was an adequate explanation as to why trayvon martin had to die. i didn't see a real -- i suspect these jurors will be saying did he really have to kill this 17-year-old. couldn't he have just pointed the gun and said back off. it didn't get into -- >> you don't the animation and the props with the concrete and the things that shows the size of trayvon martin and george zimmerman, you don't think that had any effect on the jury at all? >> i think it has a big effect. i think frankly, prosecutors got a very weak case here. most lawyers looking at i think defense is winning but when i talk to people about the case, especially when i talk to women about the case and mothers they all come back to this, did he have to kill him. couldn't he have pointed the gun and said back off. i would have like to have seen him dealing with that issue. if i'm defending be case that's the thing i'm going to worry about. one of those mothers saying he was acting in self-defense but it was disproportionate force. did he really have to kill him? that's the thing you have to grapple with as a defense atto

assumptions were wrong, trayvon benjamin martin no longer walks on this earth. >> joining me now is managing editor of the grio.com and an msnbc contributor, joyoid, and msnbc legal analyst lisa bloom. lisa, i want to go to you first. we know the prosecution is going toby g begin its rebuttal. a lot brought up in the defense closing arguments, the crux seeming to rest on the notion that there is too much of a reasonable doubt to convict george zimmerman. where does the prosecution begin as it must in the next few minutes? >> well, i would begin by starting out with what mark o'mara missed in his closing argument. he really didn't respond at all to the big lies that the prosecution has put out there about george zimmerman. yes, he said people have inconsistencies when they tell stories over and over again, and that's true. that would explain some of the minor inconsistencies. but what about the big ones? george zimmerman saying he didn't know the name of the street sign. i wasn't following trayvon martin. okay, i was following him. no, i was just going to look at the street sign, no

the car if they thinks that trayvon martin is a threat? >> day 23 of the george zimmerman trial. >> why? because he has a gun. >> both sides have rested their case. >> they're now debating the instructions that will go to the jury. >> it is certainly consistent with the way the case has proceeded. >> don west is using strong language there. >> closing arguments today in the george zimmerman trial. >> closing arguments later this afternoon. >> it is coming up on decision time. >> once we get to the closing and final chapter. >> let's talk about the trial of george zimmerman. >> state versus george zimmerman. >> who was the aggressor. >> are any of those abrasions life-threatening? >> mark osterman. >> rachel jeantel. >> we should plan at least a couple of hours. >> he needs to tell her whether he is going to testify or not. >> mr. zimmerman not taking the stand. >> george zimmerman has pled not guilty and claims he fatally shot trayvon martin in self defense. >> state versus george zimmerma zimmerman. >> twenty-three days after the state versus george zimmerman, the state began h

redone, the reality was the injuries were the only injuries we know about on trayvon martin and that the wet clothes should not have been, should not have been bagged in paper and that the hands should have been bagged, and we'll talk about the hands in a little bit. ms. zimmerman told you that it was her son as, i'm sure, you expected before she ever got on the stand. jorge mesa, interesting because that was unplanned by him, it would seem, if you believe his testimony sitting at a computer listening and then hearing the background voice that he knew without question and immediately to be that of his nephew, george zimmerman. i think it came across very credibly. i think he came across a man of his oath, of his word, and i would ask you to consider the testimony in that regard. mark osterman, buddy of his, talked about the weapon used, how you holster a gun. he's good at what he does. he was helping george figure out how to fire a gun. son da osterman, friend, definitely george zimmerman screaming for help. and explained away some of what the state was trying to prove ty call about the

fitness of trayvon martin and george zimmerman at the time of the shooting. >> there was nothing that indicated to me that mr. martin wasn't physically capable. you know, when i looked at his size and weight, they were comparable to a -- i saw the photos of him, he seemed to be, overall, in good physical health and physically fit. comparatively to mr. zimmerman who was in the process of losing weight. >> the zimmerman you see there the 300-pound version of george zimmerman is not what he looked like in the altercation. he was 190 and 5'8". the prosecution is now cross-examining the witness root. >> you know, his reference in that statement was addressing his -- clearly addressing his frustration from previous calls in which the individuals got away. his verbiage chosen may not be the most appropriate but i don't mean because somebody has said that because they mean ill will. >> but the target of his frustration, you understand, was trayvon martin? >> i would have to say that the comment, in my opinion, the comment, that frustrating was being voiced at the fact he has made numerou

been found not guilty of manslaughter or murder in the death of trayvon martin. you may recall, of course, george zimmerman was a night watchman at a condo complex in florida and he stopped or tried to stop trayvon martin, an unarmed african-american teenager who he thought may be a suspicious person. there was some kind of confrontation between the two of them and trayvon martin was shot by george zimmerman. zimmerman and his defense team maintained he shot martin in self defense. the prosecution argued he was guilty of manslaughter at the least and perhaps murder. with a not guilty verdict on any charges, zimmerman will be released. he will be able to leave the courthouse. he had been in jail, in custody for quite some time, but he will now be able to leave the courthouse and go home and the trial is essentially over. the prosecution made an attempt to get him convicted and it did not happen. you can see people standing by. i believe the woman in the middle is zimmerman's mother who is looking on. she spent some time testifying in this case as did trayvon martin's parents. they a

