Those of you who were deep in the weeds during the Zimmerman research and discoveries might be interested in this little loose end.
During the “discovery phase”, and intense pre-trial preparation, Trayvon Martin family attorney Benjamin Crump refused explain or reconcile his public claims about witness #8 (he called “Dee Dee”). Crump refused to discuss his relationship with witness #8 or anything about her despite his public, yet secretive, introductions of her to the media in March of the previous year (2012).
![March 20th, 2012 Crump holds a press conference introducing](https://theconservativetreehouse.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/crump-presser.jpg)
By the end of May 2013 a frustrated defense team couldn’t get Crump to explain his claims of Witness #8 being 16-years old (she wasn’t – she was 18 per the prosecution); or being “a minor” (she wasn’t per the prosecution); or being “Trayvon’s Girlfriend” (she wasn’t); or about her being in “the hospital” (she never was – lie admitted one day prior to her deposition); or about Trayvon knowing her “since Kindergarten” (she didn’t – only met him 2 weeks prior); or about her “writing a statement” (she didn’t – and couldn’t write); or about the State Attorney taking an affidavit from someone claiming to be her without ever asking for ID (yes, they actually did that); or about neither Crump nor the State of Florida, knowing Witness #8’s last name (yes, they both claimed they never asked).
Despite these ridiculous “on the record” discrepancies, Judge Debra Nelson refused to make attorney Benjamin Crump answer questions about them.
[Additionally, in one of the most bizarre examples of judicial malpractice, because it was claimed in 2012 Witness #8 was a minor, Judge Nelson protected the witness identification all the way to the moment of witness 8’s deposition in 2013 (Crump was to bring her in) – thereby denying the defense team any time for research or background investigation. Additionally x2, as unbelievable as it sounds – the State (Angela Corey) denied allowing the defense to “record the deposition” – and Judge Nelson went along with the State’s position, on the day of the deposition itself. Yeah, it was THAT BAD.]
[The world found out what we already knew, when Rachel Jeantel walked into the courtroom in July 2013 and the entire construct of her being “a devastating ear-witness” collapsed; because everything told to the media about “Dee-Dee”, aka. Rachel Jeantel, was a complete and utter fraud.]
That’s the backdrop for a seriously frustrated defense attorney, Mark O’Mara, filing a pre-trial motion to force Crump to sit for a deposition. Judge Nelson denied the motion – O’Mara quickly appealed to the 5th DCA for an urgent appellate decision.
The 5th DCA was well aware of the trial shenanigans, and had already overruled Judge Nelson once before in pre-trial motions. The 5th DCA immediately took the deposition appeal and ruled in favor of O’Mara (aka Zimmerman defense).
The trial was on the cusp of the jury selection phase; time was of the essence.
On June 3rd 2013 the 5th District Court of Appeals overruled Nelson and granted the deposition. You can read HERE