George Zimmerman Trial: The Defense Rests

Impact
ByGabriel Grand

Defense attorneys in the trial of George Zimmerman, the man accused of shooting 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in a Florida community, rested their case on Wednesday evening.

Zimmerman told Judge Debra Nelson that he did not want to testify on his own behalf during Wednesday's proceedings. That makes sense; it's common for defendants in criminal cases to forego taking the stand in order to avoid giving testimony that could later come back to bite them.

The defense's case began late on Friday afternoon and took less than half the time that the prosecution's case did. The fact that Zimmerman's defense seems abbreviated, especially compared to the prosecution's lengthy 38-witness case, is consistent with the general opinion in the legal community that Zimmerman will get off. 

READ: "It's Only Halftime, But the George Zimmerman Trial is Already Over"

Closing arguments could begin as soon as Thursday, after which point the jury will go into deliberations. If convicted, Zimmerman faces up to life in prison.

Gabe Grand is an editorialist for PolicyMic who covers the George Zimmerman trial. For more live updates and opinions on the proceedings, follow him on Twitter:

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