

	
		
		<p class="source">
			Reuters/Joe Burbank</p>
		<p class="caption"> Assistant state attorney <keyword id="1196051" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="John-Guy">John Guy</keyword> responds to defense attorney Don West (R) after an exchange of words following a late night hearing in the <keyword id="982829" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="George-Zimmerman">George Zimmerman</keyword> trial in Seminole circuit court, in Sanford, Florida, July 9, 2013.</p> George Zimmerman's prosecutors had a very difficult task before them, but one <keyword id="6355470" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Law">law</keyword> professor says they still could have made a stronger case. <p> "What you need in a criminal case is you have to lay out a <keyword id="48646" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="theory">theory</keyword> of why you believe this crime was committed and you have to stick with the theory and you have to explain the theory," <a href="http://www.law.ufl.edu/faculty/kenneth-b-nunn">University of Florida law professor Kenneth Nunn</a> tells us.</p>
<p>
	During closing arguments, prosecutors focused largely on <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/12/us/zimmerman-jury-will-be-allowed-to-consider-lesser-manslaughter-charge.html?pagewanted=all">inconsistencies and supposed exaggerations</a> in Zimmerman's recounting of the night he killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, including his assertion that the teen grabbed for his gun despite the lack of DNA evidence.</p>
<p>
	But these arguments simply cast some doubt on Zimmerman's story instead of proving the prosecution's case, Nunn told us after the "not guilty" verdict.</p>
<p>
	Casting doubt on a witness's story is "great if you're a defense lawyer and not enough if you're a prosecutor," Nunn said. Of course, it's the prosecutor's job to prove guilt <em>beyond</em> a reasonable doubt.</p>
<p>
	To meet that high burden, Nunn said he would have stuck to the facts supporting Zimmerman's guilt including his pursuit of Martin against a 911 operator's advice and his decision to leave his car with a gun that was ready to fire. Nunn believes there was enough evidence to convict Zimmerman of at least the lesser charge of manslaughter.</p>
<p>
	Not everybody shares that belief. The Trayvon Martin case is "very, very sad," but the prosecution simply didn't have enough evidence to refute Zimmerman's self-defense claim that he feared for his life, <a href="http://info.law.indiana.edu/sb/page/normal/368.html">law professor Kevin Brown tells us</a>. Prosecutors have a very high burden of proof.</p>
<p>
	"The jury didn't find Zimmerman innocent," Brown said. "They found him not guilty."</p>



LAW PROFESSOR: Here's How I Would Have Prosecuted George Zimmerman

<p><div class="image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/51ddae976bb3f78e7500001a-328-327/o'mara-1.png" border="0" alt="Mark O'Mara George Zimmerman " /><p class="source">Screenshot/George Zimmerman trial livefeed</p><p class="caption">Mark O'Mara mounted the dummy after prosecutor John Guy did.</p></div></div></div><keyword id="982829" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="George-Zimmerman">George Zimmerman</keyword>'s defense team is resting its case Wednesday after several theatrical demonstrations of what might have happened the night he killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.</p>
<p>In one of the more bizarre moments, prosecutor John Guy pulled out a life-size dummy to suggest Trayvon Martin may have been trying to back away when Zimmerman shot and killed him. With the doll between his legs, Guy pointed out to <a href="http://dennisroot.com/dennis.php">expert witness Dennis Root</a> that Martin was shot at a 90-degree angle.</p>
<p>"If Trayvon Martin's backing up, couldn't the defendant have shot him at a 90-degree angle?" Guy asked.</p>
<p>Sitting atop the dummy, Guy also suggested that it would have been tough for Zimmerman to reach into his side holster for his gun with Martin on top of him.</p>
<p>The prosecutor's theatrics with the dummy prompted defense attorney Mark O'Mara to straddle the doll himself to demonstrate that at a certain angle his client could have found his gun with the teen on top of him.</p>
<p>The issue of who was on top of the fight is key because Zimmerman says he killed Martin in self-defense.  Zimmerman wasn't arrested for several weeks after Martin's February 2012 death. He was eventually charged with second-degree murder, and his trial has sparked a national conversation <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-george-zimmerman-trial-is-the-worst-fear-of-every-black-family-2013-7">about race in America</a>.</p>
<p>The jury's verdict is expected to be an emotional one for people invested in the case. Florida authorities have released a public service announcement urging people <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/07/10/psa-sheriff-zimmerman-trayvon/2505381/">not to riot</a> when that verdict comes down.</p>
<p>"Raise your voice and not your hands," the PSA says.</p>

