DOJ Sets Up Public Email Address to Take in Tips as It ‘Aggressively’ Pursues Zimmerman Civil Rights Investigation

George Zimmerman, right, talks to court security investigator Robert Hemmert during a recess after a jury question in the 25th day of his trial at the Seminole County Criminal Justice Center, in Sanford, Fla., Saturday, July 13, 2013. Credit: AP

The U.S Department of Justice is asking civil rights groups and community leaders to “actively refer anyone who [has] any information” that might help bring federal criminal charges against George Zimmerman, who was recently acquitted by a jury in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.

The DOJ has reportedly set up a public email address to take in tips on its civil rights investigation. The department is hoping to get tips from across the nation as well as locally in Sanford, Fla.

That email address, which is now “in operation,” is Sanford.florida@usdoj.gov.

It is unclear why, if officials saw enough reason to open an investigation in the first place, the DOJ now needs tips to help with its probe into Zimmerman.

Barbara Arnwine, president and executive director the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said the DOJ during a conference called on individuals and groups “to actively refer anyone who had any information” that might build a case against Zimmerman for a civil rights violation or a hate crime, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

“They said they would very aggressively investigate this case,” she added.

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That email address, which is now “in operation,” is Sanford.florida@usdoj.gov.

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Zimmerman prosecutor takes hit in court of public opinion

Angela Corey continues to call George Zimmerman a "murderer." Now, "to quell racial tension," some want her removed from a new case in which a white man is charged with killing an unarmed black teen.

Angela Corey, the controversial state attorney at the heart of the prosecution of George Zimmerman, has been facing tough criticism by some who say Zimmerman's acquittal proves she can't follow through on her characteristic bold moves. 

Still, Corey uses the law to pursue the justice she wants. With the nation questioning her decisions, she fiercely defends herself against those who think her ambition eclipses the skills she needs to pull off such legal gymnastics.

Before Corey made national news by charging Zimmerman with murder for killing Florida teen Trayvon Martin, the state attorney was no stranger to calculated risks. She had already made a 12-year-old face first-degree murder charges.

She also put a woman in prison for 20 years for firing at, yet missing, an allegedly abusive husband, the prosecutor's office says. Now, a growing number of critics describe her as a desperate prosecutor who regularly overcharges defendants and is more interested in making a name for herself than in seeking justice.

"She had the worst reputation in Florida for overcharging and the worst reputation with professional responsibility," said Alan Dershowitz, a Harvard Law School professor explaining why Corey should not have tried the Zimmerman case. "There are some great prosecutors in Florida and across the country. She's not one of them."  READ MORE