Trayvon Martin Case Won’t Go Before Grand Jury, Special Prosecutor Angela Corey Confirms

Nearly six weeks after the shooting death of Florida teen Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida, an arrest has not been made– but special prosecutor in the case Angela Corey says that the case will not be going before a grand jury, as was previously expected.

Florida law has caused the case to unfold in a particularly unusual way, and the failure of Sanford police to arrest shooter George Zimmerman- potentially due to a rather gray “Stand Your Ground” law sanctioning the use of deadly force under a broad set of circumstances- has provoked heated debate across the country as certain political segments have viewed the case’s trajectory in different ways.

Overwhelmingly, it seems Americans believe that Zimmerman should face formal charges for his controversial actions on the night of February 26th- but as the weeks wear on and no charges have appeared, many express a lack of faith in the standard channels of justice. Last month, Corey hinted that the case might forge ahead without a grand jury, saying:

“I always lean towards moving forward without needing the grand jury in a case like this… I foresee us being able to make a decision, and move on it on our own.”

In response, lawyer for the Martin family Benjamin Crump says that Trayvon’s family is hopeful that the decision is a good sign, but that their patience in waiting for an arrest is wearing thin:

“We want to believe that this would be a positive sign that the prosecutor has enough information to arrest Trayvon Martin’s killer. The family is really trying hard to be patient and have faith in the system.”

Crump added that Trayvon Martin’s family hopes Corey’s office makes the decision to arrest Zimmerman this week.