LIVE BLOG: George Zimmerman trial in the Trayvon Martin case
LIVE BLOG - George Zimmerman trial in the death of Trayvon Martin...
UPDATE, 4:27 p.m.: The witness has been excused. The judge has called for the evening recess for the jury. She said there are matters that need to be discussed outside of their presence. Court will resume Tuesday morning at 9 a.m.
UPDATE, 4:23 p.m.: The prosecutor is cross-examining the witness.
UPDATE, 4:20 p.m.: Lee said that his recommendation was that the recordings associated with the case be shown to the Martin family on an individual basis. When the recording was actually played, it was played in a group setting without law enforcement present. Mr. Lee was also excluded from the room while the recording was played in the Mayor’s office.
UPDATE, 4:13 p.m.: The defense has called their next witness, Bill Lee. Mr. Lee was the former police chief of the Sanford police department. He stepped down from that position in 2012.
UPDATE, 4:07 p.m.: The prosecution is cross-examining Martin. Tracy Martin said that when his family had the opportunity to listen to the recording at the Mayor’s office, he played recordings an estimated 20 times. He said, “I was listening to my son’s last cry for help. I was listening to his life being taken”. Later, Martin said that he was trying to understand why Zimmerman “got out of his car” and “chased” his son.
UPDATE, 3:58 p.m.: Tracy Martin said, “I can’t tell … but I never said that wasn’t my son’s voice.” He admits that he did not mention listening to the tape before the rest of the Martin family had a chance to hear it. After the recording was played at the Mayor’s office, Martin said that he knew the voice belonged to his son.
UPDATE, 3:53 p.m.: Mr. Martin testified that he went to the station to speak with investigator Serino on his own accord. Martin said that when asked about his son’s voice on an audio recording he did not directly say “no”. He said that he did not see Singleton in the room on that day, though she testified that she heard Martin’s response.
UPDATE, 3:51 p.m.: Court is back in session. The defense has called Tracy Martin, Trayvon Martin’s father, to the stand.
UPDATE, 3:20 p.m.: Pollock has been excused. The judge has called for a 15 minute recess.
UPDATE, 3:16 p.m.: Pollock said that Zimmerman was in the gym no more than six hours in a given week.
UPDATE, 3:08 p.m.: The prosecution is cross-examining the witness.
UPDATE, 3:03 p.m.: Pollock described George Zimmerman as “physically soft”, “non-athletic”, and “overweight”.
UPDATE, 2:57 p.m.: Pollock said that Zimmerman was not “physically accomplished” enough to box against anyone else. Pollock said that Zimmerman accomplished his goal of losing weight, but not a level of athleticism. He said that Zimmerman never mastered learning how to punch.
UPDATE, 2:52 p.m.: Pollock said that Zimmerman trained two to three times per week. On a scale of 1-10, Pollock assigned Zimmerman a “0.5” in reference to his original physical skill. In his time at Pollock’s gym, Pollock rated Zimmerman a “1” at the end of his gym training.
UPDATE, 2:46 p.m.: Pollock said that Zimmerman came into his gym to “lose weight and get in shape”. Pollock said that he put Zimmerman on a diet and helped him select exercise programs that fit around him work and school schedule. Zimmerman was enrolled in the “grappling” class but was originally interested in boxing.
UPDATE, 2:43 p.m.: O’Mara and Pollock demonstrated the “mounted” position for the jury. Pollock explained the restricted movement of the person on the bottom of the mount. Pollock is explaining ways to get out of the “mounted position” for the person on the bottom.
UPDATE, 2:36 p.m.: Pollock is explaining what Mixed Martial Arts encompasses. Specifically, Pollock is recounting what a “ground and pound” would look like and why it would be used.
UPDATE, 2:29 p.m.: Singleton has been excused, but is still subject to recall. The defense has called its next witness, Andrew Pollock. He is the owner of Kokopelli’s Gym.
UPDATE, 2:25 p.m.: Singleton said that she recalled Tracy Martin saying that the voice on the recording was not his son’s. She said that she was standing about 10 feet away and was not a part of the actual questioning.
UPDATE, 2:23 p.m.: Officer Singleton has been recalled to the stand.
UPDATE, 2:22 p.m.: Serino said that when Zimmerman was asked about his own voice on the recording he said that it did not sound like him either.
UPDATE, 2:14 p.m.: Serino agreed that Mr. Martin’s reaction to the question about Trayvon Martin’s voice could be construed as “denial” associated with grief.
UPDATE, 2:09 p.m.: Serino said that he played all of the recordings available to Tracy Martin during this meeting. Serino said that Tracy Martin was “very emotional” and had a hard time listening to all of the recordings.
