In an interview with Al Sharpton on MSNBC's PolticsNation, Benjamin Crump, the Florida attorney representing the family of Trayvon Martin, gave his first reactions to the selection of an all-female, mostly White jury in the trial of Trayvon's killer, George Zimmerman.
The jury selection process was completed on Thursday afternoon, and according to reports, the jury will consist of six women, five of whom are White, and one who is described as Black or Hispanic. The jury also contains four alternates, two of whom are men with one being described as White. The race or ethnicity of the other three alternates is not yet known. The jury pool was selected from residents of Seminole County, Florida. According to U.S. census data from 2011, Seminole County's population is 81.6 percent White and 11.7 percent Black/African American.
When asked by PoliticsNation host Rev. Al Sharpton how the family feels about the fairness of the trial thus far, Crump had this to say:
Well, you know, we've said all along this case is about equal justice. Equal justice under the law is not a Black value, it's not a White value, it's an American value. And with the make-up of this jury, five White women and one Hispanic, it's gonna be the question can every American get equal justice no matter who sits on your jury. And so, they're just praying that they can get justice for their child.
"Their child" would be Trayvon Martin, the 17 year old African American who was shot and killed on February 26, 2012 by George Zimmerman. Martin was walking home from a trip to a convenience store when he was followed and eventually approached by Zimmerman who thought he looked suspicious. Zimmerman now stands accused of the child's murder.
