Ebony magazine is doing its part to honor the life of Trayvon Martin; to keep the conversation about race in America alive; and to explore “Stand Your Ground” laws with a special edition of its September issue.
The publication is rolling out four separate covers with the headline "We Are Trayvon," featuring the slain teenager's family, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin with their son Jahvaris Fulton, as well as director Spike Lee and his son Jackson, actor Boris Kodjoe and his son Nicolas and NBA star Dwyane Wade with his sons Zaire and Zion, all wearing grey hoodies.
The powerful images give way to an issue that includes an exclusive interview with Trayvon Martin’s parents and a piece with Lee, Kodjoe and Wade exploring how they approach the topic of racism with their sons. Readers will also find an article on racial profiling by Columbia University professor and HuffPost Live host Marc Lamont Hill; a prayer of healing by Bishop T.D. Jakes; a poem for Trayvon Martin by Jill Scott and more.
“As a mother of a young Black boy, the tragedy of Travyon Martin affected me deeply,” said Ebony’s Editor-in-Chief Amy Barnett in a press release. “We simply cannot allow the conversations on this issue to come to a standstill. As the leading source for an authoritative perspective on the African-American community, at Ebony we are committed to serving as a hub for Black America to explore solutions, and to giving readers the information and tools they need to help ensure a bright future for all of our children.”
In conjunction with Ebony's five-part “Saving Our Sons” series, which launched in the May 2013 issue, the glossy is partnering with the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African-Americans to host a series of town hall meetings across the country to discuss the state of Black boys. The program will run from November 2013 to December 2014 and commence at Morehouse College.
Here's a look at all four of Ebony's "We Are Trayvon" issues, which you can pickup on newsstands August 6. What do you think?
The publication is rolling out four separate covers with the headline "We Are Trayvon," featuring the slain teenager's family, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin with their son Jahvaris Fulton, as well as director Spike Lee and his son Jackson, actor Boris Kodjoe and his son Nicolas and NBA star Dwyane Wade with his sons Zaire and Zion, all wearing grey hoodies.
The powerful images give way to an issue that includes an exclusive interview with Trayvon Martin’s parents and a piece with Lee, Kodjoe and Wade exploring how they approach the topic of racism with their sons. Readers will also find an article on racial profiling by Columbia University professor and HuffPost Live host Marc Lamont Hill; a prayer of healing by Bishop T.D. Jakes; a poem for Trayvon Martin by Jill Scott and more.
“As a mother of a young Black boy, the tragedy of Travyon Martin affected me deeply,” said Ebony’s Editor-in-Chief Amy Barnett in a press release. “We simply cannot allow the conversations on this issue to come to a standstill. As the leading source for an authoritative perspective on the African-American community, at Ebony we are committed to serving as a hub for Black America to explore solutions, and to giving readers the information and tools they need to help ensure a bright future for all of our children.”
In conjunction with Ebony's five-part “Saving Our Sons” series, which launched in the May 2013 issue, the glossy is partnering with the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African-Americans to host a series of town hall meetings across the country to discuss the state of Black boys. The program will run from November 2013 to December 2014 and commence at Morehouse College.
Here's a look at all four of Ebony's "We Are Trayvon" issues, which you can pickup on newsstands August 6. What do you think?
Key Dates In The Trayvon Martin Case
Feb. 19, 2012 -- Trayvon Martin, 17, and Tracy, his father, travel from Miami Gardens to Sanford, Fla., to visit the elder Martin's fiancee in her townhome at The Retreat at Twin Lakes.
Feb. 26, 2012 -- Trayvon Martin is walking to the home of his father's fiancee after purchasing items from a 7-Eleven store in Sanford. George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, spots Martin at approximately 7 p.m. and calls police. "We've had some break-ins in my neighborhood, and there's a real suspicious guy," Zimmerman tells police.
Feb. 26, 2012 -- Roughly seven minutes after Zimmerman's call to police, authorities receive a 911 call from an individual reporting a fight. During the call, the dispatcher hears a gunshot in the background and sends police units to the location. Responding officers discover that Martin has been shot in the chest. The teen is unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene.
Police find no identification on Martin and label him a John Doe:
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| Sorry if this Picture offends anyone but I feel it must be seen to show what Zimmerman did to a Kid |
Feb. 26, 2012 -- Questioned by police, Zimmerman informs them that Martin attacked him and he fired his gun in self-defense.
Authorities confiscate Zimmerman's 9 mm semi-automatic pistol and take him to the Sanford Police Department for further questioning.
