Anderson Cooper Interviews Zimmerman Juror

In a truly stunning interview, CNN’s Anderson Cooper interviewed a member of the Zimmerman jury.  The juror defends the acquittal decision. The interview is stunning both because of the juror’s answers and Cooper’s inability to ask obvious follow-up questions. Here is a sample of some of the more noteworthy quotes from the interview: 

• In the second part of the interview, the juror told Cooper she thought Zimmerman’s “heart was in the right place” on the night he shot and killed Martin and the only thing he is guilty of is “not using good judgement.”
• She said she thought he had “every right so carry a gun,” adding, “I think it’s everyone’s right to carry a gun. 

• She reiterated that she did not think race played a role in the case. “I think if there was another person, Spanish, white, Asian, if they came in the same situation where Trayvon was,” she said, “I think George would have reacted the exact same way.” 

• The juror hedged a bit when Cooper asked her whether she would feel comfortable having Zimmerman on “neighborhood watch” in her community saying it would be OK “as long as he didn’t go too far.” She eventually said she thought he’d “learned his lesson” and after the trial “would be more responsible than anyone else on the planet right now.”