by Patrick H. Moore
The first week of George Zimmerman’s second-degree murder trial came to a close on Friday. On balance, it was an exciting if not entirely satisfactory week. First came the opening statements during which the temperamental differences between the prosecution and Zimmerman’s defense team were readily apparent. Then came four days of testimony which seemed to do little to prove the prosecution’s case.
George Zimmerman has pleaded not guilty under the theory that he fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin on February 26, 2012 while acting in self-defense. To convict Zimmerman of the second-degree murder charge, the prosecution has to prove that on the night of Martin’s death, he took part in ”an act imminently dangerous to another and evinced a depraved mind showing no regard for human life. In addition, the prosecution must overcome Zimmerman’s claim that he acted in “self-defense.” This is no easy task because all Zimmerman needs to do to win under the theory of self-defense is to create a “reasonable doubt” as to whether he acted in self-defense. ” In other words, he has to establish that he “may have acted in self-defense.”
Beginning on Monday, the prosecutors will once again “tilt at windmills” for a second week (unless, of course, I am missing something important and the prosecution has “the great equalizer” up its sleeeve). They are expected to call in forensic experts and other investigators before the defense team begins to call their witnesses.
Meanwhile, Mike Schneider of the Associated Press brings us what he considers to be five key moments from the past week:
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BAD LANGUAGE AND A KNOCK-KNOCK JOKE
Prosecutor John Guy kicked things off with a flourish dropping the F-Bombs Zimmerman had uttered under his breath to the 911 police dispatcher as he followed Martin through the gated complex. Not content with a single F-Bomb, Guy repeated the time-worn expletive three or four times. “In the courtroom, jaws dropped and spectators looked around at one another.” Defense attorney Don West somewhat inexplicably began his opening statement with a knock-knock joke about the difficulty of picking a jury in the case that was so lame that he even he admitted it stunk.
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RACHEL JEANTEL VS. DON WEST
The prosecution’s key witness, Rachel Jeantel, was on the phone with Martin moments before his confrontation with Zimmerman got serious. “She testified that Martin told her he was being followed by “a creepy-ass cracker.” Although that was certainly a lively moment, it was her ballsy cross-examination exchanges with West that commanded the most attention. Each kept asking the other to repeat themselves. On one occasion, Jeantel got fed up with West’s slow pace and urged him to move on to his next question: “You can go. You can go.” Jeantel seemed more subdued on her second day on the stand prompting West to ask her: “You feeling OK today? You seem different than yesterday.”
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“GROUND AND POUND.”
The guys couldn’t resist veering into machismo Florida-style on Friday when John Good, Zimmerman’s former neighbor, “gave testimony that seemed to bolster the defense contention that Martin was on top of Zimmerman in the fight.” Good stated that he saw Martin straddling Zimmerman in manner similar to a mixed-martial art maneuver known as “ground and pound,” which inspired defense attorney Mark O’Mara to get down on his knees and pantomime pounding the floor.
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911 CALLS
The 911 calls made by neighbors were played repeatedly for the jurors who heard a series of neighbors asking the police to respond as moans for help are heard followed by the tell-tale gunshot. The neighbors testified about what they heard, what they did in response to the fight, which was clearly horrific, and what they believed with respect to who was doing what during the fight. Although the recordings and the testimony appeared to be inconclusive, the re-enactment of the fight that led to Martin’s death was extremely wrenching and some of the neighbors “teared up as they heard their panicked voices.”
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MARTIN’S PARENTS ON RACE
Trayvon Martin’s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, “held a news conference Thursday in which their attorney said they didn’t want race injected into the trial.” In response to that statement, some reporters asked, logically enough, why — if it wasn’t a race issue — “the nation’s most prominent black civil rights leaders had been invited to Sanford to demand Zimmerman’s arrest.” Martin’s parents’ attorney, Daryl Parks, stated that at this stage of the case, race shouldn’t be a factor, suggesting that acquittal or conviction should — at this point — be based purely on the evidence.
Although Week Three was, on balance, a tough week for the prosecution, it was captivating for all the millions of Americans who are following this compelling case.
Click here to read our previous posts on the George Zimmerman trial:
George Zimmerman Unlikely to Be Convicted of 2nd-Degree Murder
George Zimmerman Trial: John Good’s Testimony Is “Good News” for Zimmerman
George Zimmerman Trial: Key State Witness Rachel Jeantel Goes Toe-to-Toe with Zimmerman Defense Team
George Zimmerman Was on a Dangerous Drug Cocktail at Time of Trayvon Martin’s Shooting Death
George Zimmerman Trial: Trayvon Martin Death Photos Dominate Day 12
George Zimmerman Trial: Opening Statements Rivet the Nation
George Zimmerman’s Application to Join His Hometown Police Force Was Rejected