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# Sparks Fly During Zimmerman Trial Opening Statements

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<!-- video src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/UPBqXsAk.m3u8" -->
## Video: Sparks Fly During Zimmerman Trial Opening Statements

[Watch (HLS stream): Sparks Fly During Zimmerman Trial Opening Statements](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/UPBqXsAk.m3u8) (2:22)

![Sparks Fly During Zimmerman Trial Opening Statements](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/UPBqXsAk/poster.jpg?width=720)

_Published 2013-06-25. Opening statements in the Zimmerman trial include gratuitous swearing and bad jokes._


---

Jul 27, 2023 3:37 PM UTC

---

## More From This Series

[All Videos](https://time.com/video/)

[Opening Statements Begin in the Trial of Kyle Rittenhouse](/video/aOUjeVD6/)

### Opening Statements Begin in the Trial of Kyle Rittenhouse

[Zimmerman Trial Day 6](/video/3oZnJ17E/)

### Zimmerman Trial Day 6

[Zimmerman Trial Refresher](/video/Gy0Os6Wl/)

### Zimmerman Trial Refresher

---


## Transcript

Opening statements in the case against George Zimmerman began with words we wouldn't even air on TV. Punks, these [ NOISE ] 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. With Martin's family visibly shaken by what they heard, Prosecutor John Guy spoke directly to jurors using the very words Zimmerman used when he called a non emergency line before shooting and killing Trayvon Martin. For 30 minutes the attorney challenged Zimmerman's account of what happened. And that defendant, at that same time, was upright, walking around preparing.

Preparing to tell law enforcement why it was he had just profiled, followed, and murdered an unarmed teenager. In still another unusual move, Attorney John West opened for the defense with a knock knock joke. Knock knock. Who's there? George Zimmerman. George Zimmerman who? Alright good, you're on the jury. Nothing? [ LAUGH ] That's funny. How that played out with the jury is anybody's guess. The one thing that became very clear though, West wanted to cover a lot of ground. For more than two hours, he laid out Zimmerman's case with pictures and great detail, overkill in the view of CNN legal analyst, Sunny Hostin.

You're supposed to give definitely a road map, but they gave so much more than that and I think it was too much. The state then called the first of its witnesses in the trial, among them the non- emergency dispatcher George Zimmerman called for help. How come you don't or didn't say, you know, order the person to stop and don't follow and anything like that, why did you phrase it like you phrased it? The reason we do that is because we're directly viable if we give a direct order. So we always try to give general, basic not commands but just suggestions. George Howell, CNN Sanford, Florida.

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