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Nancy Grace
George Zimmerman Trial Notes Week 1
Aired June 28, 2013 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
NANCY GRACE, HOST: Today marked day five of the George Zimmerman murder trial. What a day in the courtroom today. It was one of the most explosive days so far. And what a week.
Well, as an example of what went down in the courtroom today, day five, take a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BERNIE DE LA RIONDA, PROSECUTOR: Could you make out anything other than there was an object there?
JOHN GOOD, NEIGHBOR, EYEWITNESS: Not at that time.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. And did the object end up moving?
GOOD: The object...
DE LA RIONDA: What was on the ground, did it end moving?
GOOD: Yes. Yes.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. And in relation to where it was when you first observed it to when you described the second time when they appeared, you said horizontal -- how far from the original place did the object move? We now know persons, but how far did they move?
GOOD: Not far, I wouldn`t say, just up onto the concrete.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. All right. At that point, could you tell there was one individual there, at least, or two people?
GOOD: I could tell there were two when they were still vertical.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. All right. And you could -- could you tell at that time, in terms of describing who was on top and who was on the bottom?
GOOD: I could only see colors of clothing.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. The color of clothing on top, what could you see?
GOOD: It was dark.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. How about the color of clothing at bottom?
GOOD: I believe it was a light -- white or red color.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. And are you going from memory, since you stated it was only a matter of seconds, right?
GOOD: I don`t understand your question.
DE LA RIONDA: My question is, you`re not making notes as you`re doing this, you`re not taking photographs or anything as you`re doing this, right?
GOOD: No.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. And so you -- positions changed. How long did it take for the positions to change? Was it just an ongoing process, or was there a stop or...
GOOD: It was quick because, like I said, I`ve only seen a few seconds of what happened anyway, so I would say 10 seconds max total for everything.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. Could it be as little as two or three seconds?
GOOD: It could be.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. You mentioned you -- the second positioning or the change in position, if we call (ph) it, they were horizontal. At that point, could you tell there was still two individuals, the same people?
GOOD: Yes.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. And in terms of describing the individuals, are you able to describe their faces or anything, or just clothing descriptions?
GOOD: Well, going back to when they were vertical, I could tell the person on the bottom had a lighter-skinned color, correct.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. All right. And when you saw them horizontal, at that positioning, who was on top and who was on the bottom?
GOOD: It was the same position still.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. All right. If you can, describe the position of the person on top in relation to the person on the bottom.
GOOD: I believe I described it as a straddling position.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. And what do you mean by that?
GOOD: With the legs over the lower part of the body.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. And the person on the bottom, could you tell whether that person was face up or face down?
GOOD: Face up.
DE LA RIONDA: When you first observed the -- now you know two individuals -- at that time, could you see whether the person on the bottom was face up or face down?
GOOD: You say when they were vertical?
DE LA RIONDA: When you first saw them, when you first stepped out, could you tell at that time whether the person on the bottom was face up or face down?
GOOD: When I first stepped out, no, because I couldn`t see anybody.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. And then at some point, when you observed the second time you`re talking about, you saw the person on the bottom was face up?
GOOD: Correct.
DE LA RIONDA: And the person on the top, you said, was straddling, I believe you described it?
GOOD: Correct.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. Could you tell what was going on at that time?
GOOD: I think at that time is when I thought it was serious.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. What made you think that?
GOOD: Because it looked like there were strikes being thrown or punches being thrown. But as I clarified, due to the lighting, it could have also been, you know, holding down. But there were arm movement going downward.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. And the arm movements that you described, would that have been from the person on top?
GOOD: Correct.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. And you said that was a dark-colored attire of some type?
GOOD: Correct.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. The person on top, if you can, you`re saying arm movement -- how would you describe the arm movement?
GOOD: Shoulder down.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. Could you see that person`s hands?
GOOD: Just appendages.
DE LA RIONDA: OK.
GOOD: It`s too dark to see that type of stuff.
DE LA RIONDA: Yes, sir. The person on top, could you tell whether that person was actually striking -- and here`s what I`m going to do -- were they going like this?
GOOD: I could not hear that, no.
DE LA RIONDA: Could you hear this?
GOOD: No.