UPDATE, 2:01 p.m.: Serino confirmed that he had a meeting with Tracy Martin and his girlfriend to “bring them up to speed” on the information gathered in the investigation. He said that he played the Lauer 911 call for Mr. Martin and asked him if the screams in the background were Trayvon Martin’s. He said that Tracy Martin looked away and answered “no” under his breath.
UPDATE, 1:47 p.m.: The defense has now called officer Chris Serino to the stand. He was the lead investigator for the case, and he also gave a testimony for this case earlier in the trial.
UPDATE, 1:44 p.m.: Singleton said that she was present for an interview between Martin’s father and investigator Serino to explain why an arrest could not be made days after the shooting. After no questioning from the prosecution Singleton was excused.
UPDATE, 1:39 p.m.: The defense has called its next witness, Doris Singleton. She has already given a testimony in this case. She is an officer for the Sanford County police department that took statements from Zimmerman on the night of the shooting and with investigator Serino.
UPDATE, 1:36 p.m.: Court is back in session.
UPDATE, 12:11 p.m.: Judge Nelson has called for the lunch recess. Court will resume at 1:30 p.m.
UPDATE, 12:06 p.m.: Donnelly said that all of the background screams and cries for help sounded as if they were coming from one person, who Donnelly identified as Zimmerman.
UPDATE, 12:02 p.m.: De la Rionda played Zimmerman’s non emergency call for Donnelly. He said that he recognizes Zimmerman’s voice on the recording.
UPDATE, 11:56 a.m.: Donnelly confirmed that he donated $2500 to Zimmerman’s defense fund, $500 to Zimmerman’s personal website, and spent close to $1700 on the clothing.
UPDATE, 11:52 a.m.: Bernie de la Rionda is now questioning the witness. Donnelly said he did not listen to the 911 call until last Saturday, and he played it twice. He called listening to the tape “an emotional experience”.
UPDATE, 11:51 a.m.: O’Mara played the Lauer 911 call for Donnelly. After hearing the tape, Donnelly said that he identifies the voice screaming in the background as George Zimmerman. He teared up after giving that portion of his testimony.
UPDATE, 11:46 a.m.: Donnelly was previously a combat medic in the Army. He said that in a combat situation “voices change” and you can hear someone you know screaming for help “and know who it is before you get there”.
UPDATE, 11:33 a.m.: Donnelly admitted that he purchased Zimmerman suits for the trial and donated to his defense fund. He said many things that were similar to his wife’s testimony about the time spent with Zimmerman in work settings and volunteering on political campaigns.
UPDATE, 11:27 a.m.: The defense is calling its next witness, John Donnelly. He is a former physicians assistant and friend of Zimmerman. He is married to Leanne Benjamin, who just testified.
UPDATE, 11:20 a.m.: O’Mara is redirecting the witness. She said that she did not think that Zimmerman’s language implied anger. She said she has heard that type of language from her two sons.
UPDATE, 11:14 a.m.: After hearing the part of Zimmerman’s tape where he used expletives, Benjamin said that she thought Zimmerman was “just observing” and “making a comment”.
UPDATE, 11:08 a.m.: Benjamin said that Zimmerman sounded “matter of fact”. She said she now remembers hearing parts of he tape on the news.
UPDATE, 11:03 a.m.: De la Rionda is playing Zimmerman’s call to law enforcement.
UPDATE, 10:52 a.m.: Benjamin identified the screaming on the 911 tape as Zimmerman. She is now being questioned by De la Rionda.
UPDATE, 10:47 a.m.: Benjamin said that her husband donated to Zimmerman’s defense fund and she brought the Zimmerman family food and clothes. She said, “I wanted to do what I could to help him”.
UPDATE, 10:35 a.m.: The defense is calling its next witness, Leanne Benjamin. She said that she has known Zimmerman since 2003 because she would refer her real estate clients to his insurance business. She claims that they had a “business relationship” that developed into a friendship over time.
UPDATE, 10:34 a.m.: In cross examination, Russo said that it was her “immediate reaction” to recognize Zimmerman’s voice. She said she had never heard Martin’s voice.
UPDATE, 10:28 a.m.: O’Mara played one of the 911 tapes for Russo. Russo said there is no doubt in her mind that Zimmerman was the one screaming on the Lauer 911 tape. She said that she recognized his voice right away, before being prompted to identify anyone.
UPDATE, 10:22 a.m.: The defense has called its next witness, Geri Russo. She was Zimmerman’s coworker and friend.
UPDATE, 10:15 a.m.: The witness testified that he would keep his gun out of the holster if he felt that he was threatened. Osterman recognized the difference between the way a law enforcement officer and a civilian should handle a threat. He said that Zimmerman was familiar shooting with both hands.