Feb. 27, 2012 -- Following a lengthy interview, George Zimmerman is released from the police station at approximately 1 a.m.
Hours later, Tracy Martin contacts police to report his son missing. Investigators soon connect the dots and inform the elder Martin of his son's death.
After receiving treatment from a family doctor, Zimmerman meets with investigators and reenacts the events of the shooting at the crime scene.
March 8, 2012 -- Tracy Martin holds a press conference, during which he criticizes the investigation into his son's slaying.
"We feel justice hasn't been served," Martin tells reporters.
March 9, 2012 -- Martin family attorney Benjamin Crump tells the Miami Herald he is filing a lawsuit for the release of public records in the case.
March 10, 2012 -- Members of the New Black Panther Party, contending there has been a "miscarriage of justice," rally outside the Sanford Police Department.
March 12, 2012 -- Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee holds a press conference, at which he claims that investigators were unable to arrest Zimmerman because he was protected by Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law, which allows residents to shoot someone if they reasonably believe they are being threatened.
"There is no evidence to dispute Zimmerman's assertion that he shot Martin out of self-defense," Lee says.
March 13, 2012 -- In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, the NAACP expresses doubt in the Sanford Police Department's ability to appropriately handle the investigation, asking the Department of Justice to review the case.
"The NAACP has no confidence that, absent federal oversight, the Sanford Police Department will devote the necessary degree of care to its investigation," the letter says.
Sanford police announce the completion of their investigation and turn the case over to the State Attorney's Office for Brevard and Seminole Counties.
"Trayvon Martin and his family, interested persons, and the public-at-large are entitled to no less than a thorough, deliberate and just review of the information provided, along with any other evidence that may or may not be developed in the course of the review process," State Attorney Norm Wolfinger's office says in a statement.
March 14, 2012 -- Mary Cutcher, a woman listed in police reports as a witness who heard Martin's shooting, tells WFTV.com that police took only a short statement from her following the shooting.
"[The police] blew us off, and I called back again and I said, 'I know this was not self-defense. There was no punching, no hitting going on at the time, no wrestling,'" says Cutcher.
March 15, 2012 -- Sanford police issue a statement calling Mary Cutcher's TV interviews "inconsistent" with her sworn testimony.
Meanwhile, Zimmerman's father, Robert, tells the Orlando Sentinel that his son has been unfairly portrayed as a racist.
March 16, 2012 -- Sanford police release eight 911 recordings in the case. One of the recordings includes a voice in the background screaming, "Help, help!" The screams are followed by the sound of a gunshot.
March 19, 2012 -- The Justice Department and the FBI announce they have opened an investigation into the shooting.
March 20, 2012 -- State Attorney Norm Wolfinger announces that a Seminole County, Fla., grand jury will review the circumstances of Martin's death.
March 21, 2012 -- The Sanford City Commission votes "no confidence" in Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee and calls for his resignation.
March 22, 2012 -- Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee holds a press conference and announces he is temporarily stepping down as police chief because his presence is a "distraction."
State Attorney Norm Wolfinger recuses himself from the case and Florida Gov. Rick Scott announces that another state attorney, Jacksonville-based Angela Corey, will be replacing Wolfinger as special prosecutor in the investigation.
Meanwhile, Rev. Al Sharpton, Martin Luther King III and other civil rights leaders and politicians hold a justice rally at Sanford's Fort Mellon Park. They demand an arrest in Martin's shooting. An estimated 10,000 people attend the event.
March 23, 2012 -- President Barack Obama tells reporters that the nation needs to do some "soul-searching to figure out how something like this happens."
He adds, "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon."
March 24, 2012 -- Members of the New Black Panther Party offer a $10,000 reward for the "capture" of Zimmerman.
March 25, 2012 -- Rev. Jesse Jackson speaks in Eatonville and encourages revisions to Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law.
"If it's a moment, we go home. If it's a movement, we go to war," says Jackson.
March 26, 2012 -- Police release new details of the investigation, saying Zimmerman told them Martin punched him and slammed his head into the sidewalk several times.
Acting Police Chief Darren Scott takes over as chief of the Sanford Police Department.
Thousands of people gather in Sanford to mark one month since Martin was killed.
March 29, 2012 -- Zimmerman's brother, Robert Zimmerman Jr., tells CNN that medical records will prove his brother was attacked and his nose was broken.
April 3, 2012 -- Florida State Sen. Chris Smith (D-Fort Lauderdale) announces the formation of a task force to review the state's "Stand Your Ground" law.
April 8, 2012 -- George Zimmerman launches the website "The Real George Zimmerman" to raise money for his defense.
