After a jury selection process that took nearly two weeks a jury of six women has been chosen to determine if George Zimmerman is guilty of second-degree murder for shooting and killing Trayvon Martin, according to The New York Times.
In the state of Florida 12 person juries are only used for cases that can potentially end with the death penalty, the maximum Zimmerman is facing is life in prison.
In a case where race is thought to play a major role none of the jurors are black; one is Hispanic while the other five are white. The four alternates are made up of two men and two women, all white. Almost all of the jurors have children, according to The New York Times.
Elizabeth Parker, a former prosecutor from Florida, told USA Today that she thought the selection of an all-female jury was helpful for the prosecution.
"With the jury being all women, the defense may have a difficult time having the jurors truly understand their defense, that George Zimmerman was truly in fear for his life," Parker said. "Women are gentler than men by nature and don't have the instinct to confront trouble head-on."
Parker also suggested that an all-female jury could be heavily influenced by the presence of Martin's parents in the courtroom every day.
"Trayvon Martin's mother and father will be sitting in the courtroom, and these jurors will see them every day, knowing that their son was shot and killed, knowing that the decision rests in their hand," Parker said.
Diana Tennis, a defense lawyer from Orlando, thought that even though the probability of a six person jury in Seminole County not having any black members was relatively high, only 11 percent of the population is black, it could be a point of contention depending on the outcome of the trial.
"It's not statistically significant," Tennis told The New York Times. "But whether or not it's significant for the community depending on the outcome is another thing."
Zimmerman and his defense lawyers were happy to have finished the arduous process of jury selection.
"This is probably as critical if not more critical than the evidence," defense attorney Mark O'Mara said about the jury. "Zimmerman has been waiting to clear his name for 15 to 16 months. It's been a long time coming."
An attorney for Martin's parents was also pleased that the case could finally start.
"This case is about equal justice and equal justice is not a black value, it's not a white value, it's an American value," Natalie Jackson told USA Today. "As long as the jury does their duty, which is basing their verdict on the evidence presented in trial, then we feel good about this case. We believe the evidence is overwhelming that George Zimmerman should be convicted."
Opening statements for the case will begin on Monday but before they can happen Judge Debra Nelson will need to rule on whether or not forensic audio analysts will be allowed to testify that the voice screaming for help that is heard in the background of a 911 call belongs to Martin, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
The defense has been trying to make the case that the audio detection process used by the state experts is outdated and that there is no way to tell who the voice on the recording belongs to. One of the attorneys for the defense, Donald West, claims that the only reason one of the state experts, Tom Owen, is testifying is to use the case to promote the voice detection software he has a financial stake in, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Judge Nelson is also expected to wrap up other procedural issues in court today. To watch a live stream of the action click here.
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