HeadlineSurfer.com tweet by Headline Surfer Publisher Henry Frederick announcing 600-page book he's writing called "Creepy Ass Cracker." The inspiration for the title was the testimony of Rachel Jeantel, Trayvon Martin's friend who was on the phone with him just before the homicide. She testified he described Zimmerman as a 'creepy ass cracker.'
SANFORD -- Headline Surfer Publisher Henry Frederick, who has covered the Trayvon Martin slaying nearly from the onset, including the trial and not-guilty verdict of gunman George Zimmerman, is writing a book on the legal entanglements that have made this the most controversial cases of the 21st century: "Creepy Ass Cracker."
"Coupled with the verdict that saw Casey Anthony walk, the Zimmerman verdict calls into question the veracity of the American justice system and the politicization of the courts, especially in Florida, which is why this book is important," Frederick said.
"This book is not an indictment of George Zimmerman. Rather, it takes a critical look at the system itself and the politics, Frederick said, asking, "Why didn't special prosecutor Angela Corey take this to a grand jury in the first place? How expedient was this for Gov. Rick Scott to appease the black community and yet defend the rights of gun owners to bear arms where race and gun rights were core social issues? And how is it that an all-female jury could be acceptable to the prosecution?"
And certainly, Zimmerman had the right to be judged by a jury of his peers, Frederick said, but asked: "What about representation of the victim, a black unarmed teen? Would the verdict been the same if even one African-American woman was seated in place of one of the five white women jurors along with the one latina juror selected?"
Frederick, a multiple-award-winning journalist, also found it ironic that one of the jurors in the Zimmerman case, identified as B-37, is writing a book and is married to an attorney and a gun owner, according to media reports earlier today, which "opens up a can of worms as to that juror's motivation to serve." There are also reports surfacing today of at least one other juror willing to "sell an interview for money."
"It's not just the prosecution, but the defense as well from the "knock-knock joke" in opening statements by co-counsel Don West to lead-counsel Mark O'Mara's repeated appearances on CNN and other cable networks throughout the legal proceedings, that can be called into question," Frederick said, "as well as the "musical chairs of judges, that gives the public reason to question the sancity of the courts."
Frederick said these are among the prevailing questions and concerns that have Americans asking whether justice exists any more, which is why he decided to write this book, 600 pages with photos and a glossary of legal terms.
Having covered police and courts for metro newspapers in Florida, New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut since the mid-1980s before launching Florida's first 24/7 internet newspaper five years ago, Frederick, who has won numerous journalism-industry awards for investigative reporting and breaking news related to cops and courts, believes he is positioned to examine the intricacies of the criminal justice system in his upcoming book. He first announced his decision to write "Creepy Ass Cracker" in a July 12 tweet.
Frederick said the book also will include half a dozen prominent cases he covered in Daytona Beach and DeLand where the outcomes and questions of justice were paramount to illustrate where the system failed in State of Florida vs. George Zimmerman (State of Florida vs. George Zimmerman (18th Judicial Circuit, Case Number 592012CF001083A). Among them:
* State of Florida vs. Stanley Mathes Quaggin (criminal case, Castle Doctrine and pre-cursor to stand your ground);
* (Oak Hill) Trull Brothers Murder Trial (lengthiest and most expensive in Volusia County's history);
* Teresa Earnhardt civil trial to keep her late husband Dale Earnhardt's autopsy photos sealed;
* Virginia Larzelere's overturned death sentence in the slaying of her dentist-husband for insurance and her impending release from prison altogether;
* The legal maneuverings that led to the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos, whose mental competency was called into question in granting her wish to be executed despite remaining appeals;
* Criminal bench trial trial that led to acquittal of the Daytona Beach-based Abundant Life Academy Ministries and its pastor, Marcus Triplett, on an aggravated manslaughter charge in the day-care van (sun-baked) death of 2 1/2-year-old African-American Zaniyah Hinson.
Each of the cases represents circumstances where expectations and legalities clashed and the resulting verdicts spoke volumes as to the politics involved.
Headline Surfer was among three media outlets worldwide to win journalism awards in 2012 for coverage of the Trayvon Martin slaying. Frederick was Florida's top individual winner in the 2012 Florida Press Club Awards, including an award under general news writing for "Trayvon Martin's parents in exclusive interview after Miami rally: 'We are not alone in this fight for justice.'"
Frederick drove to Miami where a major rally was being held just weeks after the slaying with the intention of getting an exclusive video interview with Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, at the time something only accomplished by the Miami Herald and before the big cable networks began competing for face time with the grieving parents.
The Orlando Sentinel won an award from the American Society of News Editors for a seven-part series, “In the Shadow of Race,” which examined issues such as the history of racial tensions in Sanford, the stereotypes battled by young black men and the blurring of ethnic identities. its in-depth reporting on race relations in Central Florida following the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.
Trymaine Lee of the Huffington Post won the April Sidney Award for his coverage of the Trayvon Martin shooting. Lee, a senior reporter at the of the Huffinton Post Huffington Post, spearheaded his site's reporting effort, which helped turn the killing of Martin into a national cause.
Headline Surfer was the lone Volusia County media outlet to cover the Zimmerman trial from the Seminole County Criminal Justice Center in Sanford, including the pre-trial hearings.
The New Smyrna Beach-based internet newspaper also covered student marches from Daytona Beach to the Sanford Police Department and an MLK banquet earlier this year in Daytona Beach where Trayvon Martin's parents were the guests of honor.