Thursday, March 7, 11:08 p.m. EST: "Witness Number 8" lied under oath (but not about what happened the night Travyon was killed): The state's chief witness in the Trayvon Martin murder case lied under oath, prosecutors say. The young woman who says she was on the phone with Trayvon as he encountered Zimmerman the night he was killed reportedly also told prosecutors that she was in the hospital the day of his funeral. That, they say, is not supported by any hospital records. Prosecutors have not said how the witness's credibility may affect the case, CNN reports.
Tuesday, March 5, 8:26 p.m. EST: Trayvon's mom says Zimmerman "tried to be the police officer": Speaking at the American Values Institute and Open Society Foundation's Black Male Re-Imagined II conference in New York today, Sybrina Fulton sat on a panel alongside attorney Benjamin Crump, who represents the Martin family, and Star Jones. Telling the audience that her level of grief "has not changed," she added, "If I had known a year ago that I would lose my son, I would've gone crazy."
Here's her take on what happened the night Trayvon Martin was killed and the role of George Zimmerman, who faces second-degree-murder charges in the teen's shooting death: "I believe that this person tried to detain him, or tried to be the police officer, and Trayvon just didn’t see that. And I believe that a confrontation [ensued], and Trayvon was shot. But I believe if George Zimmerman had remained in his vehicle, didn't follow or pursue him, he would be here today."
Tuesday, March 5, 4:38 p.m. EST: Zimmerman waives "Stand your ground" hearing: Florida's controversial "Stand your ground" law has been at the center of the national conversation about the shooting death of unarmed Florida teen Trayvon Martin. But ABC reports today that George Zimmerman's attorneys have opted to skip the hearing slated for April, in which they would have used the statute to argue for the dismissal of the charges.
Under Florida's "Stand your ground" law, Zimmerman would be entitled to immunity if he could have proved that he shot and killed Martin Feb. 26, 2012, in self-defense. In that case, all criminal proceedings would have immediately stopped, and Zimmerman would have walked free.
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.