With the close of the George Zimmerman trial and the beginning of jury deliberations, all attention now focuses on the six women who will be deciding the fate of Zimmerman in his second-degree murder trial. Here is what is known about the six jurors, courtesy of WFTV and Andrew Branca of Legal Insurrection:
- B29: Hispanic female with eight children who works at a nursing home, living in Chicago when the Trayvon Martin shooting occurred. She said that she worked nights with Alzheimer’s patients, moved to Seminole county four months prior to the start of the trial, and said, “I don’t like watchin the news period…I don’t read any newspapers, don’t watch the news.” She added she didn’t like crime shows on television. She said that she knew that with regard to the Trayvon Martin case, a “little boy had passed away,” who she thought was “a kid, 12 or 13,” and termed Martin a “child who died.” She had previously been arrested, and told the lawyers that she would have no problem voting “not guilty” if there was a reasonable doubt in her mind.
- B76: White female of middle age who knew about case from the news, says she wants a “fair trial,” and said it was a “great opportunity” to serve on the jury. She said that she knew that someone had been shot and that Zimmerman was injured. She said she didn’t “believe what I hear on TV.” She has two children and has been married for 30 years, and said that she had used the Neighborhood Watch program in her neighborhood. She asked why “a kid was out at night getting candy” and said “If I saw someone beating a child I would definitely get involved, I’d push the person down if I needed to, to protect the child.”
- B37: White woman in her 30s owns a variety of pets (3 dogs, 4 cats, parrot, crow with one wing, two lizards), rescues wildlife, works in a chiropractor’s office, and says she does not watch television. She told attorney’s that the burden of proof lay with the state, and thinks concealed and carry weapons training is inadequate, although she said she had once had a concealed firearm license. She has two children. She said that the best use for newspapers was lining her parrot’s cage, and said she did not trust the media. She called the Trayvon Martin protests “rioting” and said she remembered that Zimmerman had been in a fight late at night and a “boy of color” had been killed.
- B51: White retired woman, unmarried, who admitted she had an opinion on the case, and admitted that she had heard Zimmerman had been told not to follow Zimmerman (false) but that he declined to do so. She also stated it was “good to know we can consider bias.” She said that Zimmerman’s participation in Neighborhood Watch was something “he was supposed to be doing.” She said that Zimmerman might have done something wrong in not waiting for police, stating, “No. Perhaps he did. Yes.” She said that she thought the Chief of Police of Sanford had lost his job thanks to not arresting Zimmerman quickly enough.
- E6: White mid-30s female who worked in financial services; defense attempted to preemptory challenge her but the judge denied the challenge. She said she didn’t know enough facts to have an opinion on the case. She has two children and had been previously arrested on a domestic violence charge. She said she didn’t follow the case closely, and said, ‘I don’t put much stock to what’s in the news, it’s so speculative.” She said she’d seen a picture of Zimmerman’s face bloodied, and that she had guns in the home. She told her children when she heard about the shooting not to dress or act to give a “false impression” while out at night. She seemed quite familiar with the concept of reasonable doubt, and asked specific questions about it.
- E40: White middle-aged female who called herself a lawyer at heart, said she could help tell jurors to only consider evidence presented in court, and said that citizens have “responsibility if you bear arms.” She is a safety officer, and has one child. She said she heard about a teenager being killed and “didn’t have time” to follow the case.