April 9, 2012 -- State Attorney Angela Corey announces her decision not to use a grand jury in the Martin investigation. The move eliminates the possibility of a first-degree murder charge.
April 10, 2012 -- Zimmerman's attorneys, Hal Uhrig (right) and Craig Sonner, announce that they will no longer be representing him.
April 11, 2012 - State Attorney Angela Corey announces the charging of George Zimmerman with second-degree murder. Zimmerman turns himself in to police and is booked into the Seminole County Jail. Mark O'Mara announces his role as Zimmerman's new attorney.
April 23, 2012 -- George Zimmerman's new lawyer, Mark O'Mara, enters a not-guilty plea on his client's behalf. Zimmerman is released from jail on a $150,000 bond. Per the conditions of his release, Zimmerman is required to wear a GPS monitoring device.
April 24, 2012 -- George Zimmerman shuts down his website. According to his attorney, the site raised $200,000.
April 27, 2012 -- Mark O'Mara launches the website GZLegalCase.com as the official site for Zimmerman's legal case.
May 8, 2012 -- At Zimmerman's arraignment, Seminole County Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester Jr. accepts his not-guilty plea.
May 17, 2012 -- Prosecutors release police reports, witness statements, surveillance videos and other evidence in the case.
June 1, 2012 -- Judge Lester revokes Zimmerman's bond, stating that his ruling is based on concerns that Zimmerman and his wife did not fully disclose their finances at the bond hearing.
June 3, 2012 -- Zimmerman is returned to jail.
June 12, 2012 -- George Zimmerman's wife, Shellie, is arrested on one count of perjury.
June 20, 2012 -- The Sanford city manager fires Bill Lee from the police force.
June 21, 2012 -- George Zimmerman's legal team releases discovery evidence on their client's website.
June 29, 2012 -- Zimmerman's second bond hearing is held. The judge does not immediately issue a ruling.
July 5, 2012 -- Judge Lester grants Zimmerman a higher bond of $1 million.
July 6, 2012 -- Zimmerman is again released from jail.
July 19, 2012 -- George Zimmerman relaunches his personal website.
July 27, 2012 -- George Zimmerman's wife pleads not guilty to perjury.
Aug. 29, 2012 -- An appeals court grants a request by George Zimmerman's defense team to dismiss Judge Lester from the case.
Aug. 30, 2012 -- Circuit Judge Debra S. Nelson is assigned the case.
Oct. 19, 2012 -- Judge Nelson grants a defense motion requesting access to Trayvon Martin's school records and social media posts. The state is also granted access to Zimmerman's medical records.
Nov. 14, 2012 -- Gov. Scott's "Stand Your Ground" task force concludes its final meeting and recommends no sweeping changes to the law.
Nov. 20, 2012 -- Former Casey Anthony attorney Jose Baez announces that he is representing Sanford police Detective Chris Serino, the lead investigator in the shooting.
Dec. 3, 2012 -- A new photo is released showing George Zimmerman with a bloody, broken nose on the night of the shooting.
Feb. 5, 2013 -- On this day, Trayvon Martin would have turned 18.
Feb. 26, 2013 -- Martin's parents hold a rally in his memory to mark the one-year anniversary of his death.
March 26, 2013 -- Zimmerman's defense team releases its witness list of 134 people, including Sanford police officers and 56 unnamed witnesses.
April 17, 2013 -- Prosecutors announce that Shellie Zimmerman's perjury trial will take place after her husband's second-degree murder trial.
April 25, 2013 -- Five hundred jury summons are prepared for George Zimmerman's trial.
April 30, 2013 -- Zimmerman's defense team waives the right to a pretrial immunity hearing.
May 23, 2013 -- Items taken from Trayvon Martin's cell phone -- including texts about alleged drug use and pictures of a gun and marijuana plants -- are released by George Zimmerman's attorneys.
May 23, 2013 -- The photos and texts taken from Trayvon Martin's cell phone show a different side of Martin than has been portrayed by his family and supporters, defense attorney Mark O'Mara said.
May 23, 2013 -- One of the photos shows what appears to be a small marijuana plant growing in a pot.
May 23, 2013 -- Benjamin Crump, the attorney for Martin's family, says the photos and text messages are irrelevant.
May 23, 2013 -- An undated photo of Martin that was released.
May 28, 2013 -- Judge Debra Nelson rules George Zimmerman’s defense team cannot use Trayvon Martin’s alleged prior marijuana use, past fighting, school suspension, pictures or text messages during its opening statement.
June 10, 2013 --Jury selection starts before Circuit Judge Debra Nelson in Seminole County.
