SANFORD, Fla. – After the prosecution rested their case in the George Zimmerman trial Friday afternoon, the defense moved to ask the judge for an acquittal.
Judge Debra Nelson denied the request. Zimmerman could be facing life in prison if found guilty of second-degree murder. He claims he killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in self-defense.
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"There is not a scintilla of evidence that my client" followed Trayvon, Defense attorney Mark O'Mara said.
O'Mara wanted the judge to take the verdict out of the jury's hands. Prosecutor Richard Mantei said the jurors should make the decision, and added that there were two minutes that Zimmerman could not account for while he followed Trayvon.
"There are two people involved here," Mantei said. "One of them is dead and the other one is a liar."
O'Mara said Zimmerman's inconsistencies were due to trauma and having to tell the same story multiple times.
State wants you to believe that Zimmerman became a "mastermind murderer" who went "hunting," O'Mara said
Attorneys cited a series of cases during their arguments. Nelson listened patiently, and ruled in favor of the prosecution.
Orlando Attorney Richard Hornsby tweeted links to some of the cases both O'Mara and Mantei mentioned to support their arguments in court.
O'Mara cited at least ten cases:
- Stieh v. State: "State failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that didn't act in self-defense, court should have granted judgement of acquittal."
- Jenkins v. State: Click here to read the case.
- Thompson v. State: Click here to read the case.
- Hernandez-Ramos v. State: Click here to read the case.
- Light v. State: Click here to read the case.
- McDaniel v. State: Click here to read the case.
- State v. Ellison: Click here to read the case.
- Sigler v. State: Click here to read the case.
- Dorsey v. State: Click here to read the case.
- Wiley v. State: Click here to read the case.
Mantei cited at least three cases:
- Gibbs v. State: Click here to read the case.
- Leasure v. State: Click here to read the case.
- Hoffman v. State: Click here to read the case.