Demonstrators protested in three California cities against the acquittal of George Zimmerman and officials say they broke windows and vandalised cars in Oakland.

Trayvon Martin was shot through the heart at close range and George Zimmerman had a broken nose, bruises and cuts on the back of his head, new documents show.

The judge presiding over the case of an unarmed Florida teenager’s shooting death has removed herself after the defendant’s lawyer said she had a possible conflict of interest.

Neighbourhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman followed and confronted the black teenager he is accused of murdering after a police dispatcher told him to back off, prosecutors in the US said.

George Zimmerman made his first courtroom appearance since he was charged with the fatal shooting more than six weeks ago of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, as a judge agreed to seal some records in the highly-charged case.

Neighbourhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman has made his first court appearance on a second-degree murder charge following the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

Prosecutors face steep hurdles to win a second-degree murder conviction against a neighbourhood watch volunteer charged in the shooting death of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin, experts say.