Jury selection for the trial of George Zimmerman, who is charged with the second-degree murder of a Florida teenager, kicks off on Monday.
At the same time, the judge must still rule on whether voice-recognition experts will be allowed to offer testimony at the trial. The voice experts are supposed to make sense of the 911 call and decipher the screams of Mr. Zimmerman and his 17-year-old victim, Trayvon Martin. The judge heard testimony about who was screaming for help on the tape, but has yet to issue a ruling, The Associated Press reported.
It’s been almost a year and a half since Mr. Zimmerman fatally shot Mr. Martin. Mr. Zimmerman said he was patrolling the neighborhood and pulled the gun in self-defense. Mr. Martin’s family is claiming Mr. Zimmerman actually pursued the 17-year-old — who they say was unarmed and defenseless — and used undue, unnecessary force.
The Martin family released a statement on Monday: “We are relieved that the trial is starting today with the selection of jury members. We are seeking justice for our son and a fair trial. Trayvon’s life was taken unnecessarily and tragically, but we call upon the community to be peaceful. We have placed our faith in the justice system and ask that the community do the same. Please pray for Trayvon and for our family.”
Mr. Zimmerman has pleaded not guilty. The case put Florida’s Stand Your Ground gun laws in the limelight.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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