Nelson previously ruled that jurors' faces will not be shown by the media, and they will be referred to by number only.
Four potential jurors are individually brought into the court room.
B12: A white, middle-aged female says she saw initial reports but nothing recent. "I didn't really pay attention," B12 says of media coverage in the case.
B29: A nurse and mother of six, says she has not followed the case. "I watch TV but I don't watch the news," says B29.
B30: An older gentleman who heard about the case when it first happened. "I believe ... he was spending some time with his dad. He was out walking ... there was a scuffle and a gun went off," B30 says of his knowledge of the case.
B76: She has seen some coverage of the case and thinks Zimmerman is a security guard and Martin was killed during a struggle.
The evening recess is called after the attorneys finish questioning B76.
June 11, 2013 -- Day two of jury selection begins.
Ten potential jurors are individually brought into the court room.
B7: A male. Says he watched local news coverage of the case. "There was a fight that led to a shooting," B7 says regarding his knowledge of the case. He is afraid the ultimate outcome in the case could upset people. "I would be afraid that it might anger strangers," says B7. B35: A middle-aged African-American male. "I guess Mr. Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin. It was sort of a racial thing," B35 says of what he has heard about the case.
B37: A mother of two, says she saw initial reports about the case on TV. "There was a death ... He was a boy of color and I believe [he was in his] teenage years ... He was involved in a scuffle late at night and the boy was killed," says B37. B51: A grandmother who heard about the case in the media and thought it was "sad." She says her family is "not that interested" in the case.
B55: A female college student. Says she learned about the case on Facebook. "The African-American was wearing a [hooded sweatshirt] or something like that," B55 says of her recollection of the case.
B65: An African-American mother of three. Says she has not followed the case, but did hear about it in church. "I don't know much about the case," B65 says. "I don't have cable. I don't have the Internet. I live my life simple."
B86: A mother of two. Says she heard about the case in the media and through conversations at work. "It's hard not to hear about it," B86 says.
E6: Another female. Heard news about the case, but is of the opinion that what is reported in the media is not necessarily factual. She says the shooting is a "very unfortunate incident." E40: Another female. Moved to Florida in November. Says she has no opinion on the case.
E54: A male. Says he knows Zimmerman shot and killed Martin and is aware the defendant was not immediately arrested. "I know there was a phone call ... to the police ... about a suspicious individual ... I don't know all the particulars," E 54 says of the shooting.
The evening recess is called after the attorneys finish questioning E54.
June 12, 2013 -- Day three of jury selection begins.
Ten potential jurors are individually brought into the court room.
E73: A mother of two. Says she knows some details about the case from watching media reports. "I thought, 'Oh no,' this really didn't need to happen in Sanford," says E37.M75: A female. Learned about the case on Facebook. Says she has not formed an opinion about Zimmerman's guilt or innocence.
R39: A local male who works as a landscaper. Says he knows Zimmerman is on trial for Martin's murder, but has no opinion of Zimmerman's guilt or innocence. "I don't really care about what happened … I'm not a person who really cares about other people," says R39.B61: A married white female. She has visited Zimmerman’s website. "I know there was a shooting ... I know there was some issues with protesting after that. That's about it," says B61.
B72: A local male who participates in arm-wrestling competitions. Says he does not watch the news. "I didn't care about it ... What happened sucks, but I didn't pay any attention to it," says B72. E22: A female who heard about the case on TV and in the newspaper. "Zimmerman was following Trayvon Martin and that seems to be how it started," E22 says of her knowledge about the case.
B87: A male. Says he heard there was a struggle that resulted in Martin getting killed. "I know that ... he's a security guard," B87 says of Zimmerman. E7: A male. Says he watched coverage of the case on TV and has no opinion on Zimmerman's guilt or innocence.
E13: A 19-year-old female. Says she knows Zimmerman killed Martin, but does not know any details of the killing. She heard the shooting was a "racial thing."
E28: A mother of two. Says she heard there was an altercation and Martin was killed. The evening recess is called after the attorneys finish questioning E28.
June 13, 2013 -- Day four of jury selection begins.
Nine potential jurors are individually brought into the court room.
E50: A retired father of one. Says he heard about the case, but did not follow it. "There was an incident and it showed up in the newspaper and on TV," E50 says. E75: A teenage male who just graduated high school. Says he heard people say "George shot [Martin] for no reason."
E81: A female who is married to a retired police officer. Says she read about the case on AOL and believes Zimmerman is innocent. "I think he was just defending himself," says E81. "My opinion is pretty firm." K80: A young mother. Says she has small children and avoids watching anything negative on TV. "As a mother I certainly sympathize with Trayvon's family ... but I don't think it was planned. It's a fuzzy situation," says K80.
