Jury selection enters Day 3 in Zimmerman trial

Jury selection enters Day 3 in Zimmerman trial

SANFORD, Fla. (AP) — Attorneys trying to seat a jury in George Zimmerman’s trial for shooting an unarmed teen stopped questioning a man in his 20s today after he gave answers that indicated he wouldn’t be impartial.

The juror, known as “R-39” because potential panelists can be identified only by their numbers, said that “murder is murder,” even if it’s self-defense. Zimmerman, 29, is pleading not guilty to second-degree murder, claiming he shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin last year in self-defense.

The potential juror left the Florida courtroom without defense attorneys asking questions.

Attorneys had interviewed 18 potential jurors by lunch break today on the third day of selection. By the end of the day Tuesday, more than 70 jury candidates had been dismissed.

The four potential jurors questioned Wednesday morning also included a white woman in her mid-20s who expressed concerns about her safety if picked; a black woman in her 20s who lived nearby the shooting but said she hadn’t formed an opinion about it; and a white woman in her 50s who didn’t like the negative image of Sanford that was portrayed in the media after the shooting happened there.

In the jury selection process established by Circuit Judge Debra Nelson, once 30 jurors have been questioned individually about pretrial exposure and have not been dismissed for cause or hardships, they will be brought together as a group for broader questioning by lawyers on both sides. Thus far, Zimmerman’s attorneys have been unable to find potential jurors who hadn’t heard something about the fatal shooting of Martin.

Attorneys need to find six jurors and four alternates. In Florida, 12 jurors are required only for criminal trials involving capital cases, when the death penalty is being considered.

Defense attorneys have asked potential jurors if being isolated during the trial would be a hardship, indicating they plan to ask Nelson to sequester the jury. Jury candidates who move on from the initial round of questioning about their knowledge of the case, face other rounds of interviews with the attorneys.