Prosecutor, Defense Attorney Both Mount A Dummy In Theatrical Zimmerman Trial

<p><div class="image-container float_right" style="width:480px"><div class="image"><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/51deccd26bb3f72f0c00000f-1200-924/don-west-george-zimmerman.jpg?maxX=480&amp;maxY=360" border="0" alt="Don West George Zimmerman" width="480" height="360" /><p class="source">Reuters/Joe Burbank/Pool </p><p class="caption">Defense counsel Don West (L) angrily addresses assistant state attorney John Guy in frustration after a late night court session in the <keyword id="982829" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="George-Zimmerman">George Zimmerman</keyword> trial in Seminole circuit court in Sanford, Florida, late July 9, 2013. </p></div></div>George Zimmerman's prosecutors want to add lesser charges for the death of Florida teen <keyword id="982826" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Trayvon-Martin">Trayvon Martin</keyword>, including manslaughter and third-degree murder, possibly because they're worried he'll be acquitted.</p>
<p>Originally, Zimmerman just <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/will-george-zimmerman-be-convicted-2013-7">faced second-degree murder</a> charges for shooting and killing 17-year-old Martin. He claims self-defense, saying that Martin <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/george-zimmermans-police-statement-2013-7">punched him</a> in the face and smashed his head into the sidewalk.</p>
<p>In the state of Florida, third-degree murder doesn't require proving that Zimmerman acted with some sort of "ill will" or hatred. The new charge, however, does need a <a href="http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&amp;Search_String=&amp;URL=0800-0899/0827/Sections/0827.03.html">felony-basis.</a> In a surprising move, the prosecution argued Zimmerman committed child abuse as the felony required for third-degree murder.</p>
<p>Richard Mantei, one prosecutor in the case, explained, "When one commits ... child abuse, and the child dies — the child being defined as a person under the age of 18 — that can constitute felony murder in the third degree." Judge Debra Nelson noted that child abuse must be intentional. "Shooting is an intentional act. The question is whether is was justifiable, not intentional," Mantei responded. </p>
<p>Lead attorney for the defense Don West called the prosecution's move "<strong>outrageous</strong>" multiple times. "<strong>Just when I thought this case couldn't get anymore bizarre</strong>," he began his rebuttal. He doesn't believe the court should even take the charge seriously.</p>
<p>Judge Nelson shelved the discussion until later. The court will spend the rest of the morning solidifying the jury's instruction, and closing arguments begin at 1:00 p.m.</p>

George Zimmerman's Prosecutors Want To Charge Him With Child Abuse, And His Lawyer Is Freaking Out

