George Zimmerman, Mr. I-was-just-minding-my-own-business, hearing today at 1:30 pm

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Good morning:

You would pretty much have to be dead to not know that George Zimmerman was booked into the Seminole County Jail yesterday afternoon for aggravated assault with a weapon, a felony, in addition to a misdemeanor battery-domestic violence and criminal mischief. The alleged victim is Samantha Scheibe, 27, his girlfriend who apparently precipitated the incident when she ordered him to pack up his things and move out. She was not injured.

USA Today has a quick summary of the situation:

He is being held without bail pending an initial court appearance at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, which is customary in domestic violence arrests. [Chief Deputy Dennis] Lemma said the sheriff will ask the judge to impose electronic monitoring if bail is granted, which is also standard in such cases.

The argument between Zimmerman and Scheibe, 27, involved “some kind of separation in their relationship,” Lemma said.

According to the arrest report, after Scheibe told Zimmerman to pack his things, he “cocked the shotgun” before putting the two guns in one case. She told deputies he then became upset as she carried his belongings out and he took out the shotgun. Scheibe said she was going to call police, and Zimmerman pointed the weapon at her for a minute and “asked her if she really wanted to do that.”

Zimmerman then smashed a glass-top coffee table with the gun butt and ordered Sheibe out, she told deputies. He pushed her out and locked the door.

He also barricaded himself behind the front door and called 911 to report his side off the story, precipitating this classic line from the 911 operator:

Why would you call 911 when the police are standing outside the house?

He answers,

They’re pretty upset I think.

The officers are upset?

Yeah, they’re banging on the door and the window.

Are you going to go speak with them?

Uhm, I don’t have anything to say.

Except he did have something to say.

I just wanted to leave.

She told me it was better if I leave. She is pregnant with our child. It was better if we co-parented and she raised the child on her own.

I said, that’s fine, if that’s what you want to do.

She said, “yes.”

So, I started packing up my stuff getting ready to leave and she went nuts.

She started smashing stuff, taking stuff that belonged to me and throwing it outside, throwing it out of her room, throwing it all over the place.

She broke the glass table with something. I don’t know what.

I don’t know if it was mine or hers, whatever it was.

She got mad, I guess, because I told her I was willing to leave.

I guess she thought I was going to argue with her, but she’s pregnant, and I’m not going to put her through that kind of stress.

He neglected to mention that he was not going to put himself through the kind of stress that happens when you talk to cops.

Turns out Samantha Scheibe not pregnant.

The hearing this afternoon is not an arraignment. It’s an Initial Appearance. The judge will read him his rights, review the arrest report for probable cause, and consider setting bail and conditions of release.

According to Chief Deputy Dennis Lemma, the Sheriff will ask for electronic monitoring, if the judge sets conditions of release.

No contact with the alleged victim also is a standard condition of release.

The aggravated assault charge is for pointing the shotgun at Scheibe. If convicted, he faces a 20-year minimum mandatory sentence.

As you can see, Mr. I-was-just-minding-my-own-business is going to deny handling any weapon and breaking the glass table with the shotgun.

This is going to be the I-was-just-minding-my-own-business-when-my-pregnant-girlfriend-went-all-crazy-on-me defense.

Too bad for him that she isn’t pregnant.

(Not that it would make a difference in any event)