DE LA RIONDA: Could you tell whether the person on top was just holding the person or trying to hold the person on the bottom?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At this point, your honor, I`m going to object. That`s leading.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Overruled.
DE LA RIONDA: I think you stated -- but your testimony in terms of whether the person on the top was holding down the person on the bottom. Can you tell?
GOOD: I said that could have been possible, as there was arm motion going downward not just once but multiple times.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. So you can`t say one way or the other, whether -- or can you say?
GOOD: I can`t 100 percent say, no.
DE LA RIONDA: You mentioned you said something. Did you yell that out or did you say "please," or how would you describe it? And if you could, as best you can, recreate that in whatever tone of voice you used to say something.
GOOD: That`s pretty hard, going back to that date on the tone of voice.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. Was it loud?
GOOD: It was enough for that I thought they would be able to hear me.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. And again, what do you recall saying to the two individuals?
GOOD: At first, it was, What`s going on? No one answered. And then at that point, I believe the person on the bottom I could finally see, and I heard a "Help." And then at some point, I said, Cut it out, and then, I`m calling 911, because that`s when I thought it was getting really serious.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. And when you`re stating what you`re saying, are you doing that pretty quickly, or are you taking -- you`re pausing like you are now?
GOOD: I would say pausing.
DE LA RIONDA: OK.
GOOD: And I think that would equate to about time that I said, too.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. But you`re -- you`re yelling it or saying it in a loud voice so they could hear?
GOOD: Yes.
DE LA RIONDA: You mentioned that when you first stepped out -- I neglected to ask you -- at that time, did you hear any kind of yelling at any type (ph) from one of the two individuals out there?
GOOD: Not initially when I stepped out.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. And when you did step out and you said something - - did any of the individuals prior to you saying something, did they -- you hear any of the individuals saying something at that point?
GOOD: No.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. And you mentioned that they said something. Was that after you said something to the individuals?
GOOD: Yes.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. Could you say unequivocally to this jury who was saying something?
GOOD: One hundred percent, no.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. And why is that?
GOOD: I`m just taking (ph) it off of being rational.
DE LA RIONDA: And you believe the person on the bottom would have been saying something when they observed you.
GOOD: Correct. And if it was coming from on top, it would have echoed off a wall instead of coming directly at me.
DE LA RIONDA: But can you say unequivocally that it was the person on bottom versus the person on the top?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your honor, that would have been asked and just answered.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Overruled.
DE LA RIONDA: Can you say unequivocally that it was the person on the bottom versus the person on the top that was saying "Help"?
GOOD: Not 100 percent, no.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. And in regard to the person who said, "Help," if you can, the person who said "Help," was it, Help, help, help, help, help, continuous, or was it -- or how would you describe it, more than one?
GOOD: I believe it was just one or maybe two.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. And then after that, what happened?
GOOD: That`s when they moved up onto the sidewalk.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. At that point, what happened?
GOOD: That`s when I saw them in the straddle position, thought it was getting very serious, and said I was calling 911.
DE LA RIONDA: Did you then turn around and go back in?
GOOD: Correct.
DE LA RIONDA: Did you close your sliding glass door?
GOOD: I probably didn`t care about the sliding glass door.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. Did you call 911?
GOOD: Yes.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. As you are turning around, I guess, and going back inside the residence -- or I shouldn`t say turning around -- just putting your foot back inside your residence, are you hearing any screams or yells for help from outside there?
GOOD: At that time, my adrenaline was going and I can`t remember.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. You know, I neglected to ask you something at the very beginning. When you first hearing something and then you stepped outside, the TV -- was the volume still going? In other words, did you mute it...
GOOD: It was muted.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. The light that you had on outside, did it remain on the whole time, or did you turn it off when you stepped back in?
GOOD: No, it remained on.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. When you stepped out, you mentioned two individuals that you described. Did you see anybody else out there?
GOOD: Not at first.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. At some point later on, did you see individuals?
GOOD: At the very end after -- yes.
DE LA RIONDA: When you are stepping outside and you said something, did you notice any other neighbors or anything? Even if you didn`t see them outside, did you notice anybody, like, peeking out or anything, any -- from any of the windows, or were you paying attention to that?
GOOD: My focus wasn`t on that.
