Judge Debra Nelson said Thursday, the jury in the George Zimmerman second degree murder trial would be sequestered and that 40 potential jurors must get pass the initial round of interviews before being subjected to more in-depth questions.
As jury selection moved forward slowly, many of the questions on Thursday centered around media stories potential jurors might have heard regarding the case. Attorneys also questioned on likely emotional and financial hardship they could face if the trial lasted for four to six weeks.
Since Monday, prosecutors and defense attorneys have interviewed about 30 jurors, dismissing several and leaving around 27 potential jurors. Six jurors and four alternates would be eventually seated.
Inside the Seminole County criminal courthouse this week, the focus was on finding jurors who could be fair and impartial in a case that sparked nationwide protests and interest around the world. Attorneys on both sides spent much of the week grilling potential jurors on what they had heard about the Feb. 26, 2012, shooting of the 17 year-old Martin.
Zimmerman, 29, is being charged with second-degree murder in the killing of Martin. He claims he acted in self-defense.
No opinion
By the time court was recessed on Wednesday, lawyers had surveyed about two dozen potential panelists about their knowledge of the case.
The day’s last potential juror, identified as E-28, said she had very little prior knowledge of the case. The woman, who is middle aged, White and works “odd hours,” said she “honestly did not” have an opinion on the case.
Before her, the attorneys questioned juror E-13, a young woman who said she doesn’t know anything about the case except that Zimmerman shot Martin. She said she could be a fair juror “just because I don’t really know that much.”
Under questioning by the defense, she said she’d heard the shooting was a “racial thing,” but when asked whether she thought Zimmerman had done something racist, said, “I don’t really know.”
Those two seemed to be the least knowledgeable of the jurors questioned Wednesday. Several were intimately aware of key evidence in the case, but most said they could still be fair to Zimmerman.
