Trayvon Martin

Let's be honest: Almost no one knows exactly what happened in the moments before George Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin to death. So all those proclaiming that Zimmerman is guilty or innocent really don't know.

That's not stopping people on either side from answering that question. Pew and other research shows that the case has split sharply along partisan and racial lines. That's understandable on views of the criminal justice system, race and gun rights. But on whether Zimmerman is guilty of murder? That's a question of law that no one can answer without exhaustive testimony from witnesses, forensic experts and others.

That's why Zimmerman should be arrested and have his day in court. Absent that, the speculation is never-ending.

Why is this playing out in the media instead of in a courtroom? Under Florida's generally wrong-headed "Stand Your Ground" law, Zimmerman is not guilty of a crime if Martin was attacking him and putting his life in danger. On the other hand, an unarmed 17-year-old has been shot dead and no one has been arrested.

We don't know if Zimmerman is guilty. We do know there are enough questions to suggest he might be. Get him in a courtroom and let the justice system run its course. The problem so far is that there's no justice, not because he's definitely guilty but because law enforcement hasn't even gone through a process to find out.

- The Charlotte Observer