| Parents of Trayvon Martin, Tracy Martin (second left) and Sybrina Fulton (second right) watch a TV broadcast of a news conference of special prosecutor Angela Corey in Sanford, Florida, announcing charges against Zimmerman. Seated on the left is Benjamin Crump and on the right is Trayvon Martin’s brother Jahvaris Fulton. In the back are W Franklyn Richardson, Rev Al Sharpton and Rev Jamal Bryant |
George Zimmerman made his first courtroom appearance since he was charged with the fatal shooting more than six weeks ago of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, as a judge agreed to seal some records in the highly-charged case.Zimmerman, his head shaved and wearing a close-clipped goatee, was dressed in a dark gray prison-issued jumpsuit and looked intently at the judge throughout the hearing, which marked the beginning of a judicial process to determine whether the killing of Martin constitutes murder.Zimmerman was charged on Wednesday with second-degree murder.In an appearance that lasted less than five minutes, Zimmerman twice said “Yes sir” in addressing the judge in a courtroom at Florida’s John E Polk Correctional Facility.Judge Mark Herr set formal arraignment for May 29 and agreed to a stipulation by lawyers for both sides to seal some records.The issue of whether Zimmerman would be released on bond was not addressed.After the hearing, Zimmerman lawyer Mark O’Mara told reporters that he chose not to ask for bail during the hearing because it might “only arouse the fervour” around the case.Zimmerman, 28, who is white and Hispanic, has been subjected to death threats and was in hiding from the public for weeks.The killing of Martin, 17, has set off a firestorm of debate about race relations and self-defence laws, punctuated by a series of demonstrations across the country.Even President Barack Obama commented on the case, saying: “If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon.”O’Mara previously said he hoped the fact of Zimmerman’s arrest – the central demand of Martin’s parents and others across the country for more than a month – would help to ease the emotional intensity.At a later date when he is arraigned, Zimmerman will plead not guilty, O’Mara has said.If convicted of second degree murder, he could face up to life in prison.Until Wednesday, police had declined to arrest Zimmerman, citing Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which allows people to use deadly force when they believe they are in danger of getting killed or suffering great bodily harm.Thousands of people demonstrated in rallies in Sanford and around the nation, demanding Zimmerman’s arrest and criticising the police.Civil rights activists say racial prejudice played a role in Zimmerman’s view that Martin looked suspicious and in the police decision not to arrest him.Special prosecutor Angela Corey’s decision to charge Zimmerman came 45 days after the fatal shooting in a quiet gated community in the central Florida town of Sanford.“I can tell you we did not come to this decision lightly,” Corey told a news conference in Jacksonville after charging Zimmerman with the most serious crime possible without asserting premeditation. “Let me emphasise that we do not prosecute by public pressure or by petition. We prosecute based on the facts of any given case as well as the laws of the state of Florida.”
| A memorial to Trayvon Martin stands outside The Retreat at Twin Lakes community, where Trayvon was shot and killed by Zimmerman while on neighbourhood watch patrol |
Martin, 17, was on his way back to the home of his father’s fiancée when Zimmerman spotted him and considered him suspicious, calling police and defying their advice to give up following the teenager.Zimmerman told police he was walking back to his truck when Martin attacked him, decking him with one punch to the nose.Martin then repeatedly slammed Zimmerman’s head against a concrete walkway, Zimmerman’s brother and father have said.Zimmerman then pulled out a 9mm handgun he was licenced to carry and shot Martin in the chest.Witnesses heard screams for help and then a gunshot, sounds that were captured on 911 emergency calls by neighbours. It was unclear who was screaming.Martin’s parents said they recognised the voice as their son’s.But Zimmerman’s brother Robert swore it was George Zimmerman pleading for help.“As a family, we are devastated,” Robert Zimmerman told CNN’s Piers Morgan, adding he was disappointed by the severity of the charge. “The only silver lining in any of this is that my brother is safe.”The decision on whether to charge Zimmerman rested with Corey since she was appointed by Florida’s governor on March 22.The firestorm of protests had forced Sanford’s police chief to step aside and the regularly assigned prosecutor to remove himself from the case, leading to Corey’s appointment.The disputed facts surrounding the shooting have been picked apart endlessly by television commentators, while dominating the headlines and reigniting a discussion about guns, self-defence laws and what it means to be black in America.The shooting received scant media attention at first, but Martin’s parents, who are divorced, and their lawyers kept making public calls for Zimmerman’s arrest.That led to a media frenzy, outraged online messages by celebrities, and Obama’s comment.Among the first tests in the case will be a hearing in which Zimmerman’s lawyer, in order to win immunity under “Stand Your Ground”, will have to convince a judge there is a preponderance of evidence to show Zimmerman had a reasonable belief he was in grave danger.Zimmerman’s relatives and supporters have insisted he is not racist and has been unfairly vilified. They said he feared for his life during his altercation with Martin and was justified in using deadly force.Travyon’s parents in turn have appeared on camera repeatedly, demanding justice for their son.“There is a little bit of relief,” Sanford Mayor Jeff Triplett said, speaking of “the path toward healing” for his city now that community cries for Zimmerman’s arrest had been answered.“We call for continued calm in the city of Sanford, its surrounding communities, and across the nation,” Triplett said. “This is an event that touched many hearts and many lives, and started conversations, but we hope that the atmosphere of civility will continue.”