DE LA RIONDA: At the point where you`re seeing the two individuals, one on top of the other, and I think you describe a straddling position, can you see the person on the bottom, their hands?
GOOD: They were at a side view, so I don`t think so.
DE LA RIONDA: Could -- by that, could you tell whether the person on the bottom had a gun out already?
GOOD: No.
DE LA RIONDA: You can`t say one way or the other?
GOOD: I can`t tell, no.
DE LA RIONDA: Sir, I`m going to play the 911 recording (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Any objections?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, your honor.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
911 OPERATOR: 911 (INAUDIBLE)
(CROSSTALK)
GOOD: I just heard...
(END AUDIO CLIP)
DE LA RIONDA: I apologize. I neglected to put on the record what the exhibit number is. For the record, that is state`s exhibit 162.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
911 OPERATOR: 911, do you need police, fire, or medical?
DE LA RIONDA: Police. I just heard a shot right behind my house.
911 OPERATOR: Where at?
DE LA RIONDA: They`re wrestling right in the back of my porch.
911 OPERATOR: You just heard one shot go off?
GOOD: It was either that or a rock at the window or something. I don`t know. The guy`s yelling help, but I`m not going outside.
911 OPERATOR: OK, and you can hear somebody yelling for help?
GOOD: I`m pretty sure the guy`s dead out here. Holy (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
911 OPERATOR: OK. We have several people calling in also. Anything else that you heard?
GOOD: No. A guy yelling help. Oh, my God! No, there`s a guy with a flashlight in the back yard now.
911 OPERATOR: OK.
GOOD: I think there`s flashlights and there`s a guy. I don`t know if that`s a cop. Oh, my God!
911 OPERATOR: OK. I have several calls in. You just heard -- are you sure -- did you hear -- when you heard voices, it was just one person (INAUDIBLE)
GOOD: There`s two guys. There`s one -- there`s two guys in the back yard with flashlights.
911 OPERATOR: OK.
GOOD: And there`s a black guy down. It looks like he`s been shot and he`s dead.
911 OPERATOR: He`s -- OK.
GOOD: He`s laying, and there`s multiple people calling right now, I`m thinking.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRACE: What I noticed this week with the defense`s cross-examination of several witnesses, it was very effective. He`s using the, as I always called wit, Andy of Mayberry style of cross-examination.
When you have a witness that you really don`t need to destroy but you want to show that they`ve got their facts wrong or that they lied or -- you want to attack their credibility, you can do it in a way where you`re not the bad guy. And that`s what we see the defense doing. The defense is remaining likable to this jury, which is very, very important.
We`re not seeing any emotion whatsoever from Zimmerman. I find that interesting, no emotion whatsoever. I think that may be a mistake. But we see the defense taking the high road but still being very effective in their cross-examinations of the state`s witnesses. So far, in my mind, the state`s done everything right.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK O`MARA, ATTORNEY FOR GEORGE ZIMMERMAN: They are now moved up. They`re now in the true "ground and pound" position. And Mr. de la Rionda I think made some histrionics about what you heard and what you didn`t hear. So I now have to do it, as well, OK? Did you hear something like this?
GOOD: No.
O`MARA: OK. Could something like that have happened without you being able to hear it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Objection. Speculation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sustained.
O`MARA: Were you paying attention to the noise of the "ground and pound" that you were watching?
GOOD: Probably not. I was just seeing to make sure if it was serious or not, and that`s when I went back inside.
O`MARA: Have you ever heard the sound of a skull being smacked against concrete?
GOOD: I can`t remember.
O`MARA: Have you heard the sound of a fist driving into a nose or a head or a face?
GOOD: I can`t remember.
O`MARA: So while it wasn`t the histrionics that Mr. de la Rionda suggested, it certainly could be -- it could have occurred that Mr. Trayvon Martin was hitting Mr. Zimmerman, but you just don`t remember today the sound of that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Objection. Speculation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sustained. Rephrase the question.
O`MARA: Sure, I`ll rephrase it. You`re certainly not telling this jury that you`re certain that Mr. Martin wasn`t striking George Zimmerman in the face, right?
GOOD: Can you repeat that?
