Zimmerman attorneys say Trayvon Martin was on drugs

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Jury selection begins as Trayvon Martin murder case goes to trial

SANFORD, Florida (Reuters) - Jury selection began on Monday in the murder trial of George Zimmerman, who shot and killed unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012 in a case that fueled a national debate about race, guns and equal justice before the law.

Zimmerman, 29, is charged with second-degree murder and faces up to life in prison if convicted. He has pleaded not guilty, contending he acted in self-defense during a confrontation with Martin, 17, in a gated community in this central Florida town on February 26, 2012.

After a brief opening session in the courtroom, where Zimmerman was joined by his wife Shellie, Circuit Court Judge Debra Nelson called a recess so that she, the prosecutors and defense attorneys could meet briefly with a pool of about 100 potential jurors.

The jurors were then to fill out a questionnaire before being summoned one by one into the courtroom for individual questioning.

It is unclear how long it will take for the judge and lawyers to select a panel of six jurors.

At the time of the Martin killing, Zimmerman, a light-skinned Hispanic, was the self-appointed neighborhood watch captain in the Retreat at Twin Lakes community. During a struggle, he killed Martin with a single shot to the chest from a 9mm handgun.

The case fanned national debates about race and guns, and triggered widespread protests, because police initially declined to arrest Zimmerman, saying he acted in self-defense.

As the trial opened on Monday, the Martin family issued a statement voicing relief that it was finally under way.

"As we seek justice for our son Trayvon, we also seek a fair and impartial trial," said the statement, which was read by Tracy Martin, Trayvon's father, in a media room at the courthouse.

"We ask that the community continue to stay peaceful as we place our faith in the justice system," the statement said.

Experts have said the case will largely depend on what the jurors believe happened in the struggle before Martin's killing.

Judge Nelson denied a defense request for a delay in the trial in the opening courtroom session on Monday.

In addition to presiding over jury selection, Nelson is also due to finish hearing another pre-trial motion over efforts by the defense to block testimony by audio experts suggesting that Martin can be heard screaming for help in the background of a 911 call, moments before he was shot dead.

A hearing for defense lawyers to challenge the methods used by prosecution audio experts began last Thursday and had to be carried over after it dragged on for three days, including a special Saturday court session.

Lead defense attorney Mark O'Mara has called the 911 recording "the most significant piece of evidence in the case."

If the identity of the person crying for help can be established, that would indicate who was dominant in the deadly confrontation, an important issue to Zimmerman's claim that he shot in self-defense.

At issue is whether the expert analyses were derived from techniques generally accepted in the scientific community, or through some new, untested approach.

Jury selection begins as Trayvon Martin murder case goes to trial
 
All-woman jury seated for George Zimmerman trial

SANFORD, Fla. -
Prosecutors and defense attorneys in the George Zimmerman case have agreed to a six-woman jury to hear his second-degree murder trial.

They worked from a pool of 40 candidates who made it through a second round of questioning to pick the six women, along with four alternates.

Zimmerman fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin last year in Sanford. He is pleading not guilty, claiming self-defense.

Martin's shooting death and the initial decision not to charge him led to public outrage and demonstrations around the nation, with some accusing Sanford police of failing to thoroughly investigate the shooting.

One potential juror at George Zimmerman's second-degree murder trial belongs to the National Rifle Association. Another says she was the victim of a violent crime that is constantly on her mind. A third is a competitive arm-wrestler.

The 40 members of the pool of possible jurors -- some of whom will decide whether the former neighborhood watch volunteer committed murder when he fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in a gated community -- shared personal details of their lives in the second round of jury selection Wednesday. Proceedings continue Thursday.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys indicated Wednesday that opening statements for the trial could take place as early as next Monday. But before that, they will need to settle upon six jurors and four alternates.

Both sides quizzed the whittled-down group of prospective jurors about whether they had fired guns, made judgments based on how people dressed or had been neighborhood watch volunteers themselves.

Zimmerman, 29, is pleading not guilty and says he acted in self-defense in shooting Martin in the central Florida community of Sanford where Zimmerman lived.