responsible george zimmerman for the death of trayvon martin. 16 years and 21 day old forever. his final act, trying to get home. his final emotion, fear. the jury in the case of man who shot him to death on february 26 of last year did not find george zimmerman guilty of any crime. not of second degree murder. not manslaughter. and so george zimmerman is a free man today. he has even got his jun back. so what do we owe the living and the dead? george zimmerman and his family are very happy this evening and so are his supporters. trayvon martin's parents who wanted to see an arrest and trial for the man who killed their son received both. but did they receive justice? tens of thousands people marched peacefully to say no. and many more on social media and in homes where you're hugging your children tighter this evening are expressing feelings of stunned, sadness. is the truth about we've delivered to the dead this a black teenager has no right it walk in a gate had community in hoody in the rain or to run from a stranger without being thought of a suspect. or even be tried in court

of the last week, the issue of the trayvon martin ruling. i gave a preliminary statement right after the ruling on sunday, but watching the debate over the course of the last week, i thought it might be useful for me to expand on my thoughts a little bit. first of all, you know, i want to ever sure that once again, i send my thoughts and prayers, as well as michelle's to the family of trayvon martin, and to remark on the incredible grace and dignity with which they have dealt with the entire situation. i can only imagine what they are going through, and it's remarkable how they have handled it. the second, to reiterate what i said sunday. there will be a lot of arguments about the legal issues in the case. i'll let all the legal analysts and talking heads address those issues. the judge conducted the trial in a professional manner. the prosecution and the defense made their arguments. the jury was properly instructed that in a -- in a case such as this, reasonable doubt was relevant and they rendered a verdict, and once the jury has spoken, that's how our system works. but i di

evidence, text messages and photos that would seem to paint trayvon martin as aggressive in the eyes of the jury. the defense attorney don west tonight making his pitch. listen. >> there are two main issues. one relates to several conversations by mr. martin attempting to acquire a firearm. >> these are conversations that are audio conversations or are they written? >> there are two main issues, one relates to several conversations by mr. martin attempting to acquire a firearm. >> these are conversations that are audio conversations? or are they written? >> they are text messages. >> okay. >> that were obtained from his phone. >> the crux of the matters that relate to the fighting issue, that is the crux of this proffer. it's mr. martin's text messages about being in a fight. about the effects of that fight on him. that he got into a fight, that he lost the first round, won the second and third round. bloodied the guy's nose. wasn't done with him yet. a facebook post from mr. martin's half brother, dimitrius martin asking trayvon martin, when are you going to teach me me how to fight. >> ri

emotional and brought us back to trayvon martin. instead they put on an expert. these experts always have issues because they want to testify as if they are lecturing. in this case they want to make their own rules and bring in their notes. the defense has an expert who has written the book on pathology. in comparison so what they are putting on last this is the way they want to leave the jury. it's almost incredible to me. i think he's doing a poor job and the fact the notes regardless there's anything in there damaging or not, the fact they had a break because of it makes the state look bad on their last witness. >> let me know your thoughts about this. you're a tough defender. would you not be a little delighted at this point to find some fresh new discovery that no one expected to come in. >> i'd be doing a dance of joy. i wonder if this is his first time at the rodeo. how could he not know as a medical examiner who has probably testified before that you cannot do this. these kind of notes are obviously discoverable particularly if you refer to them on the stand. this is just --

sanford. george zimmerman a lightning rod case, when zimmerman fatally shot trayvon martin. >> breaking news tonight, one man dead, another in a jail cell after a shooting in sanford. they say they were called out to a home in the circle. >> acres in are stim still shocked. they say it's most bizarre thing for neighborhood. it's such a quiet neighborhood and they say the gunman was a member of their neighborhood watch. >> he was going to the store. >> i don't know why, i don't know. >> we understand that the local f.b.i. office has been in contact with the local authorities. >> protestors and marches continue across the country. in washington, chicago and st. louis. >> we love our children like you love yours! >> a day after the sanford police chief stepped down the city manager assigned two cops to run the department for now. >> our standby at police department and investigation that was conducted in the trayvon martin case and this matter is overshadowing things. >> every parent in america should be able to understand why it is absolutely imperative that we investigate every aspect of