O`MARA: Yes. You`re certainly not telling this jury that you know that Mr. Martin was not striking George Zimmerman in the face? You just...
GOOD: I can`t 100 percent confirm that that was happening.
O`MARA: Right. And you just don`t want to say that Trayvon Martin was taking George Zimmerman`s head and hitting it on the cement because you didn`t actually see that, correct?
GOOD: Yes, I couldn`t see that.
O`MARA: OK. And it was because of the darkness and the positioning of the people?
GOOD: Yes.
O`MARA: OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: I think that the case kicked off with a bang with the prosecution starting off with a mouthful of curse words in opening statement and the defense telling an ill-timed knock-knock joke that really didn`t even make that much sense.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DON WEST, ATTORNEY FOR GEORGE ZIMMERMAN: But I think you`re the perfect audience for it, as long as you don`t -- if you don`t like it or you don`t think it`s funny or inappropriate, that you don`t hold it against Mr. Zimmerman. You can hold it against me if you want, but not Mr. Zimmerman. I have your assurance you won`t.
Here`s how it goes. Knock, knock. Who`s there? George Zimmerman. George Zimmerman who? All right. Good. You`re on the jury.
Nothing?
(LAUGHTER)
WEST: That`s funny. After what you folks have been through the last two or three weeks?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: I don`t think that`s a very good way to start the case off. However, in the prosecution`s defense, they were quoting -- they were giving direct quotes, evidence that was to come in for the jury. I don`t know. I can`t explain what happened with that knock-knock joke by the defense. That fell flat.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRACE: The biggest surprise to me this week was when I heard there`s a possibility that Trayvon Martin`s pants have grass stains on the knees, which would mean that he was at some point during that struggle on his knees. The defense is going to argue he was on top of Zimmerman, straddling him, leaving Zimmerman no other choice than to shoot an unarmed high school junior.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN GUY, PROSECUTOR: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) punks, these (EXPLETIVE DELETED), they always get away.
Those were the words in that defendant`s head just moments before he pressed that pistol into Trayvon Martin`s chest and pulled the trigger. And then, as the smoke and the smell of that fatal gunshot rose into a rainy Sunday Sanford night, Trayvon Martin, 21 days removed from his 16th year, was face down in wet grass, laboring through his final breaths on this earth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: I mean, the prosecution started off opening statement with, "These (EXPLETIVE DELETED) punks, these (EXPLETIVE DELETED) always get away." Well, that certainly woke the jury up. An all-female jury clearly recoiled at that kind of language. But they also recoiled at the crime scene photos of Trayvon Martin`s dead body face down in the dirt, in the rain. At that moment, Martin`s family got up and left the courtroom, and I don`t blame them one bit.
I think that there are many, many ways to explain grass stains on Trayvon Martin`s knees, but I do think it`s going to be a problem for the state. I really do.
The million-dollar question, will Zimmerman take the stand in his own defense? Typically, in a self-defense case, no one can explain it better than the defendant. Now, we saw how much good that did Jodi Arias. Her 18 days on the stand revulsed the jury. With Zimmerman, he`s going to face a lot of danger on cross-exam.
Now, he`s got some domestic violence issues in his past. That cannot come up on cross-exam. The jury will never hear anything about that, which is as it should be. That has nothing to do with this case, unless he accidentally opens the door. Zimmerman may do that.
But I think, really, the best way to get the self-defense story out there is for Zimmerman to take the stand. I think it`s deadly. I think the defense needs to do a back bend to find a way to relay the self-defense story without Zimmerman taking the stand. He`ll be shredded on cross- examination, shredded.
They need to rely on those photos of the blood gushing down the back of his head, the broken nose. They need to rely on that and let the pictures speak a thousand words. That`s what they need to do. Will they do it? Oh, I don`t know what Zimmerman`s going to do, but I would advise him against taking the stand.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRACE: Just when you thought there was a lull in the proceedings, this is what happened, day five.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O`MARA: A voice screaming for help, however many times that you heard it, it was just one person`s voice?
GOOD: When I heard it outside, I believe it was just one person`s voice, yes.
O`MARA: And you now believe that that was George Zimmerman`s voice, correct?
GOOD: I never said that.
O`MARA: Do you believe...
