walking while black - Trayvon Martin

[BlueTiki]

I read a little about the manslaughter charge - to win a manslaughter conviction, prosecutors must show only that George killed without lawful justification.

Here's what the jury instruction stated (partial):

"In order to convict of manslaughter by act, it is not necessary for the State to prove that George Zimmerman had an intent to cause death, only an intent to commit an act that was not merely negligent, justified, or excusable and which caused death."

"George Zimmerman cannot be guilty of manslaughter by committing a merely negligent act or if the killing was either justifiable or excusable homicide: Each of us has a duty to act reasonably toward others. If there is a violation of that duty, without any conscious intention to harm, that violation is negligence."

Full Jury Instruction Here