K95: A female college student. Says she heard about the case on the news, but does not know a lot about the case. "I recall there was a shooting … but I really don't know a whole lot," says K95. N18: A Hispanic male. Says he learned about the case from local and national news reports and believes Zimmerman is guilty. "I believe in God's law ... and the 10 Commandments say don't kill," says N18. "According to the law we're not supposed to kill anybody."
B67: A female college student. Says serving on the jury would be a hardship. She is dismissed.
P67: A Hispanic male. Heard about the shooting on the news. Says he thinks the shooting was an accident.
G14: A female. Saw reports on TV. Believes there was some sort of a scuffle and Martin was shot. "I do not have an opinion one way or the other," says G14.
The evening recess is called shortly after the attorneys finish questioning G14.
June 14, 2013 -- Day five of jury selection begins.
Seven potential jurors are individually brought into the court room.
G29: A young African-American female. She heard various reports about the case on talk radio. Says she knows Martin was killed by Zimmerman. "I avoid it like the plague," G29 says of TV news reports. G47: A young male. He heard about the case on TV. "From what I remember ... Mr. Zimmerman was involved in a situation with a young black male ... and a boy ended up being killed," says G47.
G63: An unemployed male. Says he heard about the case on TV and knows there was a shooting that resulted in a death. "I heard that the defendant's claim was that the shooting was self-defense," says G63.G66: A retired female. Says she has watched coverage of the case on TV. She is aware of some of the initial details of the shooting, but did not keep up with it. She saw photos of Zimmerman's alleged injuries and "felt sorry for him."
G81: A male high school teacher. Says he heard about the case on TV and has no opinion on Zimmerman's guilt or innocence.
G87: A female who works at a local school. Heard about the shooting on the news. Says she has no opinion on Zimmerman's guilt or innocence. "I was not there," says G87.
H6: A male. Heard about the case on TV, but did not pay a lot of attention to it. Says he has no opinion on whether or not Zimmerman acted in self-defense.
The evening recess is called shortly after the attorneys finish questioning H6.
June 17, 2013 -- Day six of jury selection begins.
Eight potential jurors are individually brought into the court room.
H7: A middle-aged white male. Heard about the case "primarily on TV." "I just remember hearing that a person had been shot and there was a big brouhaha going on in Sanford," says H7.
H10: A male. Says he has never heard of George Zimmerman or Trayvon Martin and cannot judge Zimmerman's guilt or innocence because of his religious beliefs. He is dismissed.
H13: An older female. Says she heard about the case on the local news. She is concerned "a verdict that is not popular" could spark protests.
H18: A male. Says he did not follow details of the shooting because he was busy starting a business at the time. "There was a young guy ... he was shot and I believe there was a big stir about it," says H18.
H27: A male. Says he heard about the case on the local news. His sister is a police officer in Nevada and he donated $20 to the defense fund. "It just seemed like he was an underdog ... I kind of felt sorry for him," says H27.
H29: A male. Heard about the case on the news. "[Zimmerman] was challenging somebody and from there the events went south," says H29. H31: A female. Says she heard about the case on local and national news and read about the case online. Her friends support Martin, but she is neutral.
H35: A female. Heard about the case on local news. "I don't really know much about it or have an opinion," says H35.
The evening recess is called shortly after the attorneys finish questioning H35.
June 19, 2013 -- Day eight of jury selection begins.
Prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda addresses the potential pool of jurors.
"This is your opportunity ... to live the Constitution," he says. "This is one of the most important roles you serve as a citizen."
De la Rionda questions the jury as a group about their life experiences and personal beliefs.
"A reasonable doubt is not a forced doubt. This defendant is to be presumed innocent," says De la Rionda.
Meanwhile, George Zimmerman's brother, Robert, texts HuffPost Senior Crime Reporter David Lohr the following statement:
Our parents: Mr. & Mrs. Zimmerman along with our sister are in court today supporting George. Despite safety considerations, the time was right to do what they could to visibly advocate for George's innocence. Our parents have avoided showing their face on-camera because of numerous death threats directed at our entire family. Our parents have served as primary caretakers for our grandmother.
June 20, 2013 -- Day nine of jury selection begins.
Zimmerman's defense attorney Mark O'Mara addresses the potential jurors.
"We have labels that we put on people. We have victims and we have defendants ... and George Zimmerman has been called a defendant, as if he has something to defend," says O'Mara. "The jury decides whether or not the state has proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt."