to file charges, across the nation, demonstrators say there was no justice for trayvon martin. but as president obama said we are a jury of laws, they're calling for calm in the wake of the verdict. >> in the circuit court of the 18th judicial circuit, state of florida versus zimmerman. >> he had absolutely no reaction at that moment. >> right, yeah, when you looked at his face i was not even sure he had heard it quite. there was no reaction. his wife, shelly was there, she began to cry quietly. and then we looked over and it was noticeably obvious, trayvon martin's parents who had been there throughout, trayvon martin and sabrina fulton. test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test . >> we are just heartbroken really right now. we ask that you keep them in your prayers. >> george zimmerman has been silent. but it was mark o'mara, his lawyer, that spoke out. >> we are ecstatic with tehe results, george zimmerman was never guilty. i am glad the jury saw it that way. >> and this is really not the end for george zimmerman as we have been talking

them then told you that they agreed with your opinion that it was trayvon martin's voice, correct? >> they didn't tell me anything. >> when you mentioned a moment ago that you didn't know what -- nobody spoke to you to tell you that you would soon be listening to screams from the event that led to your son's death? >> no. >> mayor triplet never said anything like that to you? >> no. >> nor did any of your other family members? >> they haddent heard the tape at that time. >> the question is whether or not anyone told you to prepare yourself for the event, for the trauma, of having to listen to somebody scream moments before your son was shot? >> no. >> nobody mentioned that to you? >> no. >> tracy martin never told you about that? >> no. >> and you just listened to it one time, correct? >> that's it. >> a moment your honor. >> thank you, your honor. obviously based upon [ inaudible ]. >> any redirect? >> yes, your honor. >> you were asked about hope. did you hope your son wouldn't be dead, trayvon martin? you were asked by the defense counsel about hope. you still hoping he would s

this morning a freeman. cleared of all charges in the shooting death of trayvon martin. martin's family deals with that verdict that was rendered last night. good morning, everyone. welcome to "america's news headquarters" on this sunday morning. >> i'm marcella neville. a jury of six women reaching their verdict yesterday after 16 hours of deliberations. here's the verdict as it was read. >> in the circuit court of the 18th judicial district in and for seminole county florida, state of florida versus george zimmerman, verdict, we the jury find george zimmerman, not guilty. >> emotions running high outside the courthouse as people on both sides of this case consider the outcome of this historic case. jonathan sary is joining us live from sanford, florida. jonathan, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. there were reports overnight of protester smashing windows and setting small fires in oakland, california, but here in sanford, florida, people on both sides of this emotionally charged issue heeded the calls to remain calm. in advance of the verdict some prominent civil rights leaders

. tonight you heard what trayvon martin's parents just told anderson cooper. >> it came as a complete shock to me, and the reason i say that is because i just look at people as people, and i thought for sure that the jury looked at trayvon as an average teenager that was minding his own business, that wasn't committing any crime, that was coming home from the store and were feet away from where he was actually going, and i just believe that they realized that, but when i heard the verdict, i kind of understand the disconnect and that maybe they didn't see trayvon as their son. they didn't see trayvon as a teenager. they didn't see trayvon as just a human being. >> now two african american minute sterps square off. one says any black child with a hoodie can be the next trayvon martin and the other says it's not white racism, it's black racism. one of the notorious crimes of the country, i'll talk to her tonight. >>> a year since aurora but their love is forever. an exclusive with the couple that vowed not to let the shooting stop their wedding. >> he did kind of save me, so of course i

message, the system is broken. justice for trayvon martin has not been served. >> for them to use the sidewalk as a weapon now, saying your kid can walk down the street now, not doing anything, just go to the store and somebody can get in a fight with them. a grown man can get in a fight with your kid. they can have a gun. now your defense is you picked up a sidewalk and beat this head in. that's not right. it's open season on all our kids now. it was a travesty of justice this time. i really believe we should change these laws. >> i think this was a mistake. i don't know if it was prosecution or if it was jury but it was a mistake. >> i don't blame every white person in seminole county for this. >> you seem angry? >> i'm not. the system didn't work for us. the system was broken initially. i think the system continues to be broken tonight is what i'm suggesting to you. >> but about that system, that system, there are those who say it's simple, the prosecution did not prove its case, did not prove second degree murder. the state needed to show george zimmerman had ill will, hatred, spi

second-degree murder trial, george zimmerman's account of shooting trayvon martin was played for the jury. prosecutors today questioned two investigators who interviewed mr. zimmerman in the hours and days following the shooting. and they played those interviews in court. the prosecution also played mr. zimmerman's walk-through of the crime scene the morning after the shooting, trying to highlight some apparent inconsistencies in his account. at one point today, jurors watched how police question mr. zimmerman about his version of events. >> i don't know how this is going to go at this point. what he was doing when he came to your car, he probably wouldn't be here right now. did that ever register to you at all. >> i guess that i answer to his family right now. >> yes, sir. >> why didn't it occur to you -- i mean, a lot of what we do in law enforcement is basically without talking and a lot of casual encounters, intentional encounters we call them. we might be trying to detect something. but did it ever oh can curr to you to actually ask this person what he was doing out there? >> no

