More than a year after their son's death, Trayvon Martin's parents have settled their claim against the homeowner's association of the subdivision in Sanford, Fla. where he was killed.
Martin was shot to death by George Zimmerman, a Neighborhood Watch volunteer who pursued Martin after observing what he said was suspicious activity on the part of the teenager, who was returning to his aunt's house nearby after a trip to the grocery store.
The details are still being debated, but an altercation between the two ensued. Zimmerman said Martin attacked him and he fired in self defense. Advocates for the Martin family said Trayvon was only defending himself against an unknown assailant who had begun following him.
Florida's controversial "stand your ground" law delayed the investigation and subsequent arrest of Zimmerman for six weeks, as the law prohibits prosecution against shooters who claim self defense.
Zimmerman is currently awaiting trial on charges of second-degree murder for Martin's shooting, but civil suits like the one settled today continue.
The homeowner's association admitted no responsibility for Martin's death, and the amount of the settlement was not disclosed, though many experts suggest it is around $1 million.
Whatever the actual cost of the settlement, it is a calculated risk on the part of the homeowner's association and its insurers. While the association may feel that it had nothing to do with Martin's killing and had no way to prevent it even if it had known about Zimmerman's actions, a jury may still find them culpable in some way.
The settlement insures that the matter will not go to trial, which could have resulted in either no monetary loss or a much larger payment awarded to the Martins. In this particular case, the association likely also wanted to avoid the inevitable media spotlight that comes with such an infamous killing.
The settlement also buys silence, so we may never know.
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