Former President Jimmy Carter spoke out on Wednesday about the George Zimmerman trial, saying that the verdict was the “right decision” to make.
Zimmerman was acquitted of murder in the February 2012 killing of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin. During a conversation with WXIA , Carter explained that the jury’s choice was correct , because the prosecution was overly ambitious. He added:
“I think the jury made the right decision based on the evidence presented because the prosecution inadvertently set the standard so high that the jury had to be convinced that it was a deliberate act by Zimmerman and that he was not at all defending himself.”
Jimmy Carter explained of the Zimmerman jury’s decision , “It’s not a moral question. It was a legal question and the American law requires that the jury listens to the evidence presented.”
But unlike Carter, not everyone in America agrees with the jury’s decision to find Zimmerman not guilty of murder. Protests broke out on Saturday night after the verdict was reached. Demonstrations have continued in Los Angeles since then.
Jimmy Carter was also asked if race was a factor in the jury’s decision. He replied that he believes the six women based their decision on the evidence and not the races of those involved. Carter explained:
“I can’t allege the six jurors… are not just as sensitive about the race issue as I am or you are. I would presume they listened to the evidence.”
Carter added that the prosecution didn’t bring up any alleged racial motivation during the trial. Jimmy Carter added that the backlash to Zimmerman’s not guilty verdict would subside as people “start seeing what we can do about the present and future and put aside the feelings about the past.”
The former president added that he agrees with President Barack Obama’s assessment of the trial. The current president released a statement the day after the verdict, saying that, while he may not agree with the outcome, “we are a nation of laws, and a jury has spoken.”
Do you agree with Jimmy Carter’s George Zimmerman trial assessment?
[Image via Nir Levy / Shutterstock.com ]