UPDATE, 10:00 a.m.: The witness helped Zimmerman pick out his gun and frequently went to the shooting range with him. Osterman is explaining the details of the gun used by Zimmerman and the way in which it should be handled.
UPDATE, 9:50 a.m.: O’Mara has now called their next witness, Mark Osterman. He is the husband of the previous witness and Zimmerman’s best friend.
UPDATE, 9:47 a.m.: After listening to the 911 call placed by Zimmerman multiple times, Osterman said that she does not think Zimmerman sounded angry at any point.
UPDATE, 9:33 a.m.: Osterman said that even though she had never heard Zimmerman scream before, she just had a “feeling” it was his voice. She said that she saw the reaction Zimmerman’s wife had when she heard the tape.
UPDATE, 9:28 a.m.: Prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda is now questioning the witness. Osterman admitted that she helped her husband write the book that told Zimmerman’s account of the situation. She said that the profits from the book are being saved for Zimmerman after the trial is over. Osterman testified that she knew the voice on the recording was Zimmerman’s from the “first time she heard it”.
UPDATE, 9:26 a.m.: Sandra Osterman listened to the 911 tape placed by Mrs. Lauer that featured the screams in the background. She testified that it was Zimmerman who produced the screams heard on the tape. She teared up after hearing the tape.
UPDATE, 9:19 a.m.: The defense has called their next witness, Sandra Osterman. She is married to Mark Osterman, who testified as a prosecution witness earlier last week. She said she is also close to Zimmerman and his wife.
UPDATE July 8, 9:00 a.m.: Court is now in session. Today will begin day two of the defense presenting its case.
On Friday July 5th, the prosecution rested its case. Their final witnesses included the medical examiner that performed Trayvon Martin’s autopsy, Martin’s mother Sybrina Fulton, and Martin’s brother. Fulton identified the screams in the 911 calls as her son’s voice, while the brother did not think that it was Trayvon. Before the defense began their case late in the day, the attorneys motioned for Zimmerman to be acquitted of the charges. Judge Nelson denied the motion after heavy debate from both counsels. As their first witnesses, the defense called both Zimmerman’s mother and uncle to the stand, both of whom said the screams on the call were Zimmerman.
UPDATE, 5:22 p.m.: The judge is releasing the jury for the evening recess. Court will be in recess until Friday, July 5, at 8:30 a.m.
UPDATE, 5:21 p.m.: After questioning from both sides about Martin’s DNA on Zimmerman’s cuff, Gorgone admitted he did not know how it got there.
UPDATE, 5:09 p.m.: The prosecution is redirecting the witness.
UPDATE, 4:37 p.m.: Gorgone said that he was not the first analyst to receive the clothing worn by Martin to be analyzed. He said that for DNA to be best preserved the items are usually air dried and then placed in a paper bag so the evidence can “breathe”. Gorgone confirmed that both of Martin’s sweatshirts were still wet when he received them, and the hooded one had a pungent odor that reminded him of mold or ammonia.
UPDATE, 4:27 p.m.: Don West pointed out that there was only one swab for each hand of Martin, implying that the collectors used the same stick for all five fingers of his hands. He compared that information with the gun that was swabbed with four separate tools to determine the location of DNA on the different gun parts.
UPDATE, 4:16 p.m.: Gorgone acknowledged that the way a sample is collected can have great effects on the amount of DNA that is available for testing or DNA being degraded by environmental factors. He also mentioned that on a hard surface, someone could touch an item and not leave DNA.
UPDATE, 4:05 p.m.: Court is back in session. The defense will begin questioning the DNA analyst Anthony Gorgone.
UPDATE, 3:41 p.m.: The judge has called for a 15 minute recess.
UPDATE, 3:40 p.m.: Gorgone also completed testing for stains on the shirt Zimmerman wore underneath his jacket. All stains that were positive for blood matched George Zimmerman.
UPDATE, 3:31 p.m.: Martin’s DNA was found on the right cuff of Zimmerman’s jacket.
UPDATE, 3:19 p.m.: Gorgone said that there were 17 stains on the jacket Zimmerman was wearing on the night of the shooting. Of all of the stains that were tested positive for blood, most resulted in the DNA of George Zimmerman. Of those that resulted in mixed profiles (more than one person’s DNA) Martin was only partially connected to two spots.
UPDATE, 3:05 p.m.: Gorgone said that he did not test the area around the gunshot hole in Martin’s second sweatshirt to preserve the area for other investigations for FDLE. On another stain on the bottom of the crew neck George Zimmerman’s DNA was present. This crew neck was worn underneath the hooded sweatshirt.
