Angela Corey, Special Prosecutor In Trayvon Martin [Killing] Case [Against George Zimmerman], Is Tough On Crime, "Wants To Do The Right Thing".
Angela Corey, special prosecutor in Trayvon Martin case, is tough on crime, ‘wants to do the right thing’
Corey decides no grand jury, fate of George Zimmerman is in her hands
By Philip Caulfield
In this March 9, 2010 photo, state attorney Angela Corey listens to a victim's impact statement at the Duval County Courthouse in Jacksonville, Fla. Corey was named the special prosecutor in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin by a neighborhood watch volunteer. Corey was once fired from her job as a prosecutor. She has a reputation for rarely using grand juries and has been accused of being too close with law enforcement. (AP Photo/The Florida Times-Union, Bruce Lipsky)
Bruce Lipsky/AP
State attorney Angela Corey listens to a victim's impact statement at the Duval County Courthouse in Jacksonville, Fla.
The fate of George Zimmerman now rests in the hands of one of Florida's toughest prosecutors.
State Attorney Angela Corey was thrust into the national spotlight on Monday when she announced that she - and not a grand jury - would decide whether to charge Zimmerman for killing Trayvon Martin on Feb. 26.
The former special prosecutor on the case, Norman Wolfinger, called for a grand jury in March, but later recused himself from the case.
Gov. Rick Scott appointed Corey to take over on March 23.
GEORGE ZIMMERMAN SPEAKS FOR FIRST TIME, LAUNCHES WEBSITE
Corey, 57, is a Republican and was elected in 2008. She serves in Florida's Fourth Judicial Circuit Court, which is made up of three right-leaning counties in northeast Florida.
She is widely known as one of her state's most passionate and aggressive prosecutors.
During Corey’s three year tenure, the population in Jacksonville's Duval County jail has risen, despite a drop in crime in the city and an overall drop in prison populations around the state, according to a study of her record by the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.
"The single most important factor as to why the jail is so full in Duval County is prosecutorial style -- Angela Corey's aggressive style as prosecutor," Michael Hallett, the chairman of criminology and criminal justice at the school who led the study, told Reuters.
"Compared to her predecessor, she is much more aggressive in terms of filing criminal charges, much less likely to dismiss charges... She prosecutes every potential charge to the hilt," Hallett added.
Corey grew up in Jacksonville and went to Florida State before getting her law degree at University of Florida.
Before the Martin case, she was best known for seeking a first-degree murder indictment against Cristian Fernandez, a 12-year-old accused of killing his 2-year-old brother by smashing his head into a bookshelf.
Fernandez, now 13, is the youngest person ever to be charged with murder as an adult in Florida and could get life in prison.
Critics attack Corey for lacking compassion. Corey said the charge was a reflection of the brutal murder.
"I have compassion for Cristian Fernandez, but it's not my job to forgive," Corey told reporters at the time. "It's my job to follow the law."
Corey's decision on Monday was likely not a surprise to those familiar with her work.
She has a record of avoiding grand juries, and last month, she told the Miami Herald her office would probably proceed on its own.
Both the Zimmerman and Martin camps have said the decision favors their case.
So far, Corey has given no hint as to how she'll proceed, saying in a statement, "The decision should not be considered a factor in the final determination of the case."
Even if she decides to file charges, a judge could decide to throw out the charges on self-defense grounds and grant Zimmerman immunity from criminal and civil lawsuits, The New York Times reported.
"She definitely wants to see justice done," Jacksonville defense lawyer Mitchell Stone told Reuters. "She has a lot of compassion for the victims of crime, but she knows when a case is not going to be able to be prosecuted.”
"She wants to do the right thing."
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/angela-corey-special-prosecutor-trayvon-martin-case-tough-crime-article-1.1059093#ixzz1refRbad1
Editor's comment: the fact she has decided not to use the grand jury for "political cover" earns her my sincere admiration.
Corey decides no grand jury, fate of George Zimmerman is in her hands
By Philip Caulfield
Bruce Lipsky/AP
State attorney Angela Corey listens to a victim's impact statement at the Duval County Courthouse in Jacksonville, Fla.
The fate of George Zimmerman now rests in the hands of one of Florida's toughest prosecutors.
State Attorney Angela Corey was thrust into the national spotlight on Monday when she announced that she - and not a grand jury - would decide whether to charge Zimmerman for killing Trayvon Martin on Feb. 26.
The former special prosecutor on the case, Norman Wolfinger, called for a grand jury in March, but later recused himself from the case.
Gov. Rick Scott appointed Corey to take over on March 23.
GEORGE ZIMMERMAN SPEAKS FOR FIRST TIME, LAUNCHES WEBSITE
Corey, 57, is a Republican and was elected in 2008. She serves in Florida's Fourth Judicial Circuit Court, which is made up of three right-leaning counties in northeast Florida.
She is widely known as one of her state's most passionate and aggressive prosecutors.
During Corey’s three year tenure, the population in Jacksonville's Duval County jail has risen, despite a drop in crime in the city and an overall drop in prison populations around the state, according to a study of her record by the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.
"The single most important factor as to why the jail is so full in Duval County is prosecutorial style -- Angela Corey's aggressive style as prosecutor," Michael Hallett, the chairman of criminology and criminal justice at the school who led the study, told Reuters.
"Compared to her predecessor, she is much more aggressive in terms of filing criminal charges, much less likely to dismiss charges... She prosecutes every potential charge to the hilt," Hallett added.
Corey grew up in Jacksonville and went to Florida State before getting her law degree at University of Florida.
Before the Martin case, she was best known for seeking a first-degree murder indictment against Cristian Fernandez, a 12-year-old accused of killing his 2-year-old brother by smashing his head into a bookshelf.
Fernandez, now 13, is the youngest person ever to be charged with murder as an adult in Florida and could get life in prison.
Critics attack Corey for lacking compassion. Corey said the charge was a reflection of the brutal murder.
"I have compassion for Cristian Fernandez, but it's not my job to forgive," Corey told reporters at the time. "It's my job to follow the law."
Corey's decision on Monday was likely not a surprise to those familiar with her work.
She has a record of avoiding grand juries, and last month, she told the Miami Herald her office would probably proceed on its own.
Both the Zimmerman and Martin camps have said the decision favors their case.
So far, Corey has given no hint as to how she'll proceed, saying in a statement, "The decision should not be considered a factor in the final determination of the case."
Even if she decides to file charges, a judge could decide to throw out the charges on self-defense grounds and grant Zimmerman immunity from criminal and civil lawsuits, The New York Times reported.
"She definitely wants to see justice done," Jacksonville defense lawyer Mitchell Stone told Reuters. "She has a lot of compassion for the victims of crime, but she knows when a case is not going to be able to be prosecuted.”
"She wants to do the right thing."
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/angela-corey-special-prosecutor-trayvon-martin-case-tough-crime-article-1.1059093#ixzz1refRbad1
Editor's comment: the fact she has decided not to use the grand jury for "political cover" earns her my sincere admiration.
Labels: Crime, Punishment, Race, Racism
posted by KYJurisDoctor at 11:23 AM
2 Comments:
I am disgusted with this political hack! This should have gone Grand Jury! Will politics, dominated by the Shraptons and Jacksons, always determine "justice" as long as Obama is in office?
You have ABSOLUTELY NO reason to call her a "political hack". In fact, ALL indications and proven facts are to the contrary!
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