Trayvon Martin family
attorney Benjamin Crump said on "This Week" that the family is
"in disbelief" after the jury delivered a "not
guilty" verdict on Saturday night in the George Zimmerman
second-degree murder trial.
"They are still in
disbelief about his death and now they are in disbelief about this
verdict," Crump told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos.
"They are trying to
make sense of it," Crump added. "They want people to know that
they're going to continue to fight for the legacy of their son, that he had
every right to walk home from the 7-Eleven and not expect to be profiled and
followed by a strange man. "
The case made headlines
last year when Zimmerman,
a neighborhood watch volunteer, claimed self-defense after fatally shooting
17-year-old Trayvon Martin on Feb. 26, 2012 in Sanford, Florida.
Today, the Martin family
attorney said it would be "intellectually dishonest" not to
acknowledge the "racial undertones in this case."
"When prosecutor
John Guy said if the roles were reversed, and Trayvon Martin would have
followed and profiled and shot George in the heart, what would the verdict have
been? And that's the question that everybody is asking," Crump said on
"This Week." "That's why the whole world was watching this case
to see if everybody can get equal justice, not just certain people."
This morning, Crump also
reflected on the broader implications of the case.
"We do want people
to know that children should be able to live on this earth, walk on this earth,
and not feel that they're going to be profiled by what they wear or what
ethnicity they belong to," he said. "That has to be something we have
to progress from to go from here."
The trial began on June
24 and attorneys completed their closing arguments on July 12. The jury of 6 women deliberated
for just 16 hours before handing down the verdict.
Martin's family members
weren't in the courtroom when the verdict was read, but reacted on Twitter
Saturday night. Tracy Martin, Trayvon's father, expressed his disappointment
with the verdict,tweeting,
"Even though I am broken hearted my faith is unshattered I WILL ALWAYS
LOVE MY BABY TRAY." Trayvon's mother, Sybrina Fulton, tweeted "Lord
during my darkest hour I lean on you. You are all that I have. At the end of the
day, GOD is still in control. Thank you all for your prayers and support. I
will love you forever Trayvon!!! In the name of Jesus!!!"
Crump said on "This
Week" that the family is considering additional legal options, including a
civil lawsuit.
"They are certainly
going to look at that as an option," Crump said. "They deeply want a
sense of justice. They deeply don't want their son's death to be in vain."
Zimmerman, 29, exhibited
little reaction in the courtroom when the verdict was announced after 10 p.m.
on Saturday, shaking hands with his attorneys. He later hugged family members
before he left the
courthouse after being cleared of all charges.
The verdict prompted demonstrations
and vigils around the country on Saturday night. It appears
that most of the protests were peaceful, however there were reports of
vandalism in Oakland, California
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