the feds, and all their resources, would back them up if they lost. That would give state prosecutors extra leverage in every criminal case, and every criminal defendant would know he'd have to convince two juries to win his freedom, which would make them much more likely to play ball. Or if its not every case, how would the feds make the call about which ones to get involved in? Ones with a racial component? I really don't think the DOJ has the stomach for that.