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George Zimmerman Murder Trial?
I just read in the paper that his trial only has 6 jurors instead of the normal 12. Why does Florida only require 6? I have never heard of this before, except maybe in a Civil Trial, not a murder. Thank you.
7 Answers
- † PRAY †Lv 78 years agoFavorite Answer
Never heard of only six jurors.. but after investigateing ;
The size of the jury is to provide a "cross-section" of the public. In Williams v. Florida, 399 U.S. 78 (1970), the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that a Florida state jury of six was sufficient, and that "the 12-man panel is not a necessary ingredient of "trial by jury," and that respondent's refusal to impanel more than the six members provided for by Florida law did not violate petitioner's Sixth Amendment rights as applied to the States through the Fourteenth."[14]
In Brownlee v The Queen (2001) 207 CLR 278, the High Court of Australia unanimously held that a jury of 12 members was not an essential feature of "trial by jury" in section 80 of the Australian Constitution.
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- 8 years ago
Zimmerman will be tried in a court of law, on 2nd degree murder charges. He was not charged with 1st degree murder. If he had been, he might be facing the death penalty. Only those with 1st degree murder charges are eligible for the death penalty (1st degree could be murdering more than 1 person, premeditated murder, torturing and murdering someone etc). I guess in Florida, that only death penalty cases require 12 jurors. Zimmerman could still be sentenced to life in prison, on 2nd degree murder charges. It all depends on the 6 jurors now.
- Anonymous8 years ago
If you look at the link it says in Florida 12 jurors are only required in cases where the death sentence is being considered. Zimmerman is only charged with second degree murder.and 6 jurors are required for this.
- tjLv 68 years ago
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If he had been charged with first degree murder, there would be twelve jurors.
In this case, Florida (and Connecticut) law allows for six jurors but the
verdict MUST be unanimous.
Only one other state, Connecticut, has this law.
If one juror dissents with the others, George is acquitted.
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- 4 years ago
evaluate the region. If he extremely viewed Trayvon Martin a probability after which chased after him, then Zimmerman can't declare self-protection while he went charging right into a risky project. He of course did no longer evaluate the region existence-threatening or he does no longer have long gone to it. If he did no longer evaluate the region to be a probability to his existence, then he killed this boy who replaced into no probability, that's homicide. the two way, Zimmerman can't declare self-protection via fact he of course did no longer evaluate the region existence-threatening. If he did, he by no means could have entered the region in the 1st place, he could have secure his own existence by means of staying out of it. Zimmerman is a murderer, his own testimony proves that. He merits a tribulation; yet while the trial is honest, he would be convicted of precisely what he did: homicide. He himself has already presented the evidence that he dedicated homicide.
- Anonymous8 years ago
This is going to be an interesting trial to follow. Five white women and one hispanic woman are the Jury. If Zimmerman is found guilty by six women or acquitted by six women, is that a jury of the defendant's peers? Something smells rotten in Denmark on this case and I am a white man.