Friday, Nov. 3, 9:15 a.m. EDT: Jose Baez writes letter to Zimmerman judge: WPTV reports that Casey Anthony's attorney has sent a letter to the judge in George Zimmerman's case, complaining that prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda made mischaracterizations about him during a hearing last week while asking for a gag order in the Zimmerman case.
Thursday, Nov. 2, 11:30 a.m. EDT: "Pain into power" for Trayvon Martin's parents: "We have decided to turn the hurt and the pain into power," Trayvon Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, said at the Children's Defense Fund's recent national conference. "Trust me. It hurts. It hurts. But what we need to do is, we need to get the message out to you, and that's why it's important for us to speak out. And that's why it's important for us to talk to you now, so that there is not another statistic like Trayvon Martin." At CDF's National and Racial Healing Town Hall, Trayvon's parents and attorney Benjamin Attorney Crump spoke about why justice for Trayvon matters not just for the Martins' child but for all children, the Washington Informer reports.
Wednesday, Oct. 31, 3:35 EDT: Trayvon Martin's mom is scheduled to be a guest on The Ricki Lake Show: Sybrina Fulton is slated to discuss her feelings of loss and her son's character with the nationally syndicated talk-show host on Thursday (check your local listings for times), according to the Orlando Sentinel. "He was a very loving teenager … He still would sleep in my bed and talk on the phone," Fulton says. "You know, he was just a regular teenager … He used to call me Cupcake … I just didn't get enough kisses from him, enough hugs from him … My heart is just hurtful right now. I think I cried a pool of tears."
Tuesday, Oct. 30, 11:40 EDT: Florida judge rejects gag motion in Trayvon Martin shooting case: Judge Debra Nelson on Monday refused to issue a gag order in the case against former neighborhood-watch leader George Zimmerman, reports WKZO.com. She wrote in the decision, "This court does not find that a gag order is necessary at this time to guarantee a fair trial," the site says. She rejected arguments by prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda, who, in requesting the gag order, contended that Zimmerman's lawyer had been using press conferences and Internet posts to influence potential jurors in the racially charged case.
Monday, Oct. 29, 1:30 p.m. EDT: Judge delays ruling on gag order in Zimmerman case: The prosecutor in the case of the former neighborhood-watch leader requested a gag order because he believes that George Zimmerman's attorney has been using a website and both social and news media to influence potential jurors in the racially charged case, reports WPTV.com News Channel 5. But several local and national news outlets have protested, arguing that prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda is "asking the court to violate the media's First Amendment right to gather news and information" by silencing Zimmerman's defense with a gag order, reports show.
Read last week's updates on the Trayvon Martin case here.
Read all of The Root's news and commentary about the Trayvon Martin case here.