George Zimmerman trial: Prosecution rests case against former neighborhood watch volunteer
(CBS) -- Prosecutors on Friday rested their case against George Zimmerman, standing trial in the shooting death of Florida teen Trayvon Martin.
PICTURES: George Zimmerman on trial in death of Fla. teen
PICTURES: George Zimmerman crime scene photos
READ: Trayvon Martin Shooting: A timeline of events
The state's case spanned nearly nine days of testimony from numerous witnesses, including Martin's mother and brother, a medical examiner who conducted Martin's autopsy, a DNA analyst, and numerous neighbors, first responders and police officers who witnessed the fatal altercation or its aftermath. Prosecutors are attempting to prove that Zimmerman committed second-degree murder when he shot the teen.
In opening statements June 24, prosecutors recounted the profanity-laced statements Zimmerman used in a Feb. 26, 2012 non-emergency call placed to dispatchers to report Martin as a suspicious person in his neighborhood. They said Zimmerman profiled Martin as a criminal that evening and shot him because "he wanted to."
In a starkly different picture of events, defense attorneys said Zimmerman shot in self-defense after he was "viciously attacked" by Martin.
As the state's case wrapped up Friday afternoon, defense attorney Mark O'Mara argued for a judgment of acquittal before Circuit Judge Debra Nelson, outside of the presence of the jury. Once the state concludes a case, the court may enter a judgment of acquittal if the judge finds the evidence the state has presented is insufficient to warrant a conviction.
"What is before the court is an enormous amount of information that my client acted in necessary self-defense," O'Mara said, asking for the judgment of acquittal.
O'Mara said testimony and evidence supports Zimmerman's self-defense claim, including photos of Zimmerman after the altercation that he said show "undeniable injuries that evidence nothing other than a violent attack by Trayvon Martin."
O'Mara said the state has not presented evidence that Zimmerman followed Trayvon Martin through the community after he was told by a dispatcher not to.
"There's nothing to support my client did anything to re-engage or to engage Mr. Martin whatsoever," O'Mara said.
The judge denied the judgement for acquittal motion.
VIDEO: Zimmerman trial: Prosecutor opens with profanity
Key witnesses for the prosecution included Rachel Jeantel, a friend of Martin's who was on the phone with him minutes before he was fatally shot as he was walking to his father's fiancee's home in the gated Sanford, Fla. community.
Jeantel said she heard Trayvon Martin saying, "Get off, get off" before the fatal shot was fired, a potential blow for the defense team, which claims Zimmerman shot in self-defense. But in a lengthy and at times heated cross-examination, defense attorney Don West highlighted changes in her story in an apparent attempt to bring her credibility into question.
Also providing crucial testimony was a neighbor, John Good, who said he believes he saw Trayvon Martin on top of George Zimmerman moments before the gunshot.
Friday, Trayvon Martin's mother and brother took the stand to say they believe Martin was the one screaming in the background of a 911 call placed the evening of the altercation. Who is screaming on the tape has been a key point of contention. Before the trial launched last week, defense attorneys successfully blocked a prosecution expert who said he identified the screams as Trayvon Martin's. Zimmerman's father has also said the screaming was his son's.
A voice expert testified before the jury that it's impossible to scientifically analyze who was screaming on the call, but that someone familiar with the voice - such as a family member - might have a "better chance" of identifying it.
Also on Friday, a medical examiner who conducted the autopsy on Trayvon Martin testified that Martin could have been alive and suffering between one and ten minutes after he was shot through the heart. On cross-examination, Dr. Shiping Bao said he recently changed his opinion - he had originally said one to three minutes - based on a case his office reviewed of another man who was shot through the heart and whose survival for 10 minutes was documented on a 911 call.