Martin's shooting death on Feb. 26, 2012 - and the initial decision not to charge him - led to public outrage and demonstrations around the nation, with some accusing Sanford police of failing to investigate the shooting thoroughly from the start because of Martin's race and because he was from the Miami area. Martin was black and wearing a hoodie at the time of the confrontation; the hoodie later was appropriated by protesters as a symbol of the shooting. Zimmerman identifies himself as Hispanic.

Prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda began the second round of more intensive, personal questioning Wednesday with the 40 potential jurors, whose names are kept confidential. The final jury will be sequestered throughout the trial to protect jurors from outside influence.

Several jury candidates were involved with rescuing animals, and the pool included individuals who compete in arm-wrestling, fishing and barbecue competitions. Seven potential jurors said they had previously been arrested. But they said that their cases had been dropped and that they thought they'd been treated fairly.

Fourteen candidates said they had been victims of crimes, including four who'd been victims of violent crimes. A white woman in her 50s said it would be difficult for her to keep her experience with a violent crime out of the courtroom.

"It's always in my mind," she said.

Twenty-seven of the 40 potential jurors are white, seven are black, three are mixed race and three are Hispanic. Twenty-four are women and 16 are men.

The racial and ethnic makeup of potential jurors is relevant because prosecutors have alleged that Zimmerman, while a neighborhood watch volunteer for his community, Fla., profiled Martin in following the teen as Martin was walking back from a convenience store to the home of his father's fiancee.

De la Rionda also asked if the potential jurors had been members of a neighborhood watch group and if it was acceptable for individuals to take the law into their own hands. None of the jurors had much experience with neighborhood watch groups and for the most part didn't believe it was OK for individuals to act as law enforcement officers.

The prosecutor also asked if potential jurors either owned or had fired guns and if the race or age of Martin was important to any decision they would make. About two dozen jury candidates either owned or had fired guns, and a white man in his 60s said he was a member of the NRA. No one said age and race mattered.

When asking potential jurors about whether clothing mattered, a reference to Martin's hoodie, a white woman in her 30s said, "I try not to make judgments, but I know we make assumptions."

All-woman jury seated for George Zimmerman trial | News - Home
 
An all-woman jury--interesting. It's rare these days to get all women or all men for a jury.
 
rockin'robin said:
SANFORD, Fla. -
Prosecutors and defense attorneys in the George Zimmerman case have agreed to a six-woman jury to hear his second-degree murder trial.

They worked from a pool of 40 candidates who made it through a second round of questioning to pick the six women, along with four alternates.

Zimmerman fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin last year in Sanford. He is pleading not guilty, claiming self-defense.

Martin's shooting death and the initial decision not to charge him led to public outrage and demonstrations around the nation, with some accusing Sanford police of failing to thoroughly investigate the shooting.

One potential juror at George Zimmerman's second-degree murder trial belongs to the National Rifle Association. Another says she was the victim of a violent crime that is constantly on her mind. A third is a competitive arm-wrestler.

The 40 members of the pool of possible jurors -- some of whom will decide whether the former neighborhood watch volunteer committed murder when he fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in a gated community -- shared personal details of their lives in the second round of jury selection Wednesday. Proceedings continue Thursday.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys indicated Wednesday that opening statements for the trial could take place as early as next Monday. But before that, they will need to settle upon six jurors and four alternates.

Both sides quizzed the whittled-down group of prospective jurors about whether they had fired guns, made judgments based on how people dressed or had been neighborhood watch volunteers themselves.

Zimmerman, 29, is pleading not guilty and says he acted in self-defense in shooting Martin in the central Florida community of Sanford where Zimmerman lived.

Martin's shooting death on Feb. 26, 2012 - and the initial decision not to charge him - led to public outrage and demonstrations around the nation, with some accusing Sanford police of failing to investigate the shooting thoroughly from the start because of Martin's race and because he was from the Miami area. Martin was black and wearing a hoodie at the time of the confrontation; the hoodie later was appropriated by protesters as a symbol of the shooting. Zimmerman identifies himself as Hispanic.

Prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda began the second round of more intensive, personal questioning Wednesday with the 40 potential jurors, whose names are kept confidential. The final jury will be sequestered throughout the trial to protect jurors from outside influence.

