Democracy Now! April 12, 2012

April 12, 2012 from Democracy Now! via Creative Commons License BY-NC-ND

George Zimmerman is finally charged with second-degree murder, 45 days after killing Trayvon Martin and sparking national outcry. Connecticut is poised to repeal the death penalty as momentum grows for a Supreme Court challenge. Outrage over "Stand Your Ground" laws after Trayvon Martin killing has sparked an exodus of corporate sponsors from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a corporate-funded group that worked with the National Rifle Association to pass similar measures across the country. And a grand jury has met to consider whether charges should be filed in the Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. case, as an autopsy casts further doubt on police claims. Plus headlines and more.

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In This Video

Kenneth Chamberlain

Kenneth Chamberlain was a former US Marine and retired corrections officer who was killed at his home by police officers responding after Chamberlain's emergency medical alert device went off accidentally. Explore this topic

White Plains, New York

White Plains is a city in the U.S. state of New York. It is the commercial hub and the seat of Westchester County, an affluent suburban county that is home to almost one million people, just north of New York City. White Plains is located in south-central Westchester, with its... Explore this topic

Shooting

Shooting is the act or process of firing firearms or other projectile weapons such as bows or crossbows. Even the firing of artillery, rockets, and missiles can be called shooting. A person who specializes in shooting is a marksman. Shooting can take place in a shooting range ... Explore this topic

Taser

A Taser is an electroshock weapon sold by Taser International. It uses electrical current to disrupt voluntary control of muscles causing "neuromuscular incapacitation". Someone struck by a Taser experiences stimulation of his or her sensory nerves and motor nerves, resulting ... Explore this topic

Criminal charge

A criminal charge is a formal accusation made by a governmental authority asserting that somebody has committed a crime. A charging document, which contains one or more criminal charges or counts, can take several forms, including: ⁕complaint ⁕information ⁕indictment The charg... Explore this topic

Police officer

A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force. In the United States, "officer" is the formal name of the lowest police rank. In many other countries, "officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank, and the lowest rank is often "constable". In many ot... Explore this topic

Grand jury

A grand jury is not an arm of the court but "is an institution separate from the courts, over whose functioning the courts do not preside", that is empowered to conduct official proceedings to investigate potential criminal conduct and to determine whether criminal charges sho... Explore this topic

Police

The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by the state to enforce the law, protect property, and limit civil disorder. Their powers include the legitimized use of force. The term is most commonly associated with police services of a state that are authorized to ex... Explore this topic

Medical alarm

A medical alarm is an alarm system designed to signal the presence of a hazard requiring urgent attention and to summon emergency medical personnel. Other terms for a medical alarm are Personal Emergency Response System or medical alert. Typical systems have a wireless pendant... Explore this topic

US Marines

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United ... Explore this topic

Also See

Shooting of Trayvon Martin

Stand your ground

George Zimmerman