O'Mara talks to the potential jurors about how "reasonable doubt" and "direct evidence" play a role in the case.
Afterward, De la Rionda asks to strike P67, for cause. The prosecutor says the potential juror has limited understanding of the English language and has said serving would be a hardship.
O'Mara objects, saying the juror can understand English. The judge declines to excuse the juror for cause.
The judge then lists each of the jurors and asks both sides if they have peremptory strikes against any of them.
B12 - Strike by prosecution because of comments she made visiting Zimmerman's website.
B86 - Strike by prosecution because she said Trayvon had been expelled from school and shooting would not have occurred if that had not happened.
B29 - No strike. E6 - Strike by prosecution because she said she was concerned about being sequestered and expressed an opinion about the difficulty of sending someone to prison. The judge denied the strike.
B76 - Strike by prosecution because she had asked why Martin was out late buying candy. The judge denied the strike.B7 - Strike by defense.
B37 - No strike.
B51 - No strike.
E40 - No strike.
B35 - Strike by prosecution.
E54 - No strike.E73 - No strike.
M75 - Strike by defense. Defense said they are concerned because she is a friend and co-worker of a witness in the case and did not disclose it.
B72 - No strike.
E22 - Strike by defense. Defense concerned because she said police should have been more active and her pastor of 19 years, for whom she works, wrote a "pointed letter" to the Orlando Sentinel that was "very pro-Trayvon." The pastor also allegedly gave a sermon that he was in favor of Martin's side. The defense said they consider her to be "somewhat stealth" because she did not disclose the information.
E13: No strike.
The Jury Is Chosen:
E6, E40, B37, B51, B29 and B76.
All six Zimmeman jurors are women. Six are white and one is - Hispanic (That can pass for Black this fact is key here).
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The alternates are: E54, E73, B72, and E13.
The jury has been sworn in.
June 24, 2013 -- The prosecutor’s opening statement in the long-awaited murder trial recounted what George Zimmerman told a police dispatcher shortly after he spotted Martin: "F------ punks. These a-------. They always get away."
According to Prosecutor John Guy, Zimmerman was fed up with "punks" getting away with crime and shot Trayvon Martin "because he wanted to," not because he had to.Defense attorney Don West follows Guy’s statement with a lackluster knock-knock joke about the difficulty of picking a jury for the case.
"Knock. Knock," says West.
"Who is there?"
"George Zimmerman."
"George Zimmerman who?"
"All right, good. You're on the jury."West quickly changes gears and counters the prosecution, saying Martin sucker-punched Zimmerman and pounded his head against a concrete sidewalk.
"He had just taken tremendous blows to his face, tremendous blows to his head," says West.
With that, the prosecution calls their first witness, a custodian of police dispatch calls, to the stand. She testifies about 911 calls and is followed by a convenience store clerk who sold Martin Skittles and the 911 dispatcher who took Zimmerman's call about Martin.
June 25, 2013 -- Notable witness on day two include George Zimmerman's neighbor, Selene Bahadoor (pictured) and Wendy Dorival, former coordinator of the Sanford Police Department's neighborhood watch program
Bahadoor describes being drawn to a window in her home the night of the shooting when she heard movement outside.
"I saw figures, arms flailing," says Bahadoor. Dorival testifies she worked with Zimmerman to set up the “Neighborhood Watch” program in his neighborhood.
"[Participants] are the eyes and ears of law enforcement," Dorival says. "They're not supposed to take matters into their own hands."
June 26, 2013 -- George Zimmerman’s former neighbor, Jayne Surdyka, testifies on the third day of his murder trial. She says she thought she heard multiple gunshots.
"I truly believe the second yell for help was a yelp," says Surdyka. "It was excruciating. I really felt it was a boy's voice."
Rachel Jeantel (pictured), the young woman who was on the phone with Trayvon Martin the night he was shot, is also called to testify on day three.
According to Jeantel, Martin was aware he was being followed by someone.
"He kept complaining the man was watching him," says Jeantel.
Martin allegedly told her the man watching him was a "creepy-ass cracker." She claims she then heard a bump and Martin say "get off." The call was then cut off and she never spoke to Martin again. During cross-examination, Jeantel, admits to lying about her age after the shooting.
June 27, 2013 -- Rachel Jeantel is called back to the stand on day four of the trial. Defense attorney Don West confronts her about differing accounts she has allegedly given regarding what happened before Martin's killing.
"That's real retarded, sir," Jeantel says when West suggests Martin may have confronted Zimmerman.