Several jury candidates were involved with rescuing animals, and the pool included individuals who compete in arm-wrestling, fishing and barbecue competitions. Seven potential jurors said they had previously been arrested. But they said that their cases had been dropped and that they thought they'd been treated fairly.

Fourteen candidates said they had been victims of crimes, including four who'd been victims of violent crimes. A white woman in her 50s said it would be difficult for her to keep her experience with a violent crime out of the courtroom.

"It's always in my mind," she said.

Twenty-seven of the 40 potential jurors are white, seven are black, three are mixed race and three are Hispanic. Twenty-four are women and 16 are men.

The racial and ethnic makeup of potential jurors is relevant because prosecutors have alleged that Zimmerman, while a neighborhood watch volunteer for his community, Fla., profiled Martin in following the teen as Martin was walking back from a convenience store to the home of his father's fiancee.

De la Rionda also asked if the potential jurors had been members of a neighborhood watch group and if it was acceptable for individuals to take the law into their own hands. None of the jurors had much experience with neighborhood watch groups and for the most part didn't believe it was OK for individuals to act as law enforcement officers.

The prosecutor also asked if potential jurors either owned or had fired guns and if the race or age of Martin was important to any decision they would make. About two dozen jury candidates either owned or had fired guns, and a white man in his 60s said he was a member of the NRA. No one said age and race mattered.

When asking potential jurors about whether clothing mattered, a reference to Martin's hoodie, a white woman in her 30s said, "I try not to make judgments, but I know we make assumptions."

All-woman jury seated for George Zimmerman trial | News - Home
Click to expand...


"One potential juror at George Zimmerman's second-degree murder trial belongs to the National Rifle Association. Another says she was the victim of a violent crime that is constantly on her mind. "


My sister was called for jury duty and she was asked if she knew anyone that dies in drowning accident , and my sister said" yes she had a cousin that dies that way" And my sister was dismiss from jury duty. So how can a woman that was a victim of a violent crime be a jury member? Isn't that going affect the way she vote? My sister was not used for this reason.

I am not sure I would want an all women jury. And it's legal to have only women ?
 
whatdidyousay! said:
"One potential juror at George Zimmerman's second-degree murder trial belongs to the National Rifle Association. Another says she was the victim of a violent crime that is constantly on her mind. "


My sister was called for jury duty and she was asked if she knew anyone that dies in drowning accident , and my sister said" yes she had a cousin that dies that way" And my sister was dismiss from jury duty. So how can a woman that was a victim of a violent crime be a jury member? Isn't that going affect the way she vote? My sister was not used for this reason.

I am not sure I would want an all women jury.
Click to expand...

Do you see "potential"? I doubt that she will be juror in the trial.
 
whatdidyousay! said:
"One potential juror at George Zimmerman's second-degree murder trial belongs to the National Rifle Association. Another says she was the victim of a violent crime that is constantly on her mind. "


My sister was called for jury duty and she was asked if she knew anyone that dies in drowning accident , and my sister said" yes she had a cousin that dies that way" And my sister was dismiss from jury duty. So how can a woman that was a victim of a violent crime be a jury member? Isn't that going affect the way she vote? My sister was not used for this reason.

I am not sure I would want an all women jury. And it's legal to have only women ?
Click to expand...

Yes it is legal to have an all female jury. That is not necessarily an advantage for GZ.

Lawyers are limited in the number of challenges they get, crime victims often become jurors.
 
To the OP:

Would you be willing to ask the mods to close this thread, and then you could start a new one specifically for the Zimmerman trial? I think the scope of this thread has moved on, and the trial is probably going to generate a huge thread of postings.

Just a suggestion. :)
 
Reba said:
To the OP:

Would you be willing to ask the mods to close this thread, and then you could start a new one specifically for the Zimmerman trial? I think the scope of this thread has moved on, and the trial is probably going to generate a huge thread of postings.

Just a suggestion. :)
Click to expand...

Good idea...the trial will be starting soon anyway...

MODS: Please close this thread...and thanks much!...Have a good day...rockin'
 
Mod note:

Thread is now closed per OP's request.

rockin'robin said:
Good idea...the trial will be starting soon anyway...

MODS: Please close this thread...and thanks much!...Have a good day...rockin'
Click to expand...
 
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