Trial to Begin in Trayvon Martin Case
When pastors, parishioners and the parents of slain teenager Trayvon Martin gathered in church recently to remember him, the mood differed from one that had prevailed at such vigils 15 months ago, when anger and sadness drove speakers to rail against a justice system that had let a killer walk free.
This time, a choir belted out an upbeat, fast-tempo version of “We Shall Overcome.” Hundreds of people in the pews stood and pounded their hands together in hearty applause, as if greeting two rock stars, when Martin’s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, walked up the long aisle to the altar.
Speakers delivered messages brimming with certainty that George Zimmerman, who is to go on trial Monday for shooting Martin, will be convicted. One clergyman, offering prayers for the Martin family, the judge and the jury even added, “We pray for the defense,” signaling confidence in a case that is as divisive today as it was Feb. 26, 2012, when Zimmerman shot Martin as the unarmed 17-year-old returned in the rain from buying candy and an iced tea at a 7-Eleven.