After deliberating for more than 16 hours over two days, an all female, almost all white jury acquitted George Zimmerman in the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teen.
Just before 10:00 p.m., on Saturday, the jury notified Circuit Judge Nelson that they had reached a decision.
The jury, which began deliberating around 2:30 p.m., on Friday, made two requests asking for a list of all the evidence that had been presented at trial and posing a general question on the manslaughter charge.
“Your bond will be released, your GPS monitor will be cut off ….you have no further business with the court,” Nelson told Zimmerman after the not guilty verdict was read.
Prosecutor Bernie De la Rionda at a press conference immediately after the verdict said, he is disappointed with the verdict, but accepts it.
“This has always been about a stranger who wants to be a cop, following a kid,” De la Rionda said.
State Attorney Angela Corey, appointed by Gov. Rick Scott after the case drew major protests during a 44-day delay in Zimmerman’s arrest said, the state had given a committment to get out all of the facts in front of a jury and she is satisfied that this was done.
Corey added that the case was never about race or the right to bear arms.
“I have no doubt that Trayvon Martin was profiled as a criminal,” Corey said. “…We believed all along this case was about boundaries and we believe Zimmerman exceeded that.”
Earlier, the police in Sanford, urged peace after the verdict was read.
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