Jury Selection Begins in George Zimmerman Trial

On Monday, jury selection started in what has become another high profile criminal case in Florida.

Five hundred people have been summoned to the Seminole County courthouse to be considered as a juror in George Zimmerman's murder trial.

On Monday, jury selection started in what has become another high profile criminal case in Florida.

Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in February 2012. He has pleaded not guilty, claiming self-defense.

On Monday morning before proceedings started, Martin's parents expressed relief that the matter is finally headed to court.

"We are relieved that the start of the trial is here with the jury selection as we seek justice for our son, Trayvon, and we also seek a fair and impartial trial," said Tracy Martin, Trayvon’s father.

“As a family we are very confident in the outcome of the case,” said Robert Zimmerman Jr., George's brother.

In his address to reporters, Robert Zimmerman Jr. said he and his family live in a secret location. He added that it had been a tough year.

“We have death threats directed at us for being George's family. We do not engage people very much, certainly not in any meaningful sense in public because we have to keep a very low profile publicly,” he said.

Selecting a jury is a strategic process with the lawyers looking for people who can put aside preconceived notions and listen to arguments on both sides.

This process could take several weeks.
 
George Zimmerman has sued NBCUniversal, the parent company of this site, for defamation. The company has strongly denied his allegations.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us