The murder trial begins Monday for George Zimmerman, the volunteer night watchman who fatally shot an unarmed black teenager, sparking protests across the United States and claims of racial profiling.
The trial, expected to last at least a month, begins with jury selection at 9 am local time (1300 GMT) in the Seminole County Courthouse in central Florida, near where the crime took place on a rainy night in February 2012.
George Zimmerman, now 29, faces a charge of second-degree murder for killing Trayvon Martin, 17, as he walked through the gated community to the house where his father was staying with a friend.
Zimmerman, son of a white father and a Hispanic mother, has pleaded not guilty, arguing he acted in self defense when he shot Martin after confronting him.
When police arrived, the only items found in the pockets of his hoodie sweatshirt were a pack of Skittles and a bottle of iced tea.
Sanford police initially released Zimmerman after the shooting, because they said he was acting in line with so-called "stand your ground" rules, which give immunity to those who use firearms when they feel their lives are in jeopardy.
The killing riveted the United States at the time, sparking massive protests in several US cities against what many saw as a racial bias in the crime and the police response.
Martin's death drew an expression of sympathy from President Barack Obama, and sparked a debate on "stand your ground" laws in Florida and other gun-friendly states.
Zimmerman was later arrested and faces life in prison if convicted. In the end, he opted not to base his defense on the "stand your ground" law.
If he did, it would have required him to reveal much of his pre-trial strategy to prosecutors. Instead, he is mounting a traditional self-defense case.
He argues Martin attacked him and left him with a bloodied head; he has shown photos as evidence of this.
Jury selection is expected to take several days because of the case's notoriety and the difficulty of finding people who can examine the case as objectively as possible.
"I don't believe there can be someone in this city that can be open-minded enough to be a juror in this case," said paralegal Sheena Rowland, who lives in Sanford.
Nicolas Dorsten, a lawyer specializing in "stand your ground" cases, said both sides will struggle to find objective jurors.
"This case has gotten national coverage so it will be tough to find a jury that can be fair to either side, quite frankly. It is going to be one of the struggles both the state and the defense will have to come up with."
Authorities were also gearing up for protests from civil rights advocates and pro-gun groups, gathering local, state and federal security forces and erecting barricades around the courthouse.
Hundreds of media outlets will cover the trial.
Inside the courthouse, 31 seats were reserved for reporters and photographers, around six for the families of the victim and defendant, and another four to religious leaders who have helped authorities damp down the racial tensions surrounding the case.
"It a shame that such a sad incident has drawn attention to Sanford," said Ann Johnson, manager of a small downtown hotel, but she said it's been good for business.
"We have had full occupancy in the hotels and the restaurants downtown are doing very well," she said.
AFP
Mon Jun 10 2013
10 Berita Pilihan - (16 Julai 2024
Antara pelbagai berita dalam dan luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
PAC beri tempoh tiga bulan kepada HRD Corp
Jawatankuasa Kira-kira Wang Negara (PAC) memberi tempoh tiga bulan kepada Perbadanan Pembangunan Sumber Manusia (HRD Corp) untuk mengemukakan laporan tindakan susulan terhadap syor jawatankuasa itu.
Kylian Mbappe tandatangan kontrak dengan Real Madrid
Bintang bola sepak Perancis Kylian Mbappe menandatangani kontrak selama lima tahun dengan kelab Sepanyol Real Madrid pada Selasa.
Pelepasan ketujuh air sisa nuklear Fukushima ke laut selesai
Jepun telah menyelesaikan pusingan ketujuh pelepasan air sisa radioaktif yang dirawat dari loji kuasa nuklear Fukushima Daiichi ke Lautan Pasifik pada Selasa.
Empat termasuk kapten maut dalam pertempuran
Empat anggota tentera India termasuk kapten meninggal dunia akibat kecederaan selepas pertempuuran pada malam isnin di Hutan Desa.
Pakistan sahkan 4 warganya terbunuh di Oman
Pakistan berkata pada Selasa empat warganya terbunuh dalam insiden tembakan pada malam Isnin berhampiran ibu negara Oman, Muscat.
Lima terbunuh, puluhan cedera dalam protes antikuota di Bangladesh
Sekurang-kurangnya empat orang terbunuh dan puluhan lagi cedera dalam pertempuran antara pelajar yang memprotes sistem kuota dalam pekerjaan sektor awam dan polis di pelbagai bahagian Bangladesh pada Selasa.
Kerajaan cadang perkenal pembiayaan swasta
Kerajaan menyasarkan untuk memperkenalkan pembiayaan swasta alternatif bagi memastikan kemampanan kewangan program sektor air, sekali gus mengurangkan kebergantungan pada perbelanjaan kerajaan dan mengukuhkan daya tahan.
Saya tak fitnah Guan Eng, cuma jelaskan siasatan SPRM - Muhyiddin
Presiden Bersatu Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin memberitahu Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur hari ini bahawa beliau tidak memfitnah Lim Guan Eng berhubung isu pengecualian cukai terhadap Yayasan Albukhary
KPT alu-alukan dapatan, cadangan PAC - Zambry
Ini termasuklah cadangan pelaksanaan Garis Panduan Pelaburan dan Pembiayaan oleh Universiti Awam 2024 kepada anak-anak syarikat di bawah seliaan Kementerian Pendidikan Tinggi (KPT).