Juror in Zimmerman trial says he and teenager Martin both repsonsible

A juror in the trial of George Zimmerman said the actions of both he and Trayvon Martin led to the teenager’s fatal shooting - but the neighbourhood watch volunteer did not break the law.

The woman, known as Juror B37, told CNN that Mr Zimmerman made some poor decisions leading up to the shooting, but Trayvon was not innocent either.

“I think both were responsible for the situation they had gotten themselves into,” said the juror, who is planning to write a book about the trial. “I think they both could have walked away.”

The juror said Detective Chris Serino of Sanford police made a big impression on her, because he would have been accustomed to dealing with murders and similar cases. He would have known how to spot a liar and yet he told the court that he believed Mr Zimmerman, the juror said.

Legal analysts agreed that Detective Serino’s evidence was a blow to the state’s case.

The juror, a mother of two whose husband is a lawyer, said she believed Mr Zimmerman, who she said had a right to defend himself. “I have no doubt George feared for his life,” she said.

Juror B37 also outlined to CNN the process she and the other five jurors went through in their deliberations. Based on an initial vote, three – including B37 - were in favour of acquittal, two wanted manslaughter and one wanted second-degree murder. She said the jury started going through all the evidence, listening to tapes multiple times.

When they started looking at the law, the person who initially wanted second-degree murder changed her vote to manslaughter. Then they asked for clarification from the judge and kept going over it again and again. B37 said some jurors wanted to find Mr Zimmerman guilty of something, but there was just no place to go based on the law,

B37 said jurors cried when they gave their final vote to the bailiff. “I want people to know that we put everything into everything to get this verdict,” she said.

“We thought about it for hours and cried over it afterwards. I don’t think any of us could ever do anything like that ever again.”

Martin Literary Management announced is representing B37 and her husband. The names of the jurors have not been released, but during jury selection it was disclosed that B37 works in an unspecified management position and has two adult children.

Imartin Literary said the book would focus on what it is like to be sequestered and why B37 felt she had no choice but to acquit Mr Zimmerman. The agency said it was approaching several publishers.

Rachel Jeantel, the Miami teen who was talking to Trayvon by phone moments before he was shot, was asked by CNN’s Piers Morgan whether she thought race was a factor in Mr Zimmerman’s decision to follow him before their fight.

“It was racial,” she said. “Let’s be honest. Racial. If he were white, if Trayvon was white and he had a hoodie on, what would happen?”

Morgan played back a recording of the juror’s comments about Jeantel’s education level and speech, and the witness said it made her sad and angry. Ms Jeantel, who is black, said she also had a feeling that the jury would return a not-guilty verdict.

“They’re white,” she said of the jury at one point. “Well, one Hispanic. But she’s stuck in the middle. I had a feeling it was going to be a ’not guilty’.”

Meanwhile, 13 people were arrested after violence and vandalism erupted during protests over the verdict.