Jimmy Carter supports verdict in Zimmerman trial

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Former president Jimmy Carter has said he agrees with the jury’s decision to acquit George Zimmerman in the death of Trayvon Martin, during an interview with Atlanta’s WXIA station.

Carter said that he thought the prosecution was overzealous in their attempt to make the case for second-degree murder, and that the jury was required to listen to what was presented.

“I think the jury made the right decision based [on] the evidence presented because the prosecution inadvertently set the standard so high that the jury had to be convinced that it was a deliberate act by Zimmerman and that he was not at all defending himself and so forth,” said Carter.

When asked about the race factor in the proceedings, Carter said that he stood by President Obama’s decision to accept the jury’s verdict.

“I know that the action in the court room was to not bring in the race issue at all. The prosecution avoided that subject quite clearly,” said Carter.

Carter also mentioned that information about the race issue was withheld from jurors, which could have affected their decision.

He said, “I cannot allege that the jury, all of whom are women, are not just as sensitive about race as I am… Since neither side were willing to bring in the race issue as far as the jury was concerned they could not consider it.”