LIVE BLOG: George Zimmerman trial in the Trayvon Martin case

LIVE BLOG - George Zimmerman trial in the death of Trayvon Martin...

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

UPDATE 3:57 p.m.: The judge has called for recess. Jury selection will continue tomorrow at 9 a.m.

UPDATE, 3:53 p.m.: Judge Nelson is releasing a group of jurors that have already been questioned today. She is requesting that they report back to the courthouse on Wednesday morning, and refrain from discussion or research about the case while they are excused.

UPDATE, 3:52 p.m.: Judge Nelson is releasing a group of potential jurors, some to return tomorrow morning and others to return Wednesday. She has instructed these individuals to limit their communication and research about the case.

UPDATE, 3:28 p.m.: H35 said she has not discussed this case in depth with anyone. H35 said she could serve on the jury if moving was not an obstacle.

UPDATE, 3:21 p.m.: H35 said she is moving at the end of the month. O’Mara is now questioning H35.

UPDATE, 3:20 p.m.: “The media is not what the case is about,” said H35. She said that she would make decisions based off of evidence and witnesses instead of what she saw in the media.

UPDATE, 3:15 p.m.: H35 said that she watched the news but does not remember much detail. She said, “I don’t recall knowing anything.”

UPDATE, 3:10 p.m.: H35 watches the local news, but didn’t pay close attention to the case. She remembered liking someone’s post on Facebook that featured Martin’s picture. She also remembers that Martin had skittles and was wearing a hooded sweatshirt. She referred to Zimmerman as a “security guard”.

UPDATE, 3:08 p.m.: Bernie de la Rionda is questioning a new potential juror, called H35.

UPDATE, 3:03 p.m.: H31 is a single mother and said that serving on the jury would be an insurmountable hardship.

UPDATE, 2:58 p.m.: H31 said she has seen pictures of the neighborhood, Martin, and Zimmerman. She said she had heard about the audio recordings in the case. She said she has not formed an opinion.

UPDATE, 2:54 p.m.: A new juror, H31, is being questioned by the prosecutor. She said that she has friends that are supporters of Trayvon Martin, but that doesn’t affect her opinions.

UPDATE, 2:49 p.m.: H29 has seen pictures of Zimmerman and his alleged injuries. He has also seen pictures of Martin, though he admits that those pictures made him seem younger than his real age.

UPDATE, 2:46 p.m.: O’Mara is now questioning H29.

UPDATE, 2:39 p.m.: H29 said he was disturbed by the “media circus” and prominent figures that were present in Sanford after the shooting.

UPDATE, 2:35  p.m.: H29 said described the case as tragic. He said, “there are no winners here”.

UPDATE 2:33 p.m.: H29 uses the internet as a part of his job and said “you couldn’t get away from it” in reference to information about the case. He said that the media was biased depending on what was watched.

UPDATE, 2:30 p.m.: Prosecutor De la Rionda is now questioning a new potential juror, H29.

UPDATE, 2:12 p.m.: H27 said that he could convict Zimmerman of murder if the state proved its case. He does not feel like he has a financial stake in the case, despite his donation.

UPDATE, 2:03 p.m.: Don West is now questioning H27.

UPDATE, 2:02 p.m.: H27 found it inappropriate that President Obama made a statement about the case.

UPDATE, 1:48 p.m.: H27 said that he thinks Zimmerman is innocent with 70% certainty. He said he has friends that think Zimmerman is guilty.

UPDATE, 1:35 p.m.: “At 17 you think your bulletproof and 10 feet tall,” said H27. He said that he remembers Martin being suspended from school and relocating to be with his father.

UPDATE, 1:29 a.m.: H27 said that he understands how the Stand Your Ground law applies to this case. He said Zimmerman had a right defend himself is he was fearful.

UPDATE, 1:23 p.m.: H27 said the media has portrayed Martin as a child. De la Rionda questions H27 deeply about his donation to the defense.

UPDATE, 1:12 p.m.: “I’ve got an opinion but I’ve got an open mind,” said H27. He said it is not an absolute opinion but he agrees to being 70% certain.

