Originally Posted by Mutt

I haven't followed this trial at all - is it being covered live on TV?

From reading this thread the prosecution has little chance of a murder conviction - reasonable doubt is not a large burden for defense attorneys to achieve in the minds of a jury. the legal system we have is predicated on the belief that it's better to have 9 guilty men go free rather than 1 innocent man found guilty. Zimmerman could be one of those 9, we'll never know since there were no eye witnesses to the fight.

so at the end of the trial the judge can instruct the jury that should they not be able to agree that he's guilty of 2nd degree murder they can consider a guilty verdict of manslaughter?