Political pressure is growing on the Obama administration to pursue federal charges against George Zimmerman, who admitted to stalking, fighting, and shooting to death an unarmed 17-year old black teenager.  A Florida jury acquitted Zimmerman over the weekend.

There’s been a wave of peaceful protests across America since what many Americans believe to be a miscarriage of justice.  Although Zimmerman was cleared of murder charges under Florida law, US prosecutors could decide to bring criminal charges under a federal hate-crimes law.

Attorney General Eric Holder said federal prosecutors are continuing to investigate what he called “the tragic, unnecessary shooting death of Trayvon Martin.”

“Independent of the legal determination that will be made, I believe that this tragedy provides yet another opportunity for our nation to speak honestly about the complicated and emotionally charged issues that this case has raised,” Holder said.  “We must not - as we have too often in the past - let this opportunity pass.”

There is precedent for Feds coming in to “correct” a perceived injustice in state courts.  For example, when four cops were acquitted of the videotaped beating of Rodney King, sparking the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Feds came in with civil rights charges, convicting two of the officers.