I watched in a news room studio as John Guy gave his rebuttal closing article. And the one thing that struck me the most was the way Assistant District Attorney Guy handled the topic of race. I’ve said from the beginning this case is all about race.
Many of the prospective jurors, both African American and white disagreed in their answers during voir dire that the case was about race. Perhaps, for the people of Sanford, Florida and Seminole County to believe the case is about race says something about them which they chose to ignore. There were peaceful protests to bring about the arrest of George Zimmerman which one juror, referred to as “rioting” during jury selections. Judge Debra Nelson may have also been in denial when she denied the state the opportunity to use the words “racial profiling”. And what else could it be? George Zimmerman’s own testimony stated that there had been break- ins by African American males. And Trayvon Martin fit that description of an African American male who was doing nothing more except walking home.
Race needed to be addressed in the case because it is front and center as to how the case started with the killing of Trayvon Martin to the non-arrest of George Zimmerman to how the defense attorney Don West snidely cross examined Rachel Jeantel. Yes, this case has been about race all along and throughout the trial.
Assistant District Attorney, John Guy, found an ingenious way to invoke the issue of race and give the jurors something to think about in regards to race, without offending them. To strongly state the case is about race would probably offend some if not all of the jurors, who may think otherwise. His rebuttal stated the case was not about race but right and wrong. And the way, the jurors will know it’s not about race is if they would give the same verdict if Trayvon Martin was on trial for the killing of George Zimmerman. And if they give the verdict that would be given if the tables were turned and Zimmerman died, then George Zimmerman must be found guilty at a minimum of manslaughter. Here’s Guy’s final words to the jury:
The jury is still out deliberating as of the writing of this article. I will know that justice has been served and the truth has come out if George Zimmerman receives the same verdict that Trayvon Martin, a young black male, would have received if the tables were turned and Zimmerman died with a gunshot wound to the chest.
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