<p><div class="image-container float_right" style="width:480px"><div class="image"><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/51e07b70ecad04792f000000-1200-924/trayvon-martin-george-zimmerman-2.jpg?maxX=480&amp;maxY=360" border="0" alt="Trayvon Martin George Zimmerman" width="480" height="360" /><p class="source">Reuters/Steve Nesius</p><p class="caption">A demonstrator holds a bag of skittles candy and Arizona iced tea, similar to items Trayvon Martin purchased the night he died, as he demonstrates outside Seminole County Court where George Zimmerman's second-degree murder trial is being deliberated by jurors in Sanford, Florida, July 12, 2013. </p></div></div>George Zimmerman probably <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/will-george-zimmerman-be-convicted-2013-7">won't get convicted of murder</a>, many experts say. But prosecutors still made a compelling case this week that he profiled and stalked 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.</p>
<p>Prosecutors' closing arguments focused on discrepancies in Zimmerman's story and on the strong language he used on the phone with a 911 operator before killing Martin. The state says this language shows Zimmerman had the "<a href="http://www.flcourts18.org/PDF/Press_Releases/Zimmerman_Final_Jury_Instructions.pdf">ill will, hatred, spite, or evil intent</a>" necessary for a second-degree murder conviction.</p>
<p>To prove second-degree murder, the prosecution also needs to show Zimmerman didn't really think Martin was going to kill him or badly hurt him. Here's what the prosecution has going for it:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>George Zimmerman's 911 call</strong>. Martin was apparently minding his own business when Zimmerman first spotted him around 7 p.m., but Zimmerman told the dispatcher "this guy looks like he's up to no good." He later said on the call, "<strong>These assholes always get away</strong>" before muttering "<strong>f---ing punks</strong>."</li>
<li><strong>There's evidence Zimmerman was following Martin</strong>. Trayvon was on the phone with a friend right before he died, and that friend testified that the teen asked "<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/06/26/trayvon-martin-murder-zimmerman-sanford-florida/2458133/">Why are you following me</a>?" While it's not illegal to follow somebody, the friend's testimony shows Zimmerman was the aggressor, not Martin, prosecutors argue. "<strong>Is it really self-defense when you follow somebody</strong>?" lead prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda said. He also called Zimmerman a "<strong>wannabe cop</strong>."</li>
<li><strong>Zimmerman allegedly lied about following the teen on foot. </strong>Zimmerman says he left his car because he went to check the name of the street where he spotted Martin. Prosecutors say he got out to follow the teen, and that he likely knew the street name. There were only three streets in the housing complex, where Zimmerman was head of the neighborhood watch, they pointed out. How could he not know the street name?</li>
<li><strong>Prosecutors say Zimmerman lied about Marting grabbing his gun</strong>. Zimmerman says he shot Martin when the teen tried to grab the gun, but prosecutors say that's not possible. Martin couldn't have seen the gun in Zimmerman's waistband, in the dark, prosecutors say. And <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57592246-504083/george-zimmerman-trial-trayvon-martins-dna-not-on-zimmermans-gun-dna-analyst-testifies/">none of Martin's DNA was found on that gun</a>.</li>
<li><strong>Zimmerman can't back up the key part of his self-defense claim, prosecutors say.</strong> His claims that Martin slammed his head onto the pavement 25 times is pretty compelling. A person is justified in using deadly force if it's necessary to prevent "<a href="http://www.flcourts18.org/PDF/Press_Releases/Zimmerman_Final_Jury_Instructions.pdf">immanent death or great bodily harm.</a>" But prosecutor John Guy projected a <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-george-zimmerman-trial-20130712,0,4651995.story">picture of Zimmerman's head</a>, which showed a few bloody spots but no big gashes. He pointed out that Zimmerman told a physician's assistant that he didn't even have a headache the next day. "Was he injured? Yes. Was he injured seriously? Not close, not close," Guy told the jury.</li>
</ul>
<p>To be sure, the prosecution still has a hard task in proving beyond a reasonable doubt that Zimmerman was guilty of second-degree murder. Their closing arguments didn't make him look good though. At one point, Bernie de la Rionda pointed out that Zimmerman didn't try to give Martin CPR after he shot him even though he claimed to not know he was dead.</p>
<p>"Did he attempt to render the same aid that those heroic officers from the Sanford police department did?" de la Rionda asked. The answer to that question was no. As de la Rionda spoke, Zimmerman stared ahead, stone-faced.</p>

