Pity the Jurors Sitting in Case of The People versus George Zimmerman

I pity the individuals that are serving on the jury in the second degree murder trial of Florida’s George Zimmerman, who shot Trayvon Martin to death during a confrontation in which Zimmerman was serving as a neighborhood watch leader.

The jurors are now sequestered for what is likely to be a period of weeks.  They will have limited access to news and other types of media, will not be permitted to see family members, and will be permitted minimal communication with them.  They have now sat through opening statements, including one by the defense that extended for three hours.

Participants in neighborhood watch organizations do not carry guns and if Mr. Zimmerman had followed that protocol, Trayvon Martin would likely be alive and Zimmerman would not today find himself on trial for his life.  My personal belief, based upon what I have read, including accounts of Zimmerman’s interactions with 911 personnel, is that he considered a young black male within the housing complex to be suspicious and up to no good, and that he angrily confronted Martin, initiating a conflict.  What happened after that, I cannot speculate.

Anyone that was not present on that fateful night cannot know precisely what occurred, and that shall be for the jury to determine.  There is a large segment of the community which insists on a guilty verdict.  Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter is one that has added fuel to the fire, improvidently stating early in this story that Martin was “assassinated”. Was he present? What will happen if Zimmerman is acquitted?  Will there be riots reminiscent of the horror which occurred following the not guilty verdicts in the trial of the officers that assaulted Rodney King? If unrest occurs, will the government find a means to retry the defendant?