monday. up next is on msnbc special on president obama and trayvon martin. good night. >>> if trayvon martin was of age and armed, could he have stood his ground on that sidewalk? >> the president, the zimmerman trial and race. >> trayvon martin could have been me. >> literally we all looked up and there was the president. >> unannounced the president walking into the briefing room. >> it was regarding the george zimmerman trial. >> he simply gave us the world view of trayvon martin and parents of trayvon martin. >> the african-american community is looking at this issue fthrough a set of experiences. >> one stunning moment, he said, trayvon martin could have been me. >> another way of sating that, trayvon martin could have been me. >> this might not have been the right politics. >> we have a polarized country. >> given how polarizing the conversation has been. >> in spite of that the president clearly decided, you know what, this is too important. >> you can't underestimate how huge this is. >> he just showed up in the briefing room and spoke from the heart. >> there's a lot

murder charges for shooting 17-year-old trayvon martin, who was unarmed. but all along zimmerman has said the shooting was in self-defense. prosecutors are trying to show zimmerman not only profiled martin, but that he followed the teen and misled police about how the fight with martin went down. the state started out today fairly strong with key testimony from the lead investigator on the case but things fizzled fast when prosecutors called an unusual witness to the stand, george zimmerman's best friend. then came a crucial account of george zimmerman's injuries from the chief medical examiner. before we show you some of the highlights from today's testimony, let's bring in marcia clark, former lead prosecutor for the o.j. simpson murder trial and author of "killer ambition." she's joined by cnn legal correspondent jeanne cassaras. let's go over the law. it's no surprise that much of today's testimony resolved around the injuries that george zimmerman sustained that night. the medical examiner was asked to look at the photo evidence of zimmerman's injuries. let's play some of that f

for you that he might have been a racist? >> when i saw the 12-year-old trayvon martin picture and the 270-pound george zimmerman picture, yes, no question. and strangely enough, i think that's why most of the people who believe george zimmerman is a racist today got their belief when they saw those two pictures 16 months ago. and you can't not have that thought. you can't look at 12-year-old trayvon martin and the size of george zimmerman and say there's any reason why trayvon martin should have lost his life that night. when you look at the reality, it's completely different. i see race being injected into this case in the first week that it existed. and i see that it's never left this case. >> let's consider the race factor now with two legal veterans on the scene right there, my cnn colleague don lemon and criminal defense attorney jeff gold, live in sanford, don? >> thank you very much, john. let's talk about the race factor in this. why do you think -- you were standing here when i interview ben ging crump an hour or so ago, why do you think race has been -- besides the obvio

not guilty of murdering trayvon martin. >> is your son a racist? >> tonight, barbara walters' exclusive interview. >>> still packing? zimmerman can get his gun back now. and why his lawyers say he needs it now more than ever. and what's next? he walks free, but is he really a free man? amid calls for federal charges and possibly even a civil suit, where is george zimmerman tonight? and can he ever live in peace? >> announcer: this special and can he ever live in peace? >> awhat if there was a new way to deal with money, that focused less on fees and more on, what matters? maybe your bank account is taking too much time, and maybe it's costing too much money. meet bluebird, by american express and walmart. your alternative to checking and debit, it's loaded with features - not fees. because we think your ney should stay where it belongs- with you. the value you expect. the service you deserve. it feels good to bluebird. get it at your local walmart. >>> thanks for being with us tonight. 17 months after shooting trayvon martin and three weeks after his murder trial began, georg

county. the medical examiner did not examine the body of trayvon martin, but instead is working off reports and has described zimmerman's injuries to his head as minor. now the defense attorney continues questioning. let's his listen. >> consistent with one but suggested by turning the head in different ways, it could be three. >> three or four? >> with no injury, yes. if the head did not contact, yes. >> how about below the laceration? did you notice that? >> the contusion. >> below. could that have been a separate injury? >> it's possible. >> well, if the head was hit so that just the crown hit the cement one time, let's say his head just snapped back and -- that could have caused one of the lacerations, correct? >> yes. so close to each other. that's the approximately that really kind of makes it possible. >> i appreciate that. so, if the head was tilted one way and then smacked back, so this was the crowning point, that would be one laceration. >> it's possible. >> then if the head was this way, another laceration injury. >> that's possible. >> if way was able to resist a toss,

