Florida State Attorney: No Grand Jury in Martin Case

Today, the Florida State Attorney Angela Corey ruled out using a grand jury in the case of Trayvon Martin. There is already a grand jury on the case; Corey’s announcement cuts short the grand jury deliberations, which were expected to end Tuesday with the release of a report regarding whether George Zimmerman should be prosecuted. Grand juries are typically used on all first degree murder cases, so this means Zimmerman likely won’t be prosecuted on such a charge.

Natalie Jackson, the attorney for Martin’s family, said, “We believe that she should make a decision and we’re optimistic that she will make a decision within the week.”

It would be exceedingly difficult to prosecute Zimmerman for first degree murder in any case. And Corey must determine, first and foremost, whether a prosecution would be worthwhile. Trials cost the state hundreds of thousands of dollars, and evidence must typically be strong to support any accusation of guilt.