After facing yet another charge of domestic violence and aggravated assault last week, George Zimmermen is a free man with no conviction or charges being brought against him.
Zimmerman originally made headlines in 2012 when he was acquitted for the murder of an unarmed black teen named Trayvon Martin, but the Florida man has since experienced a string of trouble with the law, although none of it has turned into a conviction.
This latest bit of trouble stemmed from an altercation earlier this month when Zimmerman's then-girlfriend reported to police that the man had thrown a wine bottle at her and broken her cell phone. The accusation came during a traffic stop where the girlfriend was pulled over for no headlights, but she quickly redirected the officers' attention to Zimmerman, who they pursued and arrested.
But now the ex-girlfriend is recanting her story, saying that the bottle was never thrown, she never felt like her life was in danger, and she doesn't want to pursue charges against Zimmerman.
"While it is clear that the officers had probably cause to arrest Mr. Zimmerman, which was affirmed by the circuit court judge at initial appearances, the subsequent recantation by the victim of her initial statement along with new documents provided by the victim and her attorney precludes my office from proceeding further," said State Attorney Phil Archer on Friday.
The 31-year-old Zimmerman has been arrested for aggravated assault charges, was involved in a road rage incident, and has been pulled over for speeding since his famous court case nearly three years ago.
According to an editorial at ThinkProgress, the reason Zimmerman keeps "getting away" with his alleged behavior is because of overwhelming pressure on the accusers. "Whether they feel intimidated by their abusers or pressured by loved ones, many victims of domestic violence choose not to press charges. Perpetrators, meanwhile, often move from one victim to the next."
The article went on to cite statistics for abuse patterns. "A 2000 study found that 41 percent of abusers re-abuse their victim within a 30-month follow-up period, and another study found that almost half of people who had been arrested for violating a restraining order had two or more victims within six years," the article said.
Meanwhile, Trayvon Martin's family is still grieving the loss of their son to Zimmerman, and have been making several public appearances to raise awareness of the racial topics brought up during the trial.
Tracy Martin, Trayvon's father, will be the keynote speaker during the Black Excellence Gala at the Lubbock Texas Civic Center on February 19. His focus will be on the importance of African American lives, especially in light of the recent protests over police violence and the awareness of the "Black Lives Matter" slogan.
"We are more than excited to bring Tracy Martin to Texas Tech to aid in the efforts of diversity the university is working toward," said Bobby Akinboro, social chairman of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. "We hope this event brings about a revitalization of humanity of all people, no matter race."
Trayvon's mother, Sybina Fulton, has also been making public appearances to raise awareness of her son's death, including an anti-gun rally in Baton Rouge, Louisiana only six days before what would have been her son's 20th birthday.
"I think one of the things we need to do is bring awareness to senseless gun violence and let people know how the loss of one life affects so many," Fulton said to a crowd during the event. "I think people don't realize how many lives it affects by just one person being shot and killed, and they ignore that until it hits their doorstep."
Fulton founded the Trayvon Martin Foundation in 2012 to offer support for families of gun violence victims and often speaks out in support of those who have lost loved ones in a similar manner to how she lost Trayvon.
"I think about him every day, and that's just by simply being a mother that has lost a child," Fulton said. "But I have two children. I have one in heaven and one on Earth. His birthday is an extra sad time for me, but at the same time, I think about him 365 days a year."