. trayvon martin is like emmett till. it's going to be a dark moment in american history. >> thanks so much, i appreciate it. that's it for the lead. now it's wolf blitzer's turn. "the situation room" is on right now. >>> happening now, breaking news, an historic, potentially game changing moment for president obama nearly one week since george zimerman's not guilty verdict. the first african-american president of the united states, as you rarely see him sharing his very personal sometimes painful experience as a black man living in this country, i'm quoting him now, trayvon martin could have been me. now, the national conversation about race it's generating, the legal impact and what does this mean for president obama's legacy? i'm wolf blitzer, you're in "the situation room." >>> when trayvon martin was first shot, i said that this could have been my son. another way of saying that is trayvon martin could have been me. >> powerful emotional words from president obama, speaking publicly for the first time since the verdict about trayvon martin's death, drawing a uniquely personal conn

where the lives of trayvon martin and george zimmerman collided that night. >> announcer: the neighborhood watch dog on a collision course with a kid in a hoodie, trayvon martin. >> he said you're going to die tonight [ bleep ]. >> announcer: with today's verdict is a racial powder keg about to explode? here's david muir. >> good evening and welcome to "20/20." tonight the breaking news here, not guilty more than 15 hours after they got the case, six women just came out of that jury room and handed in their verdict. in essence delivering the future of george zimmerman. moments ago, trayvon martin's father tweeting this. we'll put it on the screen. got blessed me and sybrina with tray and even with his death, i know my baby would be proud the fight. a family in pain tonight. another family with tears hugging his defense team. abc's matt gut man has been on this case in florida ever since the case broke and we join him outside the courthouse there in sanford. after george zimmerman shot trayvon martin on that cold february night, six jurors, five mothers coming to this verdict.

messages and photos that would seem to paint trayvon martin as aggressive in the eyes of the jury. the defense attorney don west tonight making his pitch. listen. >> there are two main issues. one relates to several conversations by mr. martin attempting to acquire a firearm. >> these are conversations that are audio conversations or are they written? >> they are text messages that were obtained from his phone. the crux of the matter is the fighting issue, it's mr. martin's text messages about being in a fight, about the effects of that fight on him, that he got into a fight, that he lost the first round and won the third round, bloodied the guy's nose. wasn't done with him yet. a facebook post from mr. martin's half brother, dimitrius martin asking trayvon martin, when are you going to teach me how to night >> right before court recessed, tensions got high inside the courtroom. the prosecution counters mr. west saying that there's no way to tell and actually the judge mentioned that there's no way to tell exactly when those text messages were sent or who may have sent them, who may ha

, trayvon martin. were the injuries on mr. zimmerman's consistent with someone doing this on cement? >> i don't think so. >> how about this? how about someone resisting it. could that have come from cement. if someone was resisting me from pushing down? >> i believe so. i believe it was a culmination of downward force whether it was from pushing or striking. i know clearly by the injuries to his face and that drive him back his head striking hard into the concrete. >> would you expect that somebody getting their head struck on the cement would attempt to resist it happening? >> of course. normal human instinct is try to mover away from the pain stimulus. >> would that occur not only the first time or every subsequent time? >> whether a push or strike every time you drive a strike or push downwards body goes until it hits an object that will stop it? >> did you see the pictures that showed punctate bruising and lacerations? >> those were the things that caught my eye to support the strike it was a striking and not a pushing so much because of the lack of the better word, injury or damage t

. tonight's lead, trayvon martin's father takes the stand. late today, trayvon martin's father tracy martin testified in the second-degree murder trial of the man who shot and killed his son. george zimmerman, his testimony came after five of mr. zimmerman's friends took the stand. answered evidence of a key piece of evidence, the 911 call that captured someone screaming in the background. the defense argues trayvon martin initially told police that it was not his son's voice on that recording, and how that testimony began today was around that issue. >> after he played the tape, he basically just said do you recognize the voice? >> and what was your response? >> my response was simply i didn't tell him that -- i didn't tell them no, that wasn't trayvon. i kind of -- i think the chairs had wheels on them, and i kind of pushed away from the -- away from the table and just kind of shook my head and said i can't tell. >> so your words were i can't tell? >> something to that effect. but i never said no, that wasn't my son's voice. after listening to the tape for maybe 20 times, i said it

most dramatic moments in this explosive case, the mothers of george zimmerman and trayvon martin testified. each telling a very different story of those screams heard on that 911 call that night, february of last year in which trayvon martin was killed. it is a pivotal piece of evidence in this case. first, let me show you this. this is what trayvon martin's mother told the court this morning. >> i want to play a recording for you, ma'am. >> 911, do you need police, fire, or medical? >> maybe both. i'm not sure. there's just someone screaming outside. >> what's the address that they're near? >> 1211 breeze lane. >> is this -- >> yeah. >> okay. >> and is it a male or female? >> it sounds like a male. >> you don't know why? >> i don't know why. i think they're yelling help but i don't know. someone got shot. >> does he look hurt to you? >> i can't see him. i don't want to go out there. i don't know what's going on. >> they're sending. >> you think he's yelling help? >> yes. >> what is your -- >> there's gunshots. >> you just heard gunshots? >> yes. >> ma'am, that screaming or yelling, do you

