George Zimmerman Found Not Guilty
Monday, July 15th, 2013July 15, 2013
A Florida jury on Saturday returned a “not guilty” verdict in the highly publicized trial of George Zimmerman for the shooting death of unarmed African American teenager Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, was charged with second-degree murder for killing Martin during a confrontation on Feb. 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida. Zimmerman’s acquittal led to prayer vigils and largely peaceful protests and rallies on Sunday by people who believed Martin was the victim of a racially biased judicial system.
During the trial, the prosecution claimed that Zimmerman had targeted Martin, who was walking home from a convenience store, because of his race and clothing. Lawyers for the state also argued that Zimmerman was chiefly responsible for triggering the violence that left Martin dead. The defense argued that Zimmerman had shot Martin in self-defense after the teenager had knocked him to the ground and started pounding his head on the pavement. The trial highlighted Florida’s controversial “stand your ground” law, which allows Floridians who have a reasonable fear of great bodily harm or death to use lethal force against another person, even if retreating from the danger is possible. There were no eyewitnesses to the fight between Zimmerman and Martin.
Some legal experts argued that the state had miscalculated in charging Zimmerman with second-degree murder rather than a lesser charge. Some experts also criticized the police investigation of Martin’s death.
Additional World Book articles:
- African Americans
- Racial profiling
- Civil rights (2012) (a Back in Time article)