GOOD: I said it could have been his, but I was not 100 percent sure.
O`MARA: I`m not asking for 100 percent certainty. I`m asking you to use your common sense and to tell us if you think that that was George Zimmerman`s voice screaming for help, the person on the bottom.
GOOD: That`s just my opinion.
O`MARA: Nothing further, your honor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DE LA RIONDA: And do you recall the weather conditions that evening?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
DE LA RIONDA: And what were they?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was raining.
DE LA RIONDA: And at around 7:10 PM or so, did you hear something outside?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
DE LA RIONDA: Could you describe to the jury what you first heard?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It sounded like grunts. We thought at first it was a couple of dogs barking.
DE LA RIONDA: And were the grunts, as you describe them, loud or low?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were loud enough that I could hear it through the window, but it was still indistinct. I couldn`t make anything out of it.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. Did your wife do something?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, she looked through the window.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. And when she was looking through the window, did you tell her anything about whether she should be looking through the window or not?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I said, Stay away from the window. Don`t make it our problem.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. Did she pay attention to you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. Did you, yourself, ever actually look out the window?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
DE LA RIONDA: Did your wife look out the window several times that evening?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe so.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. And in terms of what you recall her saying as she was looking out the window, or right after, did she describe something going on outside?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She just said that there were two people fighting, and she sat down. And I think it was around the time she heard yelling or the gunshot is when she peered through the window.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. Did you yourself hear that gunshot?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. I know at some point, you ended up going outside, but did you yourself actually ever look through the window or your sliding glass door outside?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
DE LA RIONDA: In terms of when you hear a gunshot, did you take any action after hearing a gunshot?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I went outside.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. If you could, tell the jury how you would have gone outside, through the back, the sliding door, or did you take another route?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I went through the garage.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. And in going through the garage, did you grab anything on your way out?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A flashlight.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. After you went out through the garage, where did you go and what route did you take to get to where you saw something?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I went to the left, towards the sidewalk, and then I just walked towards the back, to the T.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. And when you got back there, did you see a man standing on the sidewalk?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. And did you know that man prior to that night?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. And do you know that person now to be George Zimmerman?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. Do you see that person in the courtroom today, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
DE LA RIONDA: And is that the person that just stood up, for the purpose of the record?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
DE LA RIONDA: Your honor, may the record reflect the witness has identified the defendant, George Zimmerman?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The record will so reflect.
DE LA RIONDA: When you first saw him, was the defendant standing up or sitting down or laying down?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was walking towards my direction.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. And did he walk directly towards you, or did he stop, or what happened?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He walked directly towards me.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. Now, did you have your flashlight -- did you have it illuminating or on?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. And was it dark outside?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
DE LA RIONDA: When you observed the defendant, did he -- you said he walked towards you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
DE LA RIONDA: Did he have anything in his hands when you observed him?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As I came around the corner, I noticed that he had his cell phone to his left ear.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. And was he holding it just to his ear?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it looked like that.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. And when you say up to his left ear, can you demonstrate?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kind of like this.
DE LA RIONDA: OK. Did you notice any blood on him, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
DE LA RIONDA: And where did you notice the blood?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On his nostrils, streaming down, on both sides of his lips, I believe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of his lips.
DE LA RIONDA: Could you tell whether there was any damage to his nose, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
DE LA RIONDA: And did you subsequently also see some blood on the back of his head?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
DE LA RIONDA: Sir, did you end up taking some photographs using your cell phone?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
DE LA RIONDA: OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: As of tonight, day five has just ended. I see the state trying to show that Trayvon Martin was afraid, that he was literally running for his life that night, dashing through his dad`s apartment complex, trying to get to his dad`s condo.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DE LA RIONDA: State exhibit 77. What does that photograph show?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe that`s Trayvon Martin.
DE LA RIONDA: Is this the way you found the victim in this case, Mr. Martin`s body?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
DE LA RIONDA: Did you move the body at all?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRACE: Today marks day five of the George Zimmerman murder trial. What a day in the courtroom today. It was one of the most explosive days so far. And what a week.