UPDATE, 2:57 p.m.: Gorgone performed testing on Martin’s hooded sweatshirt. He found Martin’s blood in one of the spots on the body of the jacket. He also testified that on both cuffs and sleeves of Martin’s sweatshirt, there was none of Zimmerman’s DNA.
UPDATE, 2:49 p.m.: From the testing of Trayvon Martin’s fingernails, there was no DNA present other than his own. Gorgone confirmed that there was none of Zimmerman’s DNA underneath Martin’s fingernails.
UPDATE, 2:41 p.m.: Through DNA testing it was confirmed that Trayvon Martin did not have DNA on the pistol grip or of Zimmerman’s gun. Testing of the holster matched George Zimmerman’s DNA, and Martin’s DNA was not able to be included or excluded.
UPDATE, 2:29 p.m.: Gorgone is comparing the DNA profiles of George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin.
UPDATE, 2:05 p.m.: Gorgone is telling the jury what DNA is and how it is tested/analyzed.
UPDATE, 1:57 p.m.: Court is back in session. The stat has called their next witness, Anthony Gorgone. He is a crime lab analyst for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in the biology and DNA department.
UPDATE, 12:12 p.m.: Judge Nelson has called for the break for lunch. Court will be in recess until 1:45 p.m.
UPDATE, 12:04 p.m.: Siewert clarified that the gun was “touching” Martin’s clothing. She said there would be the same physical effects on the clothing if the gun was “lightly touching” or “pressed into” the clothing.
UPDATE, 11:58 a.m.: O’Mara is asking Siewert about the “safety” of the gun used by Zimmerman in comparison to other types of guns.
UPDATE, 11:45 a.m.: Siewert is examining Martin’s sweatshirts, where she mentioned residues and singeing of the fabric. She claims that she test fired at the sweatshirt using the gun that was submitted to her to conduct a distance test. Siewert testified that the end of the gun was in contact with the sweatshirts when the gun was fired. She said that the clothing is consistent with the end of the gun being pressed into the outer sweatshirt.
UPDATE, 11:38 a.m.: Siewert testified that the type of gun used by Zimmerman had safety features that significantly decreased the chances of accidental discharge. She is looking at the sweatshirt worn by Martin on the night of the shooting.
UPDATE 11:25 a.m.: The next witness, Amy Siewert, is a firearms expert that works with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. She is now explaining to the jury the different parts of the gun that was used in this shooting.
UPDATE, 11:19 a.m.: Pleasants testified that Zimmerman participated in all of the online discussion, but the coursework did not cover profiling suspects. He said that Zimmerman posted that his career goal was to be a prosecutor.
UPDATE, 11:13 a.m.: After issues with Skype, the attorneys are interviewing the witness over the phone with the assistance of a microphone. Pleasants testified that the class that he taught was online. He said that he can not confirm that students read the material provided in the class.
UPDATE, 11:07 a.m.: Court is in session. Professor Pleasants is an instructor of criminal investigation at Seminole State College.
UPDATE, 10:38 a.m.: The next witness is scheduled to appear by Skype at 11:00 a.m. Court will be in recess until that time.
UPDATE, 10:33 a.m.: The state has called their next witness, Mr. Krzenski, who oversees the records and administrative matters of the Sanford police department. He has confirmed that Zimmerman filed a request to go on a ride-along with a law enforcement officer. He claims that Zimmerman wanted to participate in efforts to help with his career in law enforcement.
UPDATE, 10:21 a.m.: West is asking Capt. Carter to explain the legal concept of self defense. “The law as it applies isn’t static,” said Carter.
UPDATE, 10:02 a.m.: Don West is now questioning the witness. Carter said that while the book did not specifically talk about Floria law, he supplemented the book with materials and discussions that focused on Florida.
UPDATE, 9:50 a.m.: The state has called their next witness, Capt. Alexander Carter. He is a military prosecutor for the U.S. Army, who also taught Zimmerman’s criminal litigation class. He testified that the students were taught about the Stand Your Ground law and self defense in connection with violent crimes. Zimmerman received an A in this class.
UPDATE, 9:48 a.m.: Kearns testified that Zimmerman was denied because of credit issues.
UPDATE, 9:40 a.m.: The state’s next witness is on the stand. Scott Kearns is an officer within the Prince William County police department in Virginia. Zimmerman applied to work at this police department, and was denied.
UPDATE, 9:34 a.m.: The state is calling their next witness, Sonja Boles-Melvin. She is the registrar administrator for Seminole State College that keeps the academic records for the college. Zimmerman took classes in criminal litigation and applied to graduate in fall 2012. The defense attorneys did not question her, and she was quickly released.
UPDATE July 3, 9:31 a.m.: Court is back in session, now including the jury. The attorneys have been in session for an hour to discuss moving some of Zimmerman’s college coursework into evidence.
