Post date: Jul 14, 2013 6:43:21 PM
Civil rights leader Al Sharpton sees grounds for federal civil rights charges after aFlorida jury clears George Zimmerman of all charges in the shooting death of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin.
SANFORD, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES (JULY 13, 2013) (POOL) - Civil rights leader Al Sharpton said on Sunday (July 14) there were grounds to pursue federal civil rights charges against George Zimmerman, who walked free from criminal charges in the shooting death of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin.
"Clearly there are grounds for civil rights charges here. The mother and father ofTrayvon Martin and I with their lawyers met with the U.S. attorney in Florida the day I went down there to organize the first national rally there. And we always said there would be a plan B but there needed to be a plan A," Sharpton told NBC's Meet the Press.Six women jurors deliberated for 16 hours over two days and found Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter on Saturday night (July 13) in a case that has polarized the U.S. public.
Debates about racial profiling, guns, self-defense laws and the equality of justice that arose from the 2012 shooting continued the morning after the verdict.
Benjamin Jealous, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), said on Sunday he had spoken to senior Justice officials about pursuing civil rights charges against Zimmerman.