SANFORD, Fla. (AP) — A prosecutor told jurors in opening statements Monday that George Zimmerman fatally shot Trayvon Martin “because he wanted to,” not because he had to, while the neighborhood watch volunteer’s attorney said the deadly shooting of the teen was carried out in self-defense.The opposing attorneys squared off on the first day of testimony in a trial that has attracted international attention and prompted nationwide debates about racial profiling, vigilantism and the laws governing the use of deadly force.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=87408