Zimmerman Acquitted in Murder of Trayvon Martin

On Saturday, judges in Florida ruled that George Zimmerman had acted in legitimate self-defense. The verdict is far from receiving unanimous support across the United States, which has been captivated and torn apart by the circumstances of this tragedy.

“Not guilty!” George Zimmerman listened calmly to the verdict as it was confirmed by the six members of the jury who acquitted him of the murder of Trayvon Martin. He had killed the unarmed adolescent on Feb. 26, 2012 following a violent altercation, the precise details of which still remain hazy despite the 50 witnesses who spoke in court.

After 16 hours of deliberation, the jury took the side of the defense, which had relentlessly tried to demonstrate that Zimmerman had acted in self-defense — a notion clearly defended by law in the pro-gun state of Florida. Most legal practitioners that were interviewed after the verdict was declared said they were not surprised by the jury’s decision. The prosecution was not able to show beyond a reasonable doubt that Zimmerman had not shot Trayvon in self-defense.

This Saturday, while George Zimmerman walked away from the trial as a free man, protesters called for revenge, revealing the extent of racial tensions that persist in America. The verdict provoked a wave of indignation across the country, which has been captivated and torn apart by the circumstances of the tragedy. Black people supported Martin; many whites, Zimmerman. The case had been judged in the court of public opinion before it even reached the tribunal, making acceptance of this Saturday’s verdict difficult. Americans had been passionately watching the trial play out for three weeks, with the debates being aired in their entirety on CNN.

“It Was Not an Act of Murder … but That Does Not Diminish the Tragedy”: Robert Zimmerman, Brother of the Accused

“I really can’t put into words how relieved we are as a family … I don’t think this is a time for high-fiving … Mr. Trayvon Martin lost his life. It was not an act of murder … but that does not diminish the tragedy,” noted the dignified Robert Zimmerman, George’s brother, who has been his family’s voice to the media throughout the case.

He nevertheless called for the country to accept the jury’s verdict, which found his brother innocent, as “we are a nation of laws.”* George is “going to be looking around his shoulder for the rest of his life. There are people that would want to take the law into their own hands … and they will always present a threat to George and to his family,” he confided to Piers Morgan, the CNN presenter who interviewed him soon after the verdict.

The state of Florida had accused George Zimmerman of treating Trayvon Martin like a criminal, although he had only stepped out to buy sweets from a grocery store and was heading back to his father’s house. This is probably partially true. But the state also accused Zimmerman of provoking the young man and killing him because of racial prejudice. The prosecution did not manage to demonstrate these facts irrefutably — far from it. The neighborhood watchman was presented as safety-obsessed, exasperated by a series of break-ins perpetrated by African-Americans and, therefore, ready to confront any potential thieves. But the jury was not convinced. The defense, on the other hand, emphasized Zimmerman’s physical injuries to give weight to the argument of self-defense.

Not Guilty, Not Necessarily Innocent

On Saturday, onlookers pointed out that many details of the fatal evening remained vague. Several lawyers have explained that the fact that Zimmerman was declared not guilty does not necessarily mean he is innocent, but that there was not enough evidence to declare him guilty. Many black American families say they have been affected by Trayvon Martin’s tragedy. They are convinced that such a scenario could happen to their children without warning. They are denouncing a police force and a society that exhibits a tendency to consider young black people potential suspects. A large portion of public opinion reveals shock that no penalty has been administered to the accused. Zimmerman’s defenders, on the other hand, believe he was unfairly accused and demonized because he is white.

Zimmerman’s brother demanded to know on Saturday evening why the death of Trayvon Martin became a national tragedy while the deaths of dozens of young African-Americans killed by other black Americans remain immersed in anonymity. The wave of questions and conflicting opinions speaks volumes about the racial tensions that persist across the country.

*Editor’s note: This was part of the statement delivered by President Obama regarding the outcome of the case.