the shooting death of 17-year-old trayvon martin. this morning, they heard mr. zimmerman's lawyer make closing arguments for the defense. >> you look at all this evidence, and you have to say i have a reasonable doubt as to whether or not the state convinced me. he didn't act in self-defense. that's all you have to do. you don't have to write innocent on the bottom of the verdict form. i want you to really, really look at the instructions, apply them, and just say he acted in self-defense, find him not guilty. let him go back and get back to his life. >> after that, the state had its final chance for a rebuttal. prosecutor john guy made a passionate final plea to the jury. >> this isn't a complicated case. it's a common sense case. and it's not a case about self-defense. it's a case about self-denial. the defendant didn't shoot trayvon martin because he had to. he shot him because he wanted to. that's the bottom line. what do we owe trayvon martin? 16 years and 21 days, forever. he was a son, he was a brother, he was a friend. and the last thing he did on this earth was try to get

wearing hoodies to support trayvon martin. and then rev repped sharpton who organized protest and calling for the arrest of george zimmerman,ine city lead ares in sanford but theed heads over whether zimmerman should be arrested or not. >> you look at initial media coverage in the early days, it was a much younger picture of trayvon martin that wassoused by several people instead of a current picture that you so on the right hand side of the screen. and despite the contrary, early reporting said that george zimmerman had no noticeable injures and remember, the pictures shed a different story. and then the sound byte by n pc news. >> this guy locks up to no good and he locks black. >> and that was a misedit and now look at what was said. >> this guy locks up to be no good. he's like on drugs and it is raining and he's just walking around, looking about. >> okay, and this guy is white black or hispanic? >>o locks black. >> jobs were lost with that edited coverage. remember when zimmerman told police he was following trayvon martin and they said you don't need to do that and he saido

-- >> trayvon martin's father testifies about the screams on that 911 call and whether or not they belonged to his son. did the victim's father help the defense's case? also, zimmerman's friends take to the stand. they're identifying what they believe is the 911 screamer and show a more personal and emotional side to the defendant. >> and after the terrifying crash at san francisco airport, we're going to show you how nearly all the passengers survived and how you could make it out of an air disaster alive. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." >> george zimmerman's lawyers relied on an unlikely witness to help them make their case today, that would be the father of trayvon martin. tracy martin was called to testify about his initial reaction to a 911 call made that night and whether he could identify the person heard screaming for help in the background. two detectives took the stand before him to describe what happened when they played that 911 call for tracy martin and then questioned him. >> and what did you ask him? >> i believe my words were "is that your son's voice in th

about him first noticing who later became known to all of us as trayvon martin. >> he observed trayvon walking between two sets of town homes and looking into, i believe there was a window to one where the light was on and you could see someone was looking into the window of a town home. it was about that time that trayvon and george made eye contact with each other. both aware of the other's presence. >> okay. in that initial contact did he seem to you as though he was angry or anything like that with who this person was? >> no, no. george said he wanted to make sure he just got with non-emergency dispatch and had them send a police officer. >> he told you he did that? >> immediately. >> you know from your conversation with george that entire conversation was recorded, correct? >> yes, i do. >> from your conversation with george about this night and other nights george zimmerman knows those phone calls are recorded? >> yes. >> tell me then again he's explaining to you that trayvon martin is walking up and near his vehicle at some point? >> correct. >> came walking from between

moment he was declared not guilty of murdering trayvon martin. >> is your son a racist? >> tonight, barbara walters' exclusive interview. >>> still packing? zimmerman can get his gun back now. and why his lawyers say he needs it now more than ever. and what's next? he walks free, but is he really a free man? amid calls for federal charges and possibly even a civil suit, where is george zimmerman tonight? and can he ever live in peace? >> announcer: this special edition of "nightline," "george >>> thanks for being with us tonight. 17 months after shooting trayvon martin and three weeks after his murder trial began, george zimmerman is a free man tonight. the gps tracking device gone from his ankle. the gun he used in the shooting his if he wants it back. a jury of six women acquitted zimmerman of murder and manslaughter charges late saturday night in florida. but life is anything but back to normal. first came the protests. and now there could be a civil suit and/or a federal case brought by the justice department. the former neighborhood watchman has not spoken yet. but just a shor

whether or not george zimmerman is guilty in the crime of the death of 17-year-old trayvon martin. in this hour, you're going to hear from one of the main voices in the case with a new candid perspective never before heard. martin savage sat down with lead defense attorney mark o'mara, and we tried to do the same with prosecutors and the martin family. however, they are choosing to speak after a verdict is reached. but o'mara offered to open up just after he finished his closing argument, knowing he has said and done all he can for his client. >> you were not the first attorney in this case? >> no, i wasn't. i was sort of second and third. >> so there's a period you were actually a spectator before you became involved. >> and a commentator. i was commenting on it a little bit. >> what were you thinking about this case at that time? >> when i commented at first, i looked at it and said, you got to be careful with the stand your ground law, because it allows people to do things they can do sort of morally. don't take advantage of a statute in doing things you do. and there's a lot about