Afterward, a mobile phone manager testifies about Martin's cell phone records and a former neighbor of Zimmerman says she heard someone screaming outside her townhome on the night Martin was shot.
"They were being hurt," says Jenna Lauer.
June 28, 2013 -- Notable witness on day two include John Good (pictured), who lived at the Retreat at Twin Lakes, and police officer Ricardo Ayala and Timothy Smith.
According to Good, he was watching TV on the night of the shooting when he heard a "faint" noise come from outside his home. He could not tell which direction the noise came from and "didn't think anything of it" until he heard further noises.
"I yelled out 'What's going on?'" says Good.
He then looked outside.
"It looked like there were strikes being thrown or punches being thrown ... it could have also been holding down," Good says.
Officer Ricardo Ayala, one of the first police officers who responded the night of the shooting, tells the court he saw Martin stomach-down on the ground and asked to see his hands. Ayala recalls that he received no physical or verbal response. He says he did not see any movement from Martin's body.
He later discovered the gunshot wound on Martin.
Officer Smith is another member of the Sanford Police Department who responded to The Retreat at Twin Lakes complex on the night of the shooting.
Smith explains the rainy weather conditions and how he came to the scene.
Officer Smith describes how he first approached Zimmerman and how Zimmerman held his gun at the time. Smith said that he asked Zimmerman if Martin was shot and who shot him, to which Zimmerman replied that "he did and he was still armed."
Almost immediately after turning toward the patrol car, Smith recalls Zimmerman "stated to me that he was yelling for help and that nobody would come help him."
July 1, 2013 -- The prosecution has called Dr. Hirotaka Nakasone (pictured) to the stand. He works in the operations division of the FBI field office in Quantico, Virginia. He specializes in forensic examinations of audio clips.
Dr. Nakasone said he received recordings in this case in March 2012.
"All together eight recordings were given to us," says Nakasone. Dr. Nakasone said he examined the 911 call that contains sounds of someone yelling for help.
"The case was assigned to me to do voice comparison ... We listened to the entire conversation ... When I was listening I could hear voices in the background -- someone yelling for help," says Nakasone.
Nakasone says he could not compare the voices.
"That type of voice sample is not fit for the purpose of voice comparison," Dr. Nakasone said of the 911 call containing the screams. "I don't think it would be possible to determine the age by listening."
Dr. Nakasone is followed on the stand by Doris Singleton, a police officer with the Sanford Police Department.
According to Singleton, she was at the police department the night of the shooting and interviewed Zimmerman."I did not get any indication that he was under the influence of anything," says Singleton.
She then recounts what Zimmerman told her: "He jumped out from the bushes and said, 'what the f--k's your problem,'" Zimmerman said of Martin.
He said Martin attacked him and punched him.
"I said 'Help me, help me, he's killing me,'" Zimmerman said.
Zimmerman said after he shot Martin the teen said, "You got me."
July 2, 2013 -- The prosecution has called Mark Osterman. He is an officer with the Federal Marshal Service. He has known Zimmerman for "at least five years" and consider him the best friend he has ever had.
According to Osterman, Zimmerman told him he was going for his phone when Martin punched him "squarely in his face." Afterward he said Martin slammed Zimmerman's head into the sidewalk. "George began screaming for help at that point," says Osterman.
The next witness is Dr. Valerie Rao (pictured). She is the District four medical examiner.
Rao examined the reenactment of the shooting, photos, medical records, the medical examiner report, autopsy photos and other relevant evidence."They were so minor that sutures were not required," Rao says of Zimmerman's injuries.
July 3, 2013 -- The prosecution calls Sonja Boles-Melvin (pictured) to the stand. She works at the Seminole State College of Florida.
According to Boles-Melvin, Zimmerman applied for degree in October 2011. He anticipated graduating in spring 2012.
Boles-Melvin is followed by Lt. Scott Kearns, a police officer with Prince William County Police in Virginia. Kearns testifies Zimmerman filed an application to become a police officer with his department. The application was rejected in July 2009 because Zimmerman had bad credit.
After hearing witness testimony about college courses Zimmerman took on criminal litigation and investigations, Anthony Gorgone is called to the stand. He is a crime lab analyst with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Gorgone testifies about blood evidence and reveals items of clothing he had inspected had been packed in plastic bags, which can destroy DNA evidence.
"Both sweatshirts were still wet when I opened the package," says Gorgone.
July 5, 2013 -- The prosecution calls Sybrina Fulton (pictured) to the stand. She is Trayvon Martin's mother.
Fulton says she recognizes the screams on the 911.