We see the defense now getting one step closer to their theory that Trayvon Martin really turned around, hid and then attacked 29-year-old George Zimmerman, the head of the neighborhood watch. It`s interesting that the defense is choosing to claim that the boy hid and then attacked Zimmerman from hiding because Zimmerman`s own 911 call said that the boy, Trayvon Martin, was starting to run from him, clearly afraid.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WEST: So as Mr. Zimmerman kind of squatted down to collect himself, you took it upon yourself to take the picture?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
WEST: He didn`t ask you to take the picture.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
WEST: Thankfully, you did, but that was your decision.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
WEST: You also asked him what happened.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
WEST: And he said, This guy was beating me up and I shot him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I had to defend myself and I shot him.
WEST: I`m sorry?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was defending myself and I shot him.
WEST: So, This guy was beating me up, I was defending myself and I shot him, is what he told you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
WEST: Without hesitation?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
WEST: And from what you could tell at the moment, it seemed completely true.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
WEST: It wasn`t very long until the police arrived. You were standing there talking to Mr. Zimmerman as he tried to collect himself. And shortly thereafter, Officer Tim Smith (ph) of the Sanford Police Department got there, correct?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I didn`t know his name.
WEST: Well...
(CROSSTALK)
WEST: A police officer -- within a very short time, the first police officer arrived.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
WEST: And he had a flashlight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t remember if he had a flashlight.
WEST: You don`t remember the next person after you arriving with a flashlight?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I knew it was a police officer, but I don`t remember the flashlight because I already had mine on.
WEST: Right, you could see from your own flashlight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
WEST: But you -- but it was really, really dark out there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
WEST: So Officer Smith -- we`ll use that for our purposes, or the first officer -- arrived and he said, Who shot him?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
WEST: And George Zimmerman immediately said, I did.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
WEST: And Officer Smith said, Do you have a gun, or something to that effect.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
WEST: And George Zimmerman immediately complied by raising his arms or his right arm and exposed the firearm that was in the holster on his right side.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
WEST: And then Officer Smith`s response or reaction was, I`m going to handcuff you for officer safety.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
WEST: And that`s, in fact, what happened.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
WEST: And George Zimmerman complied fully with that request.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
WEST: He basically made himself available to be cuffed behind the back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: We also are getting an inkling that the defense is going to claim that possibly Trayvon Martin went to his dad`s condo and then came back to pursue the man from whom he ran in the dark, in the rain to get away from him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GUY: When you pulled up Trayvon Martin`s sweatshirt, did you see any injuries?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
GUY: And specifically, did you see what appeared to be a gunshot wound?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
GUY: And where was that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In his chest.
GUY: And what steps did you and the other personnel take to assess Trayvon Martin?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We put on a cardiac monitor.
GUY: And what`s the purpose of that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To assess the heart rhythm.
GUY: And what was determined from the cardiac monitor?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was determined by the lead paramedic on the scene that the rhythm -- I`m sorry, the rhythm was incompatible to life.
GUY: Did you observe any injuries to the defendant?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
GUY: And what injuries did you observe?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He had a very swollen, bleeding nose. He had lacerations to the back of his head.
GUY: Was the defendant`s nose actively bleeding when you arrived?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t believe it was actively bleeding. It was still moist.
GUY: OK. What did you do to treat his nose?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We just tried to clean up his injuries so we could see them better to determine.
GUY: And describe the lacerations that you saw on the back of the defendant`s head.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I recall two lacerations, approximately an inch long.
GUY: Were either of those lacerations bleeding?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not actively bleeding, but they had been.
GUY: And how did you treat the lacerations to the defendant`s head?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The same. We just tried to clean up a little so we could view better what the injury was.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRACE: Today marks day five of the George Zimmerman murder trial. What a day in the courtroom today. It was one of the most explosive days so far. And what a week. Well, as an example of what went down in the courtroom today, day five, take a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GUY: And did you at some point turn those -- that box over to your wife, Diana Smith (ph)?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That`s correct.
GUY: And she was also called to the scene?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Correct.
GUY: (INAUDIBLE) already in evidence and ask you to examine that. Do you recognize the contents of that exhibit?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I do.
GUY: All right. And what do you recognize that to be?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That would be the handgun, magazine and holster that I removed.
GUY: All right. And how do you recognize it to be the same?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because it`s secured in a box with my handwriting on it.