threatening beating and crying for help, shot trayvon martin in self-defense. first, martin savidge gets up to date. >> reporter: dr. vincent demayo said the bullet hole in trayvon martin's clothing and body proved a key point, that it was martin who was on top of george zimmerman as they struggled. demayo, a gunshot expert, said he could tell it was martin on top of zimmerman because even though zimmerman's gun was touching martin's hoody, the hoody was not touching martin's skin. >> we know the clothing was two to four inches away is consistent with somebody leaning over the person doing the shooting, and that the clothing is two to four inches away. from the person firing. >> reporter: he also countered the medical examiner's testimony for the prosecution who said martin could have survived and suffered up to ten minutes. >> he's going to be dead within one to three minutes after being shot in this case. >> reporter: finally, he testified that zimmerman's injuries fit his account, saying his review of photographs taken that night indicated zimmerman's head suffered at least six i

, thank you for being with me, going to washington, "the lead" starts now. >> trayvon martin could have been him 35 years ago said president obama as he breaks his silence on the george zimmerman verdict. i'm jake tapper, this is the lead and we're going to begin and focus on our national lead today, it's been six days since george zimmerman was found not guilty of killing trayvon martin and beyond a statement on paper, president obama has remained silent about it until just a few hours ago. with no warning, the president made a surprise drop in during the white house briefing, and he gave his personal thoughts appearing to speak largely off the cuff. the president -- he's given in quite some time on the eve of mass protests planned in cities across the country. it was right in the middle of the day, so many of you out there probably missed it and there was not a heads up. so we want to play for you in its entirety, the president's remarks right now. >> the reason i actually wanted to come out today is not to take questions, but to speak to an issue that obviously has gotten a lot

tape, not trayvon martin. >> you said you heard the tape several times, is that mainly listening to it on tv? >> yes. >> were you able to identify mr. zimmerman's voice during the first time you listened to it? yes, my immediate reaction to it was, that is george's voice. >> that's georgy. >> it's george zimmerman, and i wish to god i did not have the ability to recognize that. >> i pushed away from the table and shook my head and said, i can't tell. >> and the judge rules the jury will hear about trayvon martin's alleged pot use. joining us to talk about a busy day in court, mark o'mara. mark, busy day. pretty important day in many ways. how significant is this late breaking decision to allow trayvon martin's toxicology report including his cannibis use to be made available to the court? >> good evening, piers, it's good to chat with you again. we thought this day was coming, the judge had initially said we could not present that evidence until we were able to tie it up in terms of being relevant. we knew we would have a toxicologist come in to say that any level of pot in the system

this is what membership does. >>> george zimmerman not guilty of the murder of trayvon martin. now what? the verdict came in late last night. george zimmerman not guilty of manslaughter, not guilty of second-degree murder and now he's a free man. protesters peacefully assem bemed overnight in cities across the country. hundreds marched. the issue of race, zimmerman's trial throughout the trial, is one that motivated the victim trayvon martin because he referred to george zimmerman as a cracker but did not moat their motivate their client. >> this is not about civil rights. it needs to be talked about but not in the context of the george zimmerman case. >> trayvon martin's family was not in the courthouse last night. >> trayvon martin will forever remain in the annals of history next to med ger evers and emmett till as symbols for the fight for equal justice for all. tracy and sybrina are thankful for all those prayers over the past 17 months since the death of their son. this is a very trying time for their family and we ask that you respected their privacy. in conclusion, for tray

17-year-old trayvon martin on a rainy winter night last year was justified. the parents of the victim in the case never to hold their son again heartbroken with the jury's verdict. >> mm-hmm. zimmerman stood calmly as he heard the decision, a hint of a smile only at one point. he shook hands with his lawyers but really remained pretty unemotional throughout, as he has throughout the murder trial. trayvon martin's parents, they were not in the courtroom in sanford, florida, when the verdict came in late last night. they do plan, they say, to attend church, though, this morning. >> nationwide protest! >> anticipation surrounded the verdict and the reaction to it. outside the courtroom, what you're seeing, crowds gathered to witness the finale of the murder trial that's captivated and polarized this country. many chanting "no justice, no peace" amid a sea of signs, asking justice for trayvon. in cities around the country, people gathered and marched in protest. >> there is no way justice could have been done when you have an all-white jury and you have all white women and you have

trayvon martin. it's a conversation rooted deep in american history. for 2 1/2 centuries, the subject has changed from slavery to jim crow, from poll taxes to voting rights. however, even as the issues evolve, the theme stays constant. race and justice. namely whether justice applies differently and is seen differently, depending on skin color. race, justice, who we are as americans. it's an important conversation coming up, with distinguished voices from many points of view. but first, the case that brought us here. no homicide can be called routine. at first, the shooting that occurred in a late february night in a small town in central florida didn't make national headlines. >> what is your emergency for police, fire and medical? >> an unarmed african-american teenager wearing a hoodie was shot and killed by a neighborhood volunteer watchman who had hopes of becoming a policeman. the teenager, the watchman said, had attacked him. police quickly responded and soon george zimmerman was being led inside the sanford police station for questioning. but in the days after the shooting, it bec

