Community Corner

Zimmerman Found Not Guilty: Did the Jury Get It Right?

George Zimmerman was acquitted of second-degree murder charges Saturday night in connection with the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Do you think the verdict was fair?

A Florida jury deliberated for about 16 hours before finding George Zimmerman not guilty in connection with the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, according to the Huffington Post

Zimmerman, who pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder charges, claimed Martin attacked him, and he shot the teen in self-defense Feb. 26, 2012. Martin was returning to the home of his father's fiancée in Sanford, FL, with an iced tea and a bag of Skittles he bought from a local 7-Eleven. 

After calling police, Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, confronted Martin, even after a police dispatcher advised him not to. The two fought, and Martin was shot and killed.

Since the shooting, the case has become the backdrop for national debates on race, gun ownership and self-defense laws, such as the "stand your ground" measure that allows an individual to use deadly force if he or she is in imminent danger. 

YOUR TURN: What do you think about the verdict? Was it right decision? Do you think it was fair? Share your thoughts in the comments section.


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