STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

On First Day of Zimmerman Trial, Emotion and Waiting

With the jury selection under way, the case in the death of Trayvon Martin takes off with clergy, media and demonstrators on hand.

REPORTING FROM SANFORD, FLORIDA
Amid a frenzy of media coverage and demonstrators, the trial of George Zimmerman opened on Monday morning with a jury selection process that is expected to take several weeks.
More than 500 residents of Seminole County, where the trial is taking place, are part of the pool of potential jurors to decide whether Zimmerman is guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Trayvon Martin. In the next few weeks, that will be whittled down to the six who will ultimately serve on the jury in this internationally watched trial.
In the courtroom, along with Zimmerman, who sat stone-faced during the opening of the trial, were Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, the parents of the 17-year-old high school student who was shot and killed here nearly 16 months ago in a gated community. 
“We are relieved that the trial is starting today with the selection of jury members,” the parents said in a statement.
“We are seeking justice for our son and a fair trial. Trayvon’s life was taken unnecessarily and tragically. But we call upon the community to be peaceful. We have placed our faith in the justice system and ask the community to do the same. Please pray for Trayvon and for our family.”
Trayvon's parents were accompanied by a number of pastors from Sanford and the Miami church where Fulton is a member.

“We are here to support the family and to pray that justice prevails,” said the Rev. Lowman Oliver, the pastor of St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Sanford, speaking with BET.com. "We are here to be with this family and to pray for, and with, this family."

Meanwhile, attorneys for Zimmerman released a video that they say was taken from the dead teenager’s phone. It included a scene of two men fighting, reportedly over an incident involving a bicycle. Zimmerman’s attorneys, who posted the information on a web site, said that the audio includes the voice of Trayvon Martin.
They said that the recording was useful because it was the only known voice sample of Martin and could be useful in identifying his voice on emergency calls on the night of his shooting.
However, the lawyers for Trayvon’s parents said that the recording was not relevant.
Last week, Judge Debra Nelson ruled that that text messages and photos from Martin’s phone and social media accounts could not be used in the opening statements by either side in the trial.
The trial is one that has drawn high emotion in Sanford. Dozens of demonstrators carried signs and chanted outside of the courthouse here in support of the family of the dead teenager.
Robert Zimmerman Jr., the older brother of the man accused of second-degree murder in the death of Martin, said that his family had received death threats in recent weeks.
“We are threatened publicly by various formats, including on Twitter,” Robert Zimmerman said, speaking with BET.com. “We live in a secluded place and nobody knows where we live. We have death threats for being George’s family. We don’t engage with people. This has been surreal.”
He added that the charges against his brother should never have been filed, repeating George Zimmerman’s contention that he shot Trayvon Martin in self-defense.
“You don’t charge people with crimes in this country simply to assuage the concerns of the masses,” Robert Zimmerman said. “A political calculation was made that was centered on the politics of race.”

BET National News - Keep up to date with breaking news stories from around the nation, including headlines from the hip hop and entertainment world. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

Get ready for the BET Experience, featuring Beyoncé, Snoop Dogg, R. Kelly, Erykah Badu, Kendrick Lamar and many more. Go here for more details and info on how to buy tickets. Sign up now to attend free film screenings, celebrity basketball games and more.

(Photo: Joe Burbank - Pool/Getty Images)

Latest News

Subscribe for BET Updates

Provide your email address to receive our newsletter.


By clicking Subscribe, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers) and other information from BET and the Paramount family of companies. You understand that you can unsubscribe at any time.