Bill O'Reilly, who has reported on the case exhaustivly on his program, has accused the media of 'exploiting' Trayvon Martin's this week.
According to the Huffington Post the Fox News host also blasted politicians for rushing to judgement when discussing newly released medical records the reportedly show George Zimmerman sustained minor injuries after he shot Martin, 17.
From the beginning O'Reilly has defended Zimmerman, 28, from the public outcry surrounding the case. On his Wednesday show O'Reilly claimed new evidence suggests that there was a confrontation between Martin and Zimmerman, which suggested to him people were wrong to believe the killing was racially motivated.
'This latest exposition should prove to Americans once and for all, the case needs to be tried in front of a jury and people need to stop jumping to conclusions and exploiting the death of an American teenager for their own purposes,' O'Reilly claimed. 'Trayvon Martin was used by pundits and politicians to make political and social points. Very wrong.'
Martin family lawyer Benjamin Crump appeared on O'Reilly's program and said that the new doctor needed 'to be vetted properly.' Crump also questioned why Zimmerman did not go to the hospital on the night of the shooting.
O'Reilly agreed that Crump had 'legitimate questions' and both men agreed that the neither side should jump to conclusions without reference to the evidence.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.EphraimKibbey | May 21, 2012, 03:53 PM EDT
May 21, 2012, 11:01 AM EDT - stranger and stranger! YOUR post just appeared with MY name as the poster. I really haven't started talking to myself YET folks! I guess that explains how people get "Not my post" situations. Someone posts but the name does not register and IC's software just commandeers the name of the next poster to fill the void. Moderators are you paying attention? Time for a debugging.
EphraimKibbey | May 21, 2012, 03:44 PM EDT
May 21, 2012, 11:01 AM EDT - your post shows up without a name! I do not think you are correct about hate crimes being limited to white on black. It is a hate crime if something is said during its commission that reveals the perpetrator's motive as racial hatred of the victim regardless of which is which race.
EphraimKibbey | May 21, 2012, 11:01 AM EDT
EK If he is white then it is a hate crime. if he is latino then it is not. These laws were passed to get even with whitey, good progressive legislation at work, How should zimmerman be described--father white, mother peruvian, grandmother african American. Bi-lingual spanish/english. so you pick, by this logic Obama is white kenyan-american, kenyan-American because his father was born in Kenya as opposed to African Americans whos descendents were slaves.
merefalow | May 21, 2012, 06:13 AM EDT
this whole case has been projected into an hysterical racial witch hunt.i hope it can be conducted in a rational quiet subdued judicial way and reveal the truth of that tragic night in a fair and IMPARTIAL manner,in the best interests of all parties,i sincerely hope that this intense media fueled case will not result in an unjust conviction in order to diffuse a potential racial situation.
rebel999 | May 19, 2012, 09:44 PM EDT
Zimmerman obviously didn't identify himself before the confrontation otherwise Martin wouldn't have acted as he did. Martin acted like a person who was protecting himself against a person who he thought was accosting him. Would O'Reilly act the same way if Zimmerman was black and Martin was white? We ALL know that O'Reilly and Fox News is just a bias news medium that supports the Republicans so EVERYTHING they say must be scrutinized. Zimmerman had no right to do what he did because NOBODY is allowed to confront ANYBODY without identifying themselves.
EphraimKibbey | May 18, 2012, 11:47 PM EDT
@BrianO - How should they describe him? Had the police held him for trial, all of that could have been avoided. The part of the law regarding no trial and the lack of a clear definition of the aggressor seems to have made these laws an invitation to play cowboy with real guns and real people getting killed. Hopefully common sense prevail.
EphraimKibbey | May 18, 2012, 11:36 PM EDT
@Murph46 - The "facts" you are talking about were just released. Revs. Jackson and Sharpton addressed the limited information available at the time then called for a trial and a reexamination of the "Stand Your Ground" law. They stopped talking about it back when the special prosecutor took over the case and the Governor launched an investigation of the law and how it was being implemented. They suggested that it was time for everyone to stop talking about it so that an unbiased jury could be chosen. Zimmerman is innocent unless found guilty by that jury.
