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| George Zimmerman listens to a prospective juror in Seminole circuit court during his trial, in Sanford, Fla., Wednesday, June 12, 2013. Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder for the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin. |
SANFORD, Fla.
(AP) -- Attorneys trying to seat a jury in George Zimmerman's trial for
shooting an unarmed teen stopped questioning a white man in his 20s
Wednesday after he gave answers that indicated he wouldn't be impartial.
The
juror, known as "R-39" because potential panelists can be identified
only by their numbers, said that "murder is murder," even if it's
self-defense. Zimmerman, 29, is pleading not guilty to second-degree
murder, claiming he shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin last year in
self-defense.
A 44-day delay in Zimmerman's
arrest last year led to protests around the U.S. They questioned whether
the Sanford Police Department was seriously investigating the case of
Martin, a black teen from the Miami area. Zimmerman, who was a
neighborhood watch volunteer in his gated community of Sanford,
identifies himself as Hispanic.
The potential juror left the Florida courtroom without defense attorneys asking questions.
Attorneys
had interviewed two dozen potential jurors by the end of the third day
of selection, including 10 on Wednesday. At least 70 jury candidates
have been dismissed.
Potential jurors
questioned Wednesday also included a white man in his 50s whose prior
Facebook posting earned a question from Judge Debra Nelson. The nature
of the posting wasn't disclosed but the judge asked the self-described
painter and musician if he had made it. He said yes and left the
courtroom a few minutes later. Earlier in the questioning, he said he
thought Zimmerman should have been arrested but he hadn't formed an
opinion on his guilt or innocence.
Also
interviewed Wednesday were a white woman in her mid-20s who expressed
concerns about her safety if picked and a black woman in her 20s who
lived nearby the shooting but said she hadn't formed an opinion about
it. A white woman in her 50s said didn't like the negative image of
Sanford that was portrayed in the media after the shooting happened
there.
A white man in his 40s said serving on
the jury would create a hardship for his young family, and a black woman
in her 50s, who said she initially thought the Sanford Police
Department should have done more to investigate the shooting. The
investigation was eventually taken over by the State Attorney's Office
in Jacksonville.
After Wednesday's courtroom
session had ended, Martin's father, Tracy Martin, said his family was
encouraged so far in what he had seen in jury selection.
"We
are encouraged as a family that we can get justice for our son Trayvon,
and we expect the public to come forth and be honest as potential
jurors," Tracy Martin said.
In the jury
selection process established by Nelson, once 30 jurors have been
questioned individually about pretrial exposure and have not been
dismissed for cause or hardships, they will be brought together as a
group for broader questioning by lawyers on both sides. Thus far,
Zimmerman's attorneys have been unable to find potential jurors who
hadn't heard something about the fatal shooting of Martin.
Nelson
has said she will keep the identities of the selected jurors anonymous
but she rejected a defense request to sequester the initial jury pool of
500 residents.
Attorneys need to find six
jurors and four alternates. In Florida, 12 jurors are required only for
criminal trials involving capital cases, when the death penalty is being
considered.
Defense attorneys have asked
potential jurors if being isolated during the trial would be a hardship,
indicating they plan to ask Nelson to sequester the jury.
