Zimmerman alternate juror E54 speaks out the about verdict in the case.
Speaking for the first time and maintaining his anonymity the man spoke with Fox 35 exclusively. The interview was shown On The Record with Greta Van Susteren.
Asked whether he supports the verdict, the man said that he did. The alternate juror seemed nervous answering questions from the reporter, stammering a bit while responding to the questions. This was in stark contrast to the remarks made by juror B37 .
According to E54 the evidence that most stood out for him was who was on top and bottom during the fight between Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin, the non emergency calls in which Zimmerman tells dispatcher about a suspicious person (Martin), Rachel Jeantel, Martin’s phone records, witnesses who heard noises, and eyewitnesses.
The alternate says that he believes that George Zimmerman’s voice is that of the 911 call.He adds that the injuries Zimmerman sustained also stand out as a critical aspect on the case.
Asked whether he found Rachel Jeantel credible, he answered that he did.
The reporter asked him what did he think of how quickly juror B37 spoke up, referring to the first juror who spoke up about the trial. He said he was surprised at how quickly the woman came public.
His reaction to protests is that he doesn’t understand civil rights complaints, “people will be angry no matter what, I hope they’re peaceful and there’s no destruction or hatred.”
To him the key witness was George Zimmerman during the 911 call. That was direct evidence as to what was happening at the time, it’s key to his thinking, his state of mind. The juror didn’t see hatred or profiling. Zimmerman simply characterized Trayvon Martin as a suspicious person and that’s it.
Another key piece of evidence in the mind of E54 was Jeantel’s testimony when she was on phone with Martin, when the phone got disconnected and he called back Martin said he’d lost the man. At the same time Zimmerman had just gotten out of his car and it’s not clear how the two met up again. E54 believes there was an implication that Trayvon Martin followed Zimmerman.
The man insisted that he believes Zimmerman’s injuries were critical in his mind and he came to the conclusion that his actions were justified.
Asked whether B37’s criticism of Zimmerman for not going back to his car made sense E54 said, “He had the right to be there, I had no problem with that fact.”
E54 found the medical examiner testimony confusing, saying that the coroner spent too much time explaining how he could remember an autopsy he did a year ago.
The juror was thoughtful in his answers and said he was interested and looking for what’s there. He also did not find the photos of Martin’s body troubling.
“For me it wasn’t, I was focused on what I was hearing and seeing and not what was in the pictures.”
Alternate juror E54 said he avoided looking at the family members purposely, out of respect for them
E54 thought the verdict was accurate and was impressed at how hard the jurors worked and how proud of they were of their work. He added he was disappointed when he found out he was the alternate, as he would have like to participate in deliberation and discuss everyone’s point of view.
The juror said that there was no time to be bored, only on the first day, but after that he was focused on the testimony presented.
Alternate juror E54 said when he was dismissed from the Zimmerman trial he kissed his wife and watched TV coverage of the case at home.
He adds that he doesn’t understand Al Sharpton’s issues with the stand your ground law . The jurors reviewed the evidence and did their job. That didn’t really come into play in the case in alternate juror E54’s opinion.
What do you think of remarks by alternate juror E54 on the Zimmerman case?