Friday, Jan. 18, 10:59 a.m. EST: Zimmerman defense: We have Trayvon Martin's records: The legal team for George Zimmerman has received a copy of the 17-year-old's school records, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Both state prosecutors and Benjamin Crump, an attorney for Trayvon's parents, objected to releasing the records, stating that they were irrelevant to the case because Zimmerman did not meet Trayvon until the day he killed him.
Thursday, Jan. 17, 9:17 a.m. EST: Trayvon Martin's mom on "Stand your ground": In Florida, where Democratic lawmakers have filed bills to repeal or scale back the self-defense statute that allows people who fear for their lives to use deadly force, Sybrina Fulton said at a press conference this week, "How many times are we going to bury our loved ones and not do something about it?"
Wednesday, Jan. 16, 10:15 a.m. EST: "When people say 'concealed carry,' I say 'Trayvon Martin' ": That's how Chicago police Superintendent Garry McCarthy explained his opposition to legalizing the concealed carry of handguns in Illinois at a Rainbow Push event. "I say 'Trayvon Martin,' " McCarthy continued, according to the Chicago Tribune, "because the answer to guns is not more guns, and just simply putting guns in people's hands is going to lead to more tragedy."
Tuesday, Jan. 15, 12:18 p.m. EST: Fireman demoted for Trayvon Martin Facebook post pleads his case: Remember this, from Miami-Dade fire Capt. Brian Beckmann: "I and my coworkers could rewrite the book on whether our urban youths are victims of racist profiling or products of their failed, [sh—bag], ignorant, pathetic welfare dependent excuses for parents"? He was demoted when he posted it on Facebook the same day George Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of unarmed teen Trayvon Martin. Today he's pleading his case before an arbitrator, CBS Miami reports.
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.