“I heard my son screaming," says Fulton.
Trayvon Martin’s older brother, Jaharvis Fulton, says the same thing. However, on cross- examination he admits to previously telling a reporter he was "not completely positive" his brother was the one screaming on the 911 call.
The prosecution next calls Shiping Bao to the stand. He is the medical examiner who performed Martin's autopsy.
"The cause of death was gunshot wound to chest," says Bao.
Bao has difficulty remembering many details of the case and admits to changing his opinion on how long Martin would have lived after he was shot.
"All I know is I did autopsy, he was shot and he is dead … I don't remember anything," says Bao.
After Bao the State rests its case.
The first defense witness is Zimmerman’s mother, Gladys Zimmerman.
Asked by defense attorney Mark O’Mara who can be heard screaming on the 911 call, she replies, “My son George."
George Zimmerman’s uncle, Jorge Maza, states the same thing when he takes the stand minutes later.
"It was George," says Maza.
July 8, 2013 -- Sondra Osterman is the third witness called by the defense. Her husband Mark is Zimmerman's best friend.
Osterman listens to the defense play the 911 and she says she believes “it's Georgie," that can be heard yelling in the background.
Osterman's husband Mark follows her on the stand. Osterman said Zimmerman took a gun course for a concealed carry permit. He said he also advised Zimmerman on gun safety.
Osterman said he has heard the 911 and believes the person yelling is Zimmerman.
"It just sounded like George," says Osterman.
Several other of Zimmerman’s friends take the stand after Osterman and also testify they believe Zimmerman is the one screaming on the 911 call.
The defense then calls Chris Serino to the stand. He is the officer with the Sanford Police Department who spoke with Martin's father while Singleton was present.
Serino acknowledges he met with Martin's father in his office a day or two after the shooting, to bring him "up to speed on the progress of the investigation."
Serino says he played the 911 recording with the screams for Tracy Martin during the meeting and asked Martin if that was his son's voice in the background. "He looked away and under his breath ... said 'No,'" says Serino.
After Serino the defense calls Adam Pollock (pictured) to the stand. He owns a local gym.
"He came to the gym to lose weight and get into shape," Pollock says of Zimmerman.
Pollock says he trained Zimmerman for about a year and describes him as “physically soft" and not very strong.The defense then calls Trayvon Martin's father to the stand.
Tracy Martin says detective Serino played the 911 call for him, but denies he said the voice he heard was not his son.
"I [said I] can't tell ... but I never said that wasn't my son's voice," says Martin.
July 9, 2013 -- The defense calls Dr. Vincent Di Maio to the stand. He is a forensic pathologist.
Di Maio explains the procedure for handling evidence and says wet clothing must be dried and should never be placed in plastic.
He also says it is his opinion that Zimmerman’s gun, "at the time of discharge the gun was against [Martin’s] clothing" and was two to four inches away from Martin's skin. The angle of the shot is consistent with Martin being on top of Zimmerman at the time he was shot, says Di Maio.
July 10, 2013 -- The defense calls Dennis Root to the stand. He is a self-employed law enforcement investigator and private detective. He reviewed the 911 calls, police reports, autopsy reports and other relevant evidence in the case.
"Based on injuries I saw ... they are consistent with a fight," says Root, referring to the photos of Zimmerman's injuries.
The last witness called by the defense is Zimmerman’s father Robert Zimmerman Sr. (pictured).
Defense attorney Mark O'Mara asks the elder Zimmerman if he has an opinion on who can be heard yelling on the 911 call.
"It's my son George," says Zimmerman.
With that the defense rests.
July 11, 2013 -- Prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda (pictured) gives the closing statement for the State.
"A teenager is dead. He is dead through no fault of his own. He is dead because another man made assumptions. That man assumed certain things. He’s dead not just because the man made those assumptions, [but] because he acted upon those assumptions and unfortunately because his
assumptions were wrong, Trayvon Benjamin Martin no longer walks on this earth," says de la Rionda.
The prosecutor says Zimmerman “profiled [Martin] as a criminal ... and that is what led to his death."
July 12, 2013 -- Mark O’Mara (pictured) gives the closing argument for the defense.
O'Mara says he is concerned about the jurors forming an opinion before they begin deliberating.
"You’re completely unused to it. You don’t know how to apply a standard beyond a reasonable doubt, you just don’t," says O'Mara. "You can’t help but have a first impression."
July 12, 2013 -- After 16 hours of deliberations the verdict is in.
The jury has found George Zimmerman not guilty.
The judge told Zimmerman his bond will be released and his GPS monitor will be removed.
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