A judge ruled on Thursday that certain witnesses would not be hidden from the public during their testimony in the George Zimmerman murder trial, according to reports.
Zimmerman's lawyer, Mark O'Mara, asked that some of the witnesses testify behind a screen. According to reports, lawyers for the media objected and prosecutors said the screen would "confuse jurors."
"We don't do secret witnesses in this country," Scott Ponce, representing The Miami Herald and other media outlets, told the judge.
Orlando Sentinel attorney Rachel Fugate believed witnesses should not be "masked" in this case.
"What happens in court is open to the public - it is public property," told Fugate to the judge. "Witnesses don't get to come to court to testify anonymously unless there are very compelling reasons for the witness to do so."
Seminole Circuit Judge Debra S. Nelson agreed and denied the defense's request.
Zimmerman, 29, is charged with killing Trayvon Martin, 17, during a confrontation inside a gated Sanford community.
Last May, Zimmerman's attorneys attempted, in a pre-trial hearing, to put Martin's text messages, marijuana use and school suspensions into evidence. Prosecutors claimed the evidence was irrelevant to the case.
O'Mara was present at the hearing and explained to the judge that Martin's marijuana could have been a factor in the confrontation.
"We have a lot of evidence that marijuana use had something to do with the event," O'Mara told the judge. "It could have affected his behavior."
According to reports, there were also photos of naked "underage" girls and texts allegedly describing Martin arranging the purchase of a firearm.
The judge ruled out the use of the evidence in question last May. Zimmerman is pleading not guilty, claiming he was defending himself against Martin.
Zimmerman's trial is set to begin on June 10. Jurors in the case will be referred to by number and the judge prohibited their faces from being photographed.
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