George Zimmerman’s lawyers are requesting to ban certain inflammatory words , such as “wannabe cop,” “vigilante,” and “profiled” at his trial.
Certain phrases during opening statements are also requested to be banned during trial. Zimmerman’s lawyers do not want prosecutors to say that Zimmerman confronted Trayvon Martin or that he got out of the car after the police told him not to.
“Some of these terms are disparaging, inappropriate, and if used in trial would serve only to unfairly prejudice the jury by eliciting unfounded connotations and unfair emotional responses,” defense attorney Mark O’Mara wrote in a motion to the court.
Judge Debra S. Nelson has yet to rule on this request. She recently decided that defense attorneys will not be allowed to talk about pictures of drugs and guns found on Martin’s phone. Nelson also said that talking about Martin’s alleged school suspensions , drug use, and fights are not relevant and might prejudice jurors.
Zimmerman was arrested in April of last year for allegedly shooting Martin. Authorities charged Zimmerman with second degree murder more than six weeks after he shot the 17-year-old.
State Attorney Angela Corey did not talk about how she arrived at the charges or disclosed other details in the investigation. “That’s why we try cases in court,” she said.
Zimmerman has maintained his innocence since the incident and said that he shot Martin in self-defense after the teenager allegedly attacked him. The shooting sparked national outrage and set off a debate over race and self-defense that went all the way to the White House.
Corey admitted that the decision to charge Zimmerman didn’t have anything to do with the protests and debates. “We do not prosecute by public pressure or by petition,” she said.
Do you think these inflammatory words should be banned at Zimmerman’s trial?