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Six-Woman Jury Selected For Trial Of George Zimmerman

Six women have been selected for the trial of George Zimmerman, right, on second-degree murder charges in the death of Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman was in court Thursday with his defense attorney, Mark O'Mara.
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Six women have been selected for the trial of George Zimmerman, right, on second-degree murder charges in the death of Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman was in court Thursday with his defense attorney, Mark O'Mara.

A jury has been settled upon in the trial of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. The six-member panel is made up entirely of female jurors; five of them are white women, according to reports.

Attorneys in the trial finished questioning potential jurors around mid-day Thursday; they are also selecting four alternate jurors for the trial.

Update at 7 p.m. ET: Jury Sworn In:

With the jury seated and sworn in, opening statements in the trial are scheduled to begin Monday. Four alternate jurors were also chosen, from a potential pool of 40 jurors. Two women and two men make up the alternates.

Our original post continues:

As Jeff Weiner and Rene Stutzman write for The Orlando Sentinel, Zimmerman defense attorney Mark O'Mara and prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda have focused on potential jurors' perception of the case, their views on circumstantial evidence, and other questions.

De la Rionda questioned jurors Wednesday; when O'Mara took his turn today, he asked people in the jury pool how they viewed questions of reasonable doubt. He also discussed gun ownership and the Stand Your Ground law, reports Rachel Delinski of The Sanford Herald.

Zimmerman, 29, faces a charge of second-degree murder in the February 2012 death of Martin, 17. Jurors are expected to be sequestered for up to a month during the trial.

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Bill Chappell is a writer and editor on the News Desk in the heart of NPR's newsroom in Washington, D.C.
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  • The trial gets started Monday in Florida. George Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder. Experts say prosecutors will look for young jurors, while the defense will focus on older people. Trayvon's death sparked protests and a national discussion about race relations.
  • In Sanford, Fla., Monday, jury selection begins in the murder trial of George Zimmerman, the Neighborhood Watch volunteer charged with shooting 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in 2012. Police at first declined to charge Zimmerman after the shooting because of Florida's Stand Your Ground law, which gives immunity to people who, fearing for their lives, use deadly force in self-defense.
  • The African-American teen's February 2012 shooting death drew national attention. George Zimmerman has pleaded not guilty to a charge of second-degree murder. He claims self defense. Trayvon's family alleges the young man was racially profiled. The trial will begin June 10.