Potential Jurors For Trayvon Martin Case Asked To Return Next Week
SANFORD (CBSMiami/AP) — Jury selection continued Friday in the case of George Zimmerman who is on trial for the shooting death of unarmed Miami teen Trayvon Martin.
A total of 23 potential jurors, individually interviewed by prosecutors and Zimmerman's defense attorneys during the past week, were told to return to a Florida courthouse next Tuesday for further questioning.
Judge Debra Nelson asked them not to discuss the case or selection process with anyone.
Of the candidates, 16 are white; four are black; two are Hispanic; and one is Asian-American. The racial and ethnic makeup of potential jurors is relevant because prosecutors claim Zimmermanprofiled 17-year-old Trayvon Martin when he followed him through his gated community shortly before the unarmed teen was fatally shot. The case prompted public outrage, as some critics believed authorities initially didn't investigate the case thoroughly because Martin was a black teen from the Miami area.
During questioning of a potential juror Friday, defense attorney Mark O'Mara specifically asked a man in his 20s who identified as mixed race what his racial background was. The man said German, Filipino, Chinese and Spanish.
The group of 23 jury candidates who were asked to return also skewed overwhelmingly female and middle-aged.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys want to build a pool of 40 potential jurors who have been screened for any influence of pretrial publicity before they move to a second round of questioning. Attorneys had interviewed 37 potential jurors over five days by the lunch break on Friday.
At least 75 potential jurors already have been dismissed.
Zimmerman, a 29-year-old former neighborhood watch volunteer, is pleading not guilty to second-degree murder, claiming he shot Martin in self-defense.
A 44-day delay in Zimmerman's arrest led to protests around the nation. Some questioned whether the Sanford Police Department was investigating the case seriously since Martin was a black teen from the Miami area. Zimmerman identifies himself as Hispanic.
Attorneys need to find six jurors and four alternates. In Florida, 12 jurors are required only for criminal trials involving capital cases, when the death penalty is being considered.
The judge said Thursday that jurors picked to serve will be sequestered during the two weeks to a month that the trial will last. They will have limited contact with their families, they will spend the night at a hotel and their actions will be monitored by court security outside the courtroom during the duration of the trial.
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