ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A judge in Florida has dismissed a defamation and conspiracy lawsuit former neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman had filed against the parents of Trayvon Martin, the teen he fatally shot almost a decade ago in a case that drew international attention about race and gun violence.
Highlights
- Zimmerman had filed a defamation and conspiracy lawsuit against the parents of Trayvon Martin.
- The lawsuit claimed that Trayvon Martin’s parents, along with attorney Ben Crump, participated in the conspiracy in an effort to get charges filed against Zimmerman.
- Zimmerman also claimed the defendants portrayed him as a racist murderer who racially profiled Martin.
- Zimmerman was acquitted during a 2013 trial, which focused attention on race and Florida’s “stand your ground” self-defense law that allows people to use force without retreating if they feel threatened.
- The case was originally filed in 2019 in Polk County, but it was later transferred to state court in Tallahassee to accommodate some participants.