Juror & Key Witness Paint Different Pictures Of The Zimmerman Trial
SANFORD, Fla. (WJZ)--One of the jurors who acquitted George Zimmerman has come forward to talk about the verdict. Juror b37 spoke out Monday night. And so did one of the key witnesses in the case: Rachel Jeantel, Trayvon Martin's friend.
Mary Bubala has a recap on what both ladies had to say about the trial.
"We didn't get no justice," Jeantel said. "We just lost Trayvon again."
Jeantel was on the phone with Trayvon Martin the night he died and she testified at George Zimmerman's trial.
A juror now speaking out says she did not think the testimony of Jeantel was "very credible."
The 19-year-old was criticized publicly for her speech and her combative manner on the stand.
"She just didn't want to be there, and she was embarrassed by being there because of her education and her communication skills, that she just wasn't a good witness," juror b37 said.
Zimmerman was found not guilty Saturday of second-degree murder and manslaughter in Martin's death.
But before they deliberated, the jury was initially split.
"We had three not guilties, one second-degree murder and two manslaughters," the juror said.
She was among the three who thought Zimmerman was not guilty of either charge.
Juror b-37 says she believes Martin threw the first punch and that Zimmerman truly felt his life was in danger.
"I think both are responsible for the situation they had gotten themselves into. I think both of them could have walked away," juror b37 said.
The verdict is controversial. Those who knew Trayvon say it leaves them without justice.
"I thought it was going to be a lesser charge. Manslaughter," Jeantel said.
But juror b-37 says it was a difficult decision that left them in tears.
"It was just hard thinking somebody lost their life and there's nothing else that could be done about it," she said.
This juror says she will not do any more interviews and never wants to serve on a jury again.
