Prosecutor Opens By Quoting Zimmerman Referring to Trayvon Martin ‘f-ing punks’

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The trial for George Zimmerman over the murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin began Monday morning, with opening statements from the prosecution and defense. Prosecutor John Guy opened with a fearless punch to the gut of George Zimmerman’s character, quoting from a call Zimmerman made to a police dispatcher as he followed Martin through the gated community where he lived, in which Zimmerman said, “Fu**ing punks. These a** holes they always get away…”

Watch a short clip here (NSFW):

Prosecutor John opened to the all-female jury, “‘Fu**ing punks. These a** holes they always get away.’ Those were the words in that grown man’s mouth as he followed in the dark a 17-year-old boy who he didn’t know. And excuse my language. but those were his words not mine. ‘Fu**ing punks. These a** holes they always get away.'”

Guy played a 911 recording with screams followed by a gunshot, described Zimmerman as having “profiled (Trayvon) as someone who was about to commit a crime in his neighborhood”, and described Zimmerman as someone who wanted to be a police officer and took classes on the law of self-defense, according to the Miami Herald.

Guy then recounted that Trayvon Martin was fatally shot in the chest on Feb. 26, 2012 after Zimmerman followed Martin and a confrontation ensued.

Defense attorney Don West told the jury that Zimmerman is not guilty of second degree murder, “He shot Trayvon Martin in self-defense after being viciously attacked… This is a sad case, of course… a young man lost his life” and claimed that Zimmerman “is fighting for his.”

Someone might want to clue the defense in to the fact that it’s a bit crazy to compare being murdered to defending oneself from murder charges in a court of law. But then again, West seems well picked by this defendant for precisely his lack of social skills and general awareness. According to the Orlando Sentinel, “West told the jurors there are no ‘monsters’ in the case. Then he told an ill-received knock-knock joke: George Zimmerman who? ‘Alright, good. You’re on the jury.'”

West at least had the sense to apologize for the knock knock joke, no word yet on comparing death to defending oneself from murder charges.

Testimony began Monday afternoon after opening statements concluded.

Sarah Jones

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