UPDATE, 1:07 p.m.: H27 has donated $20 to Zimmerman’s defense fund online. He referred to Zimmerman as “the underdog” and believes the media is biased against him. H27 said he thinks Mr. Zimmerman was “trying to do the right thing”.

UPDATE, 1:04 p.m.: H27 has heard about the case on the TV news, he watches  local news and CNN. He reads the newspaper at work and has had conversations with family related to the case.

UPDATE, 1:02 p.m.: Court is back in session.  New potential juror H27 is being questioned by De la Rionda.

UPDATE, 11:53 a.m.: Judge Nelson has called for a recess for lunch. Court will resume at 1 p.m.

UPDATE, 11:45 a.m.: When asked what he remembers about the case H18 answered that “a young guy got shot”, that he was coming from the store, and “something went on” in reference to a fight.

UPDATE, 11:42 a.m.: H18 said that serving on the jury would cause him a financial hardship. O’Mara is now questioning H18.

UPDATE, 11:34 a.m.: H18 does not watch much TV. He did not follow the details of the case. H18 said he does not use social media to get news, and has no opinion on Zimmerman’s guilt or innocence.

UPDATE, 11:29 a.m.: After a 10 minute recess, Bernie de la Rionda is now questioning a new potential juror, H18.

UPDATE, 11:05 a.m.: H13 said that some of her friends think there was a racial component in the shooting. She said, “When we wake up in the morning we don’t look at the color of people” in reference to her family.  H13 said that she avoids conversations that pinpoint race.

UPDATE, 10:24 a.m.: She said that she is convinced that Mr. Zimmerman followed Martin after being instructed not to. She admits, “I don’t know what motivated him to follow him”.

UPDATE, 10:19 a.m.: H13 said she believes that George Zimmerman approached Trayvon Martin or “called out to him” on the night of the incident.

UPDATE, 10:12 a.m.: H13 said that she remembers Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson at the protests. She said that a not guilty verdict for Mr. Zimmerman would incite more protests, not necessarily violent ones.

UPDATE, 10:06 a.m.: H13 said she does not know if the conflict was racially motivated.

UPDATE, 10:02 a.m.: Don West, of the defense, is questioning H13.

UPDATE, 9:57 a.m.: H13 said she has had minimal discussion about the case with friends, where people expressed their opinions. She said that she expressed her opinions but not about “who is right or wrong”. She has discussed the case with family pertaining to safety issues.

UPDATE, 9:52 a.m.: H13 said she has lived through the race riots of the 1960s and other protests. Although she thinks that everyone has the right to free speech, she said protests make her uncomfortable. She agreed that racial tension still exists in society.

UPDATE, 9:46 a.m.: H13 questions why Zimmerman had a gun to participate in a neighborhood watch. But, she has not formed an opinion about Zimmerman’s guilt or innocence. She remembers information about the 911 calls and court proceedings.

UPDATE, 9:41 a.m.: De la Rionda is now questioning H13.

UPDATE, 9:37 a.m.: De la Rionda is now questioning new potential juror H10. He said “its not for me to judge”, in reference to the guilt or innocence of Mr. Zimmerman, because of his religious beliefs. He was released after two questions.

UPDATE, 9:31 a.m.: H7 said that he is not sure of Trayvon Martin’s age and said could have been anywhere from 18-25.

UPDATE, 9:28 a.m.: H7 said that it would not be a great burden to be on the jury. Mark O’Mara is now questioning H7.

UPDATE, 9:20 a.m.: H7 mentioned hearing that Martin moved because of “behavioral problems”. He said that the court proceedings that he has heard about are “typical” and they haven’t had any impact on him. He said he remembers the Stand Your Ground law and how it might be used as a part of the defense.

UPDATE, 9:13 a.m.: H7 said he saw pictures of Zimmerman on the news and heard discussion of the audio tapes, but he doesn’t remember much.

UPDATE, June 17 9:10 a.m.: Court is in session. Bernie de la Rionda, the lead prosecutor, is now questioning new potential juror H7. H7 said he heard about the case primarily from TV news broadcasts and does not participate in social media.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE