George Zimmerman juror to write book, report says
(CBS) SANFORD, Fla. - A juror in the trial of George Zimmerman has signed a deal with a book agent and plans to pen a book about the high-profile case, the Orlando Sentinel reports.
READ: Trayvon Martin Shooting: A timeline of events
PICTURES: George Zimmerman on trial in death of Fla. teen
Literary and media manager Sharlene Martin reportedly confirmed to the paper that she has signed juror B-37 and her husband to write a book describing her experience as a juror and how the verdict was reached. The juror's name has not been made public."My hope is that people will read Juror B37's book, written with her attorney husband, and understand the commitment it takes to serve and be sequestered on a jury in a highly publicized murder trial and how important, despite one's personal viewpoints, it is to follow the letter of the law," Martin said in a statement obtained by the paper. "It could open a whole new dialogue about laws that may need to be revised and revamped to suit a 21st century way of life.
"The reader will also learn why the jurors had no option but to find Zimmerman not guilty due to the manner in which he was charged and the content of the jury instructions," the statement says.
Following nearly three weeks of testimony, a jury made up of six women found the 29-year-old former neighborhood watch volunteer not guilty of second-degree murder and the lesser offense of manslaughter on Saturday after about 16 hours of deliberations.
Zimmerman was charged in the shooting death of Florida teen Trayvon Martin which occurred last year during an altercation in a gated community in Sanford, Fla. He had pleaded not guilty, claiming he shot the teen in self-defense.
According to the paper, Sharlene Martin says she was contacted by juror B-37 on Sunday, a day after the verdict was reached. Martin says the juror has not decided whether she will reveal her identity or if she will agree to be interviewed.
In her statement, Martin also claims she has experience representing high-profile crime-related books. She says she is currently representing a soon-to-be released book on the Jodi Arias murder case and previously represented the family of alleged O.J. Simpson victim Ron Goldman.
According to the paper, juror B-37 is described as a middle-aged white woman with two adult children. In jury selection questioning she revealed that both she and her husband have concealed carry weapons permits, though she let hers lapse. She said she works for a chiropractor and has many pets, including lizards and a parrot.
Complete coverage of the George Zimmerman Trial-Trayvon Martin case on Crimesider
