but a few well placed phone calls may well soften things up a bit. There's at least 2 ways that can go...

1. Phone calls on your behalf from professional type people saying you're really good people never hurts when you're in trouble. Could be the tipping point.

2. Phone calls from someone who knows the ropes, ins and outs of legal stuff, may have been plenty enough to convince the prosecutor that the trial would be difficult and the prosecutor may not win.

Keep in mind, it may not be calls from the shooters Daddy, but it could be calls from the shooters Daddy's friends or former professional contacts.

Prosecutors don't like to lose. They're all about scoring points. I've only met one that even acted like he gave a rats ass about right and wrong. It's about the wins and loses.

It's never been easy in the South to convict a white man for killing a black man. Sure... the shooter isn't "exactly" white, but...

Larry's idea that my Dad couldn't get me out of trouble on the West coast is just plain false. He doesn't even begin to understand the thing. Though my case is different, networking works like this everywhere. Dad just happens to be well known and connected in "state government" circles across the country. Sure, his influence may be fading after nearly 20 years of retirement, but, a couple phone calls would result in some really good advice, which would lead to more phone calls by other people who may well be able to tip the scales. That's all we're talking about. Tipping the scales enough to get out of trouble. This stuff goes on all the time. I've known many, many, many people who should rightfully have been jailed, but due to good connections or enough $$$... they get a bit of a pass and a warning. Were any of these things murder? No, but again, it's never been easy to convict a white man in the South for the murder of a black man.

I'm not convinced that the shooter should be convicted of cold blooded murder, but for me to think he should "get away with it", they're going to need to demonstrate that the dead kid was involved in something that the shooter... as a neighbor hood watch volunteer... needed to be interested in, toher than just walking in the neighborhood. The shooter escalated this whole thing through poor choices and overzealous behavior. I think the shooter has a lot to prove. Of course, I don't happen to think "hoodies" are suspect, as, I've been wearing hoodies for nearly 50 years, as have most the people I've known over the years.

Some people think I'm naive because I don't automatically suspect every black kid in a hoodie. So be it.