Thousands of demonstrators from across the country have been protesting following a jury's decision to acquit George Zimmerman. Now, the Justice Department considers whether it should file criminal civil rights charges. Do you think the jury reached the right verdict? Later, the California hunger strike in prisons is growing, and so are the discussions on force-feeding prisoners who won't eat. Should force-feeding be allowed? Then, should the fire rings on Orange County beaches be removed? And City of Hope researchers think they've found a cure for obesity. Could a single protein be the cause?
George Zimmerman verdict in: What happens now?
George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer who shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin last year, was acquitted of all charges Saturday after a 16-hour deliberation by the jury. Since the verdict, protests have sprung up all over the country, from Los Angeles to Florida, with demonstrators who say justice was not served during the trial, calling out a “broken justice system.”
RELATED: In the wake of the Zimmerman verdict, what sort of conversations are you having?
Though both the prosecution and Zimmerman’s defense stated the case was not about race, the killing of an unarmed African American teen by the Hispanic-Jewish Zimmerman raised questions of race outside the courtroom. While some believe Zimmerman should have been found guilty of either the second-degree murder or manslaughter charges brought against him, many lawyers and legal analysts say the prosecution simply did not meet the necessary burden of proof and that the justice system worked just as it should have.
As protests continue, civil rights organizations including the NAACP and ACLU are calling on the Department of Justice to consider a federal case against Zimmerman for civil rights violations.
Did the justice system work the way it’s supposed to in this case? Would there have been a different outcome if the case had been tried in a different state? What are the chances of a federal case against Zimmerman? What about a civil case?
Guests:
Stanley Goldman, Professor of Law and Director of Center for the Study of Law and Genocide at Loyola Law School
Brian T. Dunn, Attorney & Managing Partner in the California office of The Cochran Firm
Lawrence Rosenthal, Professor of Law at Chapman University
Andrew Branca, attorney in Massachusetts who specializes in self defense laws
Jon Greenbaum, Chief Council, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights
California Prison Hunger Strike: Would force-feeding be legal, ethical, moral?
Thousands of California inmates have been on a hunger strike since early last week in protest of prisons’ use of indefinite solitary confinement and calling better overall prison conditions. Thirty thousand prisoners were a part of the strike at its start, but the number has fallen to just over 4,000 in the protest that involves two-thirds of California prisons. The strike raises questions over whether force-feeding inmates will be considered.
As the debate over force-feeding at Guantanamo Bay heats up and some lawmakers call for its end, what would California Corrections do? It has said there are no plans to start force-feeding inmates as of yet, but courts say prisons can force-feed inmates if it’s necessary to maintain safety and order. Should inmates be allowed to go hungry if it endangers their own safety?
Guests:
Christie Thompson, Reporter, ProPublica
Scott Kernan, Retired Undersecretary of Operations, California Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Jon Eisenberg, Attorney, Horvitz & Levy LLP
Margo Schlanger, Professor of Law, University of Michigan
Can the Coastal Commission intervene on Newport Beach fire ring removal?
Despite opposition, the South Coast Air Quality Management District board approved restrictions Friday on the fire pits Southern California beaches. The restrictions will keep fire pits at least 700 feet from the nearest residence.
The fire rings can be closer to residences if they are at least 100 feet apart from each other if the city has 15 or fewer rings. Other restrictions include limiting beach fires on days of high pollution. Newport Beach is expected to see the biggest impact. The Air Quality Board is also looking to try out programs that would use natural or propane gas instead of wood as an option.
The Coastal Commission requested scientific data on health effects on fire pits to see if this was truly an issue for residents.
Do you think the District Board made the right decision? What if anything can the coastal commission do? Do you think the restrictions are fair? Are fire rings harmful to residents and the environment?
Guests:
Ben Bergman, KPCC’s reporter who has been following the fire pits controversy
Nancy Gardner, Newport Beach city councilwoman representing District 6 which includes Corona del Mar, where several fire pits are
Can we cure obesity without modifying our diet or exercising more?
City of Hope researchers believe they’ve found a gene that links obesity, cancer and diabetes back to a single human gene. The study, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry found that RLIP76, a gene that removes toxic agents from cells, may play a significant role in weight gain and may also be related to cancer and diabetes.
The researchers tested mice that did not have the protein and found that they didn't gain any weight, despite a high-fat diet. The mice were also unable to get cancer, diabetes or high cholesterol. City of Hope plans to start clinical trials with patients before the year’s end. Could the removal of this gene really stop people from gaining weight without dieting or exercising?
Guest:
Dr. Sanjay Awasthi, M.D., professor of diabetes, endocrinology, metabolism, and medical oncology at City of Hope, also helped author the study