Yesterday marked day 3 of jury selection in the trial of George Zimmerman, a self-appointed Florida neighborhood watch captain who shot and killed unarmed teen Trayvon Martin in February 2012. Zimmerman, who has pleaded self-defense, is on trial for second-degree murder. The definition of murder seemed to be an issue for one of the potential jurors that attorneys are questioning as they narrow the search for 6 impartial people. The potential juror, a male identified only as "R-39," said he believes "murder is murder," irrespective of whether the defendant has a self-defense claim or not. He was dismissed by the attorneys shortly afterward.
Another potential juror, a young White woman, expressed annoyance at Rev. Al Sharpton's early protesting of Florida's Sanford Police Department, which took nearly two months to arrest Zimmerman for Martin's killing. Others expressed concern for their safety or hardship on their families if chosen to serve on the jury, indicating that the attorneys will request that the jury be sequestered from the public for the duration of the trial. So far, at least 70 potential jurors have been dismissed and zero have been chosen.
At the end of day 3, Martin's parents held a press conference, where his father, Tracy Martin, said, "“we are encouraged that we as a family can get justice for Trayvon." Day 4 begins this morning. Stay tuned for updates.
