Judge to consider lesser charges for George Zimmerman

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The Florida judge in George Zimmerman’s second-degree murder trial will decide Thursday whether she will allow the jury to consider lesser charges – manslaughter and aggravated assault – when they begin deliberations on Friday.

The prosecution has requested that Judge Debra Nelson consider the lesser charges for Zimmerman, 29, the neighborhood watch volunteer charged with the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, 17. Convicting Zimmerman of second-degree murder would still be an option for the jury.

The state is scheduled to deliver closing arguments at 1 p.m. on Thursday; the defense will present its closing arguments on Friday morning.

If convicted of second degree murder, Zimmerman could face up to life in prison. Zimmerman did not testify on his own behalf during the trial.

“I think we have a very, very good chance with the jury,” Mark O’Mara, Zimmerman’s defense attorney, said at a press conference after the defense rested on Wednesday.

Zimmerman says he was acting in self-defense when he shot Martin on a rainy night last year in a gated community in Sanford, Fla. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge against him, saying the 17-year-old attacked him when the two encountered each other on Feb. 26, 2012.

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