Jurors in Fla. shooting trial will be sequestered

Associated Press

SANFORD, Fla.

The six jurors and four alternates eventually picked to hear the second-degree murder case of neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman will be sequestered for the two to four weeks the trial will last, the judge presiding over the case said for the first time Thursday.

Circuit Judge Debra Nelson told a potential juror on the fourth day of selection that all panelists will be kept isolated

During the first four days of jury selection, attorneys have asked potential jurors about the hardships they would face if they were kept away from their families during the trial. Defense attorney Don West explained to one candidate that if picked she would have limited contact with her family, would be monitored by court security outside the courtroom and would have to live in a hotel for the duration.

“You would not be able to participate in day-to-day routine activities,” West said. “You will be limited in contact with the outside world.”

Zimmerman, a 29-year-old former neighborhood watch volunteer, is pleading not guilty to second-degree murder, claiming he shot unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin last year in self-defense.