Murph46 | May 18, 2012, 08:20 PM EDT
Ephraim-yeah they stopped talking about it when facts refuted their lies.
McNamara31 | May 18, 2012, 04:56 PM EDT
O’Reilly says Trayvon was "used" by the media. No one used, manipulated and stirred this story more than Fox's idiot at large, Sean Hannity. If O’Reilly had an ounce of credibility he would aim his next “fair and balanced” talking points memo directly at his own FOX coworker.
PiperMac52 | May 18, 2012, 03:27 PM EDT
O'Reilly is absolutely right. From the beginning this case was clouded by hyperbole and the usual race baiting antics of the "Rev." Al Sharpton, who by the way completely ignored an attack on two white journalists in Norfolf Va. by a mob of angry Blacks. The pandering/PC media reported selectively and NBC went so far as to doctor the tapes and Arrest video so as to portray Zimmerman a racist and obscuring his injuries(which have now been medically verified)leading the public to believe it was an unwarranted attack. The media perpetually used a photo of Martin as a boy of about 12 years old while in reality he was a strapping 17 year old and 6'3" tall. There is no question here my friends. Tis was journalism at its pandering worst.
BrianO | May 18, 2012, 02:12 PM EDT
lot of judges and juries here, Ephraim has the liberal press backed of describing zimmerman as a white hispanic? I'm sure this wasn't done to further racial division. Also the hyperbole around this case has been the excuse for other racial murders in the area, I'm sure those murdered victims are glad that al sharpton could get some t.v time.
Bythebay | May 18, 2012, 12:48 PM EDT
Demands from the public resulted in the arrest of the stalker/murderer Zimmerman who wanted to rid his gated community of someone he claimed didn't belong there because of the color of his skin. Justice for Trayvon!
EphraimKibbey | May 18, 2012, 12:18 PM EDT
@Murph46 - Without the "liberal" press and especially one radio talk show host, there would have been no trial. The two gentlemen you mention have both said that it is now in the hands of the court and that we should let the law take its course. They have stopped talking about it. The daily news programs have brought it up again but just in passing to mention press releases by the lawyer and the court. Who is still doing an interview program on it - Fox news.
Murph46 | May 18, 2012, 11:54 AM EDT
I have stated throughout,forget the Jesse Jackson's &Al Sharpton and liberal press and let the courts decide,remember Tawana Brawley,the Duke LaCrosse team.....
EamonnDublin | May 18, 2012, 10:54 AM EDT
"TheOldPerfessor" - You say "I have no doubt they will find 12 people dedicated to finding out the truth". Later, you say, "if there had been no public outcry, there would have been no trial and Zimmerman would have gotten away with murder, pure and simple". So, you aren't waiting for the jury's verdict then? OMG, I've just had a horrible thought - I hope YOU aren't on the jury!! Éamonn, Dublin.
donal1951 | May 18, 2012, 10:51 AM EDT
I agree this is a case for the jury to decide. The evidence is conflicting and this case hinges as much on facts as it does on the law. Unless we know the facts, we cannot hang a guilty verdict on Zimmerman. On the other hand, I am very sympathetic to Trayvon Martin's family.
TheOldPerfessor | May 18, 2012, 10:36 AM EDT
I almost agree with O'Reilly. The case now has a competent prosecutor & a competent defense attorney, and I have no doubt that they will find 12 people dedicated to finding out the truth. On the other hand, if there had been no public outcry on this there would have been no trial and Zimmerman would have gotten away with murder pure and simple.
ProudCanadian | May 18, 2012, 10:25 AM EDT
Like the Palins can we leave this moron of this thread also. Who cares what O'Reilly thinks. He is just another Repubican no it all that knows nothing.
PhlutiePhan | May 18, 2012, 10:24 AM EDT
Part of the medical evidence is a doctor's report. It may not have been written on the night in question. However, he did later go to a doctor who corroborated the medical evidence of the EMT on the scene. A lot of people refuse medical treatment who do not know the real extent of their injuries. Concussions cause brain swelling and eye dilation 24 hrs after the fact. Therefore, it is useless to extensively examine someone for a sports related head injury, Zimmerman was similar, until 24 hours have elapsed.