Zimmerman Trial Verdict Imminent: Defense Expects to Rest Wednesday

Impact
ByGabriel Grand

On Tuesday afternoon, defense attorney Mark O'Mara announced to Judge Debra Nelson that George Zimmerman's defense is "probably going to rest tomorrow" and that it is calling its last witness.

Compared to the prosecution's case, which involved 38 witnesses over the course of nine days in court, the defense has breezed through proceedings. Defense attorneys Mark O'Mara and Don West took over after the state rested its case late on Friday.

This abbreviated defense is probably a signal that Zimmerman's attorneys are optimistic about their client's chances of escaping conviction for second degree murder. As I argued in my article on Saturday, "It's Only Halftime, But the George Zimmerman Trial is Already Over," the prosecution failed in its case to prove Zimmerman's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The defense is currently conducting a direct examination of Eloise Dilligard via webcam. Dilligard is a resident of the Twin Lakes gated community where Zimmerman fatally shot and killed Trayvon Martin in February 2012.

If the defense rests its case on Wednesday as anticipated, the jury will go into deliberations this week. Provided the proceedings continue at their current pace, that means we could see a verdict as soon as early next week.

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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