GUY: All right. And does it have the case information, like you said, your handwriting, case number, et cetera?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
GUY: All right. And just for the jury`s sake, will you hold up the - - first of all, the firearm -- and your honor, it still has a gun lock in it -- and the holster and the magazine and rounds. And that -- all of this you turned over to Diana Smith?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Correct.
GUY: She was the crime scene technician assigned to the case?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
GUY: Thank you. All right. Was fire rescue dispatched to that scene?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
GUY: And did they respond to the scene?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
GUY: Was fire rescue allowed to examine and treat the defendant?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
GUY: And were you present for that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
GUY: What injuries did you observe on the defendant?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The defendant had a bloody nose. He had some lacerations to his head, as well as some contusions.
GUY: And at some point, while the defendant was in your patrol car, did another Sanford police officer take a picture of the defendant`s face?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
GUY: Do you recall who that was?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was officer Mike Wagner (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wagner.
GUY: All right, were you aware at any point that a civilian had taken a photograph of the back of the defendant`s head?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not at that time, no.
GUY: All right. So is that something that if it happened, would have happened before you arrived?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
GUY: Do you recall what the defendant was wearing that evening?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A red and black jacket and bluejeans.
GUY: When you first made contact with the defendant out (ph) of the scene, was his jacket pushed up in any way?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t believe so.
GUY: Did you see any tears in his jacket?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, sir.
GUY: What, if anything, did you notice about the condition of his jacket?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The back of it was wetter than the front of it. And it was also covered in grass.
GUY: Do you recall the condition of his pants?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Vaguely.
GUY: You said they were bluejeans?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
GUY: All right. Anything else about the condition of his pants?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Again, the back was wetter than the front.
GUY: All right. After rescue had cleaned up the defendant and treated him, what did you do with him?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I transported him to the station.
GUY: And what was the purpose of you taking the defendant to the Sanford police station?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To be interviewed by the criminal investigations division.
GUY: And did you take the defendant directly there?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
GUY: And about how long did that trip take?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Driving time from Retreat to the station is roughly 15 minutes.
GUY: All right. While you were making the transport, did the defendant say anything else or anything at all about his injuries?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He stated that he felt like he was light-headed.
GUY: And what did you do or say in response to that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I afforded him the opportunity to go to the hospital.
GUY: And how did you afford him the opportunity?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I asked him -- and that was -- if he wanted to go to the hospital or if he wanted to go to the station, be re-evalued (ph) by FD.
GUY: And what did the defendant say when you offered him that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He wasn`t sure what he should do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRACE: It was very interesting that the state chose to bring in about 50 (sic) 911 calls George Zimmerman had made. The point of that is that practically every time he called in, it was about a black male. There were a couple Caucasian males thrown in the mix, but very, very few. Apparently, the only -- the only thing Zimmerman finds menacing is a black male. That was the point the state was making with those five (sic) 911 calls.
On the other hand, the defense has the argument, When did it turn into a bad thing to call the police? He`s the head of the neighborhood watch. People call him, Zimmerman, tell him their issue, he is to call police. So that`s their defense on that. I don`t even know if you need a defense for calling the police if you see something suspicious. The point was that the only thing Zimmerman really ever found suspicious was black males.
The 911 call was played in front of that jury and you could hear a pin drop in the courtroom because those jurors were listening. They heard what the state contends is Trayvon Martin crying out, screaming.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
911 OPERATOR: 911. Do you need police, fire, medical?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Maybe both. I`m not sure. There`s just someone screaming outside.
911 OPERATOR: OK, what`s the address (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (DELETED)
911 OPERATOR: OK. And is it a male or female?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It sounds like a male.
911 OPERATOR: OK, and you don`t know why?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t know why. I think they`re yelling help, but I don`t know. Send someone quick!
911 OPERATOR: OK. Does he look hurt (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can`t see him. I don`t want to go out there, and I don`t know what`s going on, so...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They`re coming.
911 OPERATOR: Do you think he`s yelling help?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
GRACE: And that jury knows that that was a death scream, that that teenage boy breathed his last, and they heard him passing on from this earth. And that is a very, very sobering and disturbing moment. And you could hear in her voice as she was telling 911 was what happening how upset she was.
END
