George Zimmerman, the Florida neighborhood watch captain charged with second-degree murder for killing Trayvon Martin, pleaded not guilty in May, claiming self-defense. Now, his case is going to trial in proceedings expected to last more than a month. Zimmerman is pictured below in court.
Attorneys representing the Martins claim case is fraught with racial tension—Martin was black, Zimmerman is half white, half Hispanic—and though a href= http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/opinion/2013/06/06/rick-sanchez-trayvon-zimmerman-is-not-black-and-white/>FoxNews.com points out that “Zimmerman is, in fact, a minority too,” the defense will have to prove Zimmerman did not racially profile Martin.
When the Martins hired a civil rights attorney, a narrative of racial profiling was what got the attention of national media, and race is expected to be a prominent factor in jury selection today says a href= http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/10/opinion/nejame-zimmerman-trial/index.html
>CNN.com
Another potent factor in the case is character evidence regarding Martin. a href= http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/06/10/trial-begins-for-zimmerman-accused-murdering-trayvon-martin/>FoxNews.com speculates that defense attorneys might attempt to use Martin’s past use of marijuana, fighting, suspension from school, and cell phone footage to help prove he attacked Zimmerman. The video, from Martin’s cell phone, has only just been released. It appears to have been taken by Martin, and shows Zimmerman in an altercation with another man over a bike.
While the judge has ruled that witnesses must testify publicly, jurors will be allowed to maintain anonymity in what is expected to be an explosive case.