and it proves absolute innocence. >> do you think for a second that if trayvon martin had seen that gun ever there would be a gunshot at 90 degrees in the center of his chest? >> one piece of evidence, just one, just one i ask for, one that supports that contention. where is it? >> if that defendant had done only what he was supposed to do, see and call, none of us would be here. >> it could have been don't belong in this courtroom. proof beyond a reasonable doubt. >> trayvon martin may not have the defendant's blood on his hands. but george zimmerman will forever have trayvon martin's hands on his. >> at that moment -- shoot trayvon martin, what other options did he have? none. to the living, we owe respect. but to the dead we owe the truth. >> the person who decided that this was going to continue and come to a violent end is the guy that didn't go home when he had the chance to. four minutes, to do what? to walk home? run home. >> four minutes is the amount of time that trayvon martin had left in his life. in the end, this case is not about standing your ground. it's about stayin

? >> no, sir. >> when -- the suggestion is why didn't trayvon martin have blood on his hands, does -- is blood susceptible to gravity as well? >> yes, sir, it is. >> p he gets smashed in the most and thrown on the ground, which way is the blood going? >> towards the ground. >> back down his throat. >> back down his loetd. >> only when he stands up is it going to stop coming out of his nostrils which is after he's no longer being mount bid trayvon martin? >> typically, yes, sir. >> break my nose, put me on the ground, my blood going back into my throat. >> theoretically, yes. >> would not be available to be on trayvon martin's hands at that point because there was no blood outside of the nose, correct? >> correct. >> i'm not going to approach you like he did. left -- if he's holding him down, could that be literally momentary she holding him down and mr. zimmerman is trying to get back up? >> yes, sir. >> could he attempt to suffocate momentary as well? >> yes, sir. >> could it be a sleeve or an arm or -- a palm or -- anything that could have given mr. zimmerman that impression? >> yes, s

every one of them then told you that they agree with your opinion that it was trayvon martin's voice, correct? >> they didn't tell me anything. >> when you mentioned a moment ago that you didn't know what the tape was about, nobody spoke to you to tell you that you would soon be listening to screams from the event that led to your son's death? >> no. >> mayor triplett never said anything like that to you? >> no. >> nor any of your other family members? >> they didn't hear the tape at that time. >> the question is whether or not anyone told you to prepare yourself for the event of the trauma of having to listen to somebody scream moments before your son was shot. >> no. >> nobody mentioned that to you? >> no. >> tracy martin never told you about that? >> no. >> you just need to listen to it one time, correct? >> that's it. >> thank you, your honor. >> any redirect? >> you were asked about hope did you hope your son wouldn't be dead, trayvon martin. you were asked by defense counsel, were you hoping he was still alive? >> i was hoping he was still alive. >> did you enjoy listening to t

threatening. the key reason zimmerman is given for shooting trayvon martin. >> how would you classify the injuries to the defendant's head? >> they were not life threatening. they were very insignificant. they did not require any sutures to be applied to mr. zimmerman. so i would refer to them insignificant injuries. >> reporter: on cross-examination, the defense attorney mark o'mara implied valerie rao owed her job to the special prosecutor in the zimmerman case. and then walked her back from some of her findings. >> it's your position that it's consistent that george zimmerman may have only received as little as three -- did you call -- what term did you -- smasher? >> sorry? >> slamming. three slammings into cement, correct? >> i didn't use the word slamming. >> i'm sorry, i thought that was your word. >> no, i got that from the re-enactment. >> what word would you use? >> impact. >> so it's your position there are at least three impacts between that head and cement? >> yes. concrete. >> reporter: earlier, zimmerman's best friend took the stand, it was mark osterman who first convinced

, trayvon martin, as an asshole? >> i do know that, yes. >> so the term -- >> i think that people like to give too much weight. if you look at it in the con e text in which it was stated, his reference in that statement was addressing his -- clearly addressing his frustration from previous calls in which the individuals got away. his verbiage chosen may not be the most appropriate but i don't necessarily mean just because somebody has said that means they mean ill will. >> but the target of his frustration, you understand, was trayvon martin. >> owe would have to say the comment, in my opinion, the comment, that frustration was being voiced at the fact he's made numerous calls. the fact that he -- i mean the other alternative is to go, wow, these fellows always get away. i don't know what his general speech pattern is like in regards to how he refers to everybody else. in and of itself, i don't see that variable as showing ill will. >> let me ask you, you had a conversation with the defendant, did you not? >> i did. >> i don't recall if he was asked specifically about that. >> in his conv