Post date: Jul 14, 2013 11:32:53 AM
Prosecution and defense teams react to acquittal of George Zimmerman.
SANFORD, FLORIDA UNITED STATES (JULY 13, 2013) (POOL) - A Florida jury acquitted George Zimmerman on Saturday (July 14) in the shooting death of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in a case that sparked a national debate over racial profiling and self-defense laws.
The panel of six women deliberated more than 16 hours over two days until nearly 10 p.m. on Saturday (0200 GMT Sunday) before delivering the verdict, which drew immediate condemnation from some civil rights groups."I think the prosecution of George Zimmerman was disgraceful," said his attorney Don West. "As happy as I am for George Zimmerman, I'm thrilled that this jury kept this tragedy from becoming a travesty."
Florida State Attorney Angela Corey emphatically told reporters, "Trayvon Martin was profiled, there is no doubt that he was profiled, there is no doubt that he was profiled to be a criminal."
Outside the courthouse, the decision drew angry shouts from some of the dozens of demonstrators who had gathered during the day in support of Martin's family.
His parents were not in the court during the reading of the verdict, but his father, Tracy Martin, later tweeted that his son would have been proud of the fight put up for him.
Zimmerman, 29, who is white and Hispanic, said Martin, 17, attacked him on the night of Feb. 26, 2012, in the central Florida town of Sanford. Prosecutors contend the neighborhood watch coordinator in his gated community was a "wannabe cop" who tracked down the teenager and shot him without justification.
The jury could have convicted him of second-degree murder, which would have carried a sentence of up to life in prison, or manslaughter.
Bernie de la Rionda, the assistant state attorney who was the chief prosecutor in the case against Zimmerman, said he and his two fellow prosecutors were unhappy about the outcome of the trial.
"I am disappointed, as we are, with the verdict. But we accept it. We live in a great country that has a great criminal justice system. It's not perfect, but it is the best in the world and we respect the jury's verdict," he said.
The Seminole County Sheriff's Office said it had heard nothing about any potential violent reaction to the verdict in and around Sanford, where about 30 percent of the residents are black.