Federal civil rights charges could be Zimmerman’s next legal battle

Federal prosecutors are investigating the possibility of bringing charges of civil rights violations against George Zimmerman in connection to Trayvon Martin’s death.

A Florida jury found Zimmerman not guilty of murder yesterday.
Several civil rights leaders asked the federal government to pursue charges of civil rights violations against Zimmerman after the verdict was announced.

"We ask that the Department of Justice file civil rights charges against Mr. Zimmerman for this egregious violation. Please address the travesties of the tragic death of Trayvon Martin by acting today,” NAACP President Ben Jealous wrote in a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, according to Yahoo News .

The Justice Department began its own investigation into the shooting last year. Prosecuting Zimmerman for civil rights violations may prove to be difficult.

“The Justice Department would face significant challenges in bringing a federal civil rights case against Mr. Zimmerman,” former U.S. Attorney Alan Vinegrad told Associated Press . “There are several factual and legal hurdles that federal prosecutors would have to overcome[.]”

The biggest hurdle is proving that Zimmerman attacked Martin because Martin is black.

Image: By Seminole County Sheriff's Office (Seminole County Sheriff's Office: Inmate Database) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

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