Group is skewed female and middle-aged
By Kyle Hightower and Mike Schneider
Associated Press
SANFORD, Fla. (AP) — Nearly two dozen potential jurors interviewed individually by prosecutors and George Zimmerman’s defense attorneys during the past week were told Friday to return to a Florida courthouse next week for further questioning.
Judge Debra Nelson told the 23 jury candidates on the fifth day of jury selection to return next Tuesday. She asked them not to discuss the case or selection process with anyone.
Of the candidates, 16 are white; four are black; two are Hispanic; and one is Asian-American. The racial makeup of potential jurors is relevant because prosecutors claim Zimmerman profiled 17-year-old Trayvon Martin when he followed him through his gated community shortly before the unarmed teen was fatally shot. The case prompted public outrage, as some critics believed authorities initially didn’t investigate the case thoroughly because Martin was a black teen from the Miami area.
The group of 23 jury candidates also skewed overwhelmingly female and middle-aged.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys want to build a pool of 40 potential jurors who have been screened for any influence of pretrial publicity before they move to a second round of questioning. Attorneys had interviewed 37 potential jurors over five days by the lunch break on Friday.
At least 75 potential jurors already have been dismissed.
Zimmerman, a 29-year-old former neighborhood watch volunteer, is pleading not guilty to second-degree murder, claiming he shot Martin in self-defense.
A 44-day delay in Zimmerman’s arrest led to protests around the nation. Some questioned whether the Sanford Police Department was investigating the case seriously since Martin was a black teen from the Miami area. Zimmerman identifies himself as Hispanic.
Attorneys need to find six jurors and four alternates. In Florida, 12 jurors are required only for criminal trials involving capital cases, when the death penalty is being considered.
The judge said Thursday that jurors picked to serve will be sequestered during the two weeks to a month that the trial will last. They will have limited contact with their families, they will spend the night at a hotel and their actions will be monitored by court security outside the courtroom during the duration of the trial.
