Sanford is quiet as Zimmerman jury selection begins

SANFORD, Fla.— Residents had braced for tensions and traffic ahead of the trial of George Zimmerman. Instead, there have been empty seats in the courtroom and little fanfare outside as the first week of jury selection wrapped up Friday...

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

SANFORD, Fla.— Residents had braced for tensions and traffic ahead of the trial of George Zimmerman. Instead, there have been empty seats in the courtroom and little fanfare outside as the first week of jury selection wrapped up Friday.

The city expected thousands of protesters to fill a so-called “free speech zone” set up outside of the courthouse. But only about a dozen people showed up on opening day Monday, the first day of the trial. Just a handful of people have gathered there each day since.

Seats reserved for public spectators in the courtroom have been largely empty on most days. And even local activists who played a role in planning the large rallies and protests that engulfed Sanford after Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin last year say they are reserving their energy for when testimony begins in the case.

“Once jury selection is over we’ll all be down there,” said activist Francis Oliver.

Read more at tv.msnbc.com.

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