The Case Against 'Wannabe Cop' George Zimmerman

<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><keyword id="982829" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="George-Zimmerman">George Zimmerman</keyword>'s televised second-degree murder <keyword id="42907" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="trial">trial</keyword> has captivated America.<br /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><span>Major news networks have caught heavy criticism for carrying nonstop Zimmerman coverage and brushing other news to the side. CNN has devoted an <a href="http://www.mediaite.com/tv/as-egypts-military-deadine-passes-cnn-turns-focus-to-zimmerman-trials-failed-skype-testimony/">inordinate amount of time </a>to covering the trial, and a </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/media-coverage-of-egypt-george-zimmerman-trial-2013-7">graph of Google searches</a><span> shows drastically more people searched news about Zimmerman than the recent chaos in Egypt.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>The Zimmerman trial has huge implications for race relations in America, as he shot an unarmed black teenager he deemed "very suspicious." Despite the high stakes of the case, the trial </span>esembles a made-for-TV media circus — with embarrassing courtroom fumbles distracting from the gravity of the case.<br /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">The trial, now spanning almost three weeks minus jury selection, has included some shocking moments. </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">From expletives to distasteful Instagram photos, we've listed the strangest ones. </span></p>
<h2><strong>The F-Bomb</strong></h2>
<p><div class="image-container" style="width:800px"><div class="image"><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/51df02d76bb3f7f570000005-1200-924/john-guy-george-zimmerman-prosecutor.jpg?maxX=800" border="0" alt="John Guy George Zimmerman prosecutor" width="800" /><p class="source">AP</p></div></div></p>
<p>Prosecutor John Guy <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/zimmerman-prosecutor-opens-with-f-bomb-2013-6">opened the trial with an f-bomb</a> that shocked viewers and got some network TV stations in trouble. During his opening statements, Guy quoted Zimmerman from the night of the shooting, saying, "<span>F---ing punks. These a--holes, they always get away." </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">MSNBC, which has been broadcasting much of the trial, implemented a seven-second delay after the swear word made it through to the broadcast.</span></p>
<h2><strong>The Knock-Knock Joke</strong></h2>
<p><div class="image-container" style="width:800px"><div class="image"><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/51df00596bb3f7b47000000a-1200-924/don-west-george-zimmerman-lawyer.jpg" border="0" alt="Don West George Zimmerman lawyer" width="800" /><p class="source">AP</p></div></div></p>
<p>The defense also got a lot of attention during opening statements for attorney Don West's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/zimmerman-defense-attorney-tells-knock-knock-joke-2013-6">poorly received knock-knock joke</a>. He said to the courtroom:  <span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">"Sometimes, you have to laugh to keep from crying. So let me, at considerable risk, let me say: I'd like to tell you a little joke. ... </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Here's how it goes: knock, knock. Who's there? George Zimmerman. George Zimmerman who? All right, good, you're on the jury." He <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/george-zimmerman-defense-attorney-apologizes-for-bad-joke-during-opening-statements-2013-6">later apologized</a>.</span></p>
<h2><strong>Rachel Jeantel's Testimony</strong></h2>
<p><div class="image-container" style="width:800px"><div class="image"><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/51deff8decad040160000004-1200-924/rachel-jeantel-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Rachel Jeantel" width="800" /><p class="source"><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/witness-rachel-jeantel-gives-her-testimony-to-the-news-photo/171552078">Getty Images/Pool</a></p></div></div></p>
<p>Rachel Jeantel, a 19-year-old who was on the phone with Trayvon Martin right before he died, took the stand to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/rachel-jeante-testifies-in-trayvon-martin-case-2013-6">testify about what was said during that phone call</a>. Jeantel was considered the prosecution's star witness, but her testimony became a boon for Zimmerman's team after inconsistencies in her story emerged. She was <a href="http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/segment/negative-reactions-to-rachel-jeantels-testimony/51ccc6382b8c2a38300003d3">mocked online</a>, and The Smoking Gun <a href="http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/twitter/rachel-jeantel-758403">published a series of incriminating tweets</a> that had been deleted from her account before she testified.</p>
<h2><strong>The 'Celebration Cones' Instagram Post</strong></h2>
<p><div class="image-container" style="width:800px"><div class="image"><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/51df05d56bb3f7b579000007-500-375/don-west-instagram-2.jpg" border="0" alt="Don West Instagram" width="800" /><p class="source">Twitter/TylerJRollinson</p></div></div></p>
<p>Defense attorney Don West's daughter <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/george-zimmermans-attorney-in-instagram-post-2013-6">posted a photo to Instagram</a> of her and West eating "celebration" ice cream cones after a day in court. The photo, which had the caption "we beat stupidity," went viral online the day after Rachel Jeantel testified, although it was taken earlier in the week. Prosecutors later <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/george-zimmerman-prosecutors-want-instagram-photo-inquiry-2013-7">asked for an inquiry into the photo</a>, and West apologized and said he wasn't aware it had been posted online.</p>
<h2><strong>The Skype Testimony That Went Wrong<br /></strong></h2>
<p><div class="image-container" style="width:800px"><div class="image"><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/51df1c07ecad041614000009-1200-924/george-zimmerman-skype-testimony-1.png" border="0" alt="George Zimmerman Skype testimony" width="800" /><p class="source">Screenshot</p></div></div></p>
<p>Several people tried to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/scott-pleasants-skype-testimony-pranked-2013-7">interrupt the Skype testimony</a> of one of Zimmerman's former college professors by incessantly calling one of the accounts being used for the session. The testimony had to be halted and <span>defense attorney Mark O'Mara said, "</span><span>There's now a really good chance that we're being toyed with, just so you know." The judge became visibly frustrated and demanded the defense ditch the Skype session and call the witness on a different number.</span></p>
<h2><strong>The Accidental Leak Of Zimmerman's Personal Data<br /></strong></h2>
<p><div class="image-container" style="width:800px"><div class="image"><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/51df1d336bb3f72027000007-280-210/george-zimmerman-redacted-court-documents-cnn-1.jpg" border="0" alt="George Zimmerman redacted court documents CNN" width="800" /><p class="source"><a href="http://www.mediaite.com/tv/cnn-accidentally-airs-george-zimmermans-social-security-number/">Screenshot/Mediaite</a></p></div></div></p>
<p>Prosecutors <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/george-zimmerman-social-security-number-shown-2013-7">inadvertently displayed a document containing Zimmerman's social security and telephone numbers</a> among other personal information to the courtroom, and the document was aired on CNN. The numbers were mistakenly not redacted from the document before they were displayed in court.</p>
<p><strong>The circus-like televised trial has further polarized public opinion.</strong> Conservative columnist <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2013/07/12/coulter-zimmerman-hype-effort-to-show-america-is-out-to-rape-and-murder-black-people/">Anne Coulter</a> called the situation a "fake case of how racist America is out trying to rape and murder black people." Days earlier, Fox News "liberal voice" <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jul/9/foxs-bob-beckel-declares-george-zimmerman-racist-w/">Bob Beckel</a> called Zimmerman a "wannabe cop who didn't like black people."</p>
<p>Closing arguments concluded Friday. Many expect the drama to continue after the verdict. <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2013/07/11/psa-for-zimmerman-trial-verdict-no-laugh-riot/">The Washington Post</a> reported America has legitimate fears of riots if the jury doesn't bring back a guilty verdict. One Florida police department even released a <a href="http://www.sheriff.org/posts/post.cfm?id=bf1326e0-d238-0577-7446-a3a4ca5438d3">public service announcement,</a> entitled "Raise Your Voice, Not Your Hands."</p>

You Searched For "John Guy" and got 5 results

LAW PROFESSOR: Here's How I Would Have Prosecuted George Zimmerman

Erin Fuchs

Prosecutor, Defense Attorney Both Mount A Dummy In Theatrical Zimmerman Trial

Erin Fuchs

George Zimmerman's Prosecutors Want To Charge Him With Child Abuse, And His Lawyer Is Freaking Out

Christina Sterbenz

The Case Against 'Wannabe Cop' George Zimmerman

Erin Fuchs

The Craziest Moments Of The George Zimmerman Trial

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