April 30, - Zimmerman waives his right to a "stand your ground" pretrial immunity hearing. Zimmerman's attorneys decide they will instead try this as a self-defense case. If there had been a pretrial immunity hearing, a judge would have ruled whether Zimmerman's actions were protected under the "stand your ground" law. If the judge had ruled in favor of Zimmerman, it would have meant that no criminal or civil trial could proceed.
May 28, - Judge Nelson rules on several motions brought by the defense. Nelson rules that Martin's familiarity with guns, his marijuana use, and fights he may have been in cannot be brought up in Zimmerman's trial. She also denies a request to take the jury to the crime scene. Nelson rules that jurors will remain anonymous and will be referred to by numbers only. June 20, - An all-female jury is selected.
June 24, - The trial begins with opening statements. July 13, - The six-woman jury finds Zimmerman not guilty. They had three choices: find Zimmerman guilty of second-degree murder; find him guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter; or find him not guilty. The jurors deliberated for more than 16 hours total. Five things that led to Zimmerman's acquittal. August 28, - Shellie Zimmerman pleads guilty to a misdemeanor charge of perjury.
Prosecutors say she lied during an April bond hearing for her husband when she told a judge that the family was indigent. February 24, - The US Justice Department announces that no federal civil rights charges will be brought against Zimmerman. The chief allegation in the lawsuit is that the attorney helped to swap out a reluctant witness, Brittany Diamond Eugene, for her half-sister, Rachel Jeantel, and helped prepare her to deliver false testimony.
The suit accuses Trayvon's parents, prosecutors and state authorities of going along with the alleged ruse. Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial. Key moments in the Zimmerman trial — George Zimmerman is congratulated by members of his defense team, Don West and Lorna Truett, after the not guilty verdict is read on Saturday, July 13, in Sanford, Florida.
A jury of six women found him not guilty in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. View photos of the public reaction to the verdict.
Hide Caption. Key moments in the Zimmerman trial — George Zimmerman's wife, Shellie Zimmerman, cries as friends and family members celebrate the verdict on July Key moments in the Zimmerman trial — Robert Zimmerman Sr. Key moments in the Zimmerman trial — George Zimmerman prepares to leave the courtroom after the not guilty verdict is read on July Key moments in the Zimmerman trial — Zimmerman confers with his defense team on July 13, after working out the wording for a response to the jury, who had asked for clarification on the instructions regarding manslaughter.
The response, crafted and agreed to by both the prosecution and defense, instructed the jury to ask their question more specifically, as the court could not engage in general discussion. Key moments in the Zimmerman trial — Zimmerman and his defense team stand in the courtroom as the jury arrives before starting their second day of deliberations on July Key moments in the Zimmerman trial — Prosecutor John Guy addresses the jury with his closing rebuttal during Zimmerman's murder trial on Friday, July Key moments in the Zimmerman trial — Zimmerman's attorney Mark O'Mara holds up a chart during closing arguments for the defense on Friday, July Key moments in the Zimmerman trial — Zimmerman, right, sits with another defense attorney, Don West, this week.
West objected to a third-degree murder charge also sought by prosecutors on Thursday, July 11, the day closing arguments began. The judge ruled out that charge but said the jury could consider convicting the defendant of manslaughter. Key moments in the Zimmerman trial — Dr. Vincent Di Maio, a forensic pathologist and gunshot wound expert, describes Zimmerman's injuries while testifying for the defense Tuesday, July 9.
Key moments in the Zimmerman trial — Defense attorney Mark O'Mara, right, questions forensics animation expert Daniel Schumaker, center, at the bench of Judge Debra Nelson with Assistant State Attorney Richard Mantei, left, during a July 9 hearing on the admissibility of animation created for the defense.
Schumaker showed the judge and Mantei some 3-D animation on his laptop after an overhead projector didn't work. Key moments in the Zimmerman trial — John Donnelly, a friend of George Zimmerman's, cries on the witness stand on Monday, July 8, in Sanford, Florida, after listening to screams on the tape entered in evidence.
Key moments in the Zimmerman trial — Sondra Osterman, a friend of Zimmerman's, listens to the tape while testifying on July 8. Key moments in the Zimmerman trial — Mark Osterman, a friend of Zimmerman's, testifies on July 8 and describes the type of gun Zimmerman owned. Key moments in the Zimmerman trial — Leanne Benjamin, a friend of Zimmerman's, smiles while identifying him in court on July 8.
Key moments in the Zimmerman trial — George Zimmerman's mother, Gladys Zimmerman, listens to the tape while taking the stand during his trial in Seminole County circuit court on July 5. Bao conducted the final autopsy on Martin and determined the cause of death to be a gunshot wound to the chest. Here, Gorgone points to a sweatshirt worn by Trayvon Martin on the night Martin was shot.
Key moments in the Zimmerman trial — Gorgone points to a jacket worn by Zimmerman on the night of the shooting. Key moments in the Zimmerman trial — Firearms analyst Amy Siewert from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement answers questions from the prosecution while holding Zimmerman's gun on July 3.
Siewert examined the gun and said Zimmerman had one bullet ready to fire in the chamber as well as a fully loaded magazine when the shooting occurred. Key moments in the Zimmerman trial — Alexis Carter, a military prosecutor, testifies during the trial on July 3.
Carter taught a criminal litigation class that Zimmerman completed, and testified that the class included extensive coverage of Florida's self-defense laws. Much of America did it, too. Supplied with a death-scene image of Trayvon — darker skin than Taylor, younger, slimmer, no facial hair, no visible tats — the woman was unmoved. So people embraced absurdities.
Like a pound boy jumping a man 12 years older and 50 pounds heavier. They seized upon his suspension from school. For them, it proved not that he was an ordinary boy who needed — and was receiving — the guidance of two loving parents. No, it proved he was not, could never be, innocent. Trayvon was no angel, they would announce triumphantly. But why did he have to be? A turning point in the Zimmerman case occurred when the judge allowed testimony from a woman who said she had been burglarized six months earlier by black suspects, an incident in no way connected with Trayvon.
Consider year-old Emmett Till, whose white killers saw no consequence for acting on a false accusation. Consider year-old Latasha Harlins , fatally shot in the back of the head in by a store owner who suspected the girl was trying to steal a bottle of juice. No justice. Their powerful work and sacrifices have re-energized the civil rights movement. The deep pockets of the gun lobby continue to fund this kind of legislation that lets everyday citizens off the hook for the killing of innocent people such as Trayvon, sweeping their deaths under